12T Recipe: Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot meatballs over spaghetti on a cold winter's day. Here is our recipe for flavorful, tender meatballs in tomato sauce!

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

• ¾ pounds Ground Beef
• ¾ pounds Ground Pork
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ¾ cups Fine Bread Crumbs
• 2 whole Eggs
• ¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• 2 tbsp. chopped rosemary
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Splash Of Milk
• ½ cups Olive Oil

Sauce:

• 1 whole Yellow Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Can Whole Tomatoes
• 1 whole Can Crushed Tomatoes
• ½ cups White Wine
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• ¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• 8 whole Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped

Directions: 

Combine meat, garlic, breadcrumbs, eggs, salt, paprika, pepper, parsley, rosemary and a splash of milk in a mixing bowl. Mix together by hand. Roll into 25 1 1/2-inch balls (use a melon baller if you like) and place on a cookie sheet, freeze them for 5 to 10 minutes to firm up.

To brown the meatballs, heat olive oil in a dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs one batch at a time, turning to brown. Remove and drain on a paper towel after each batch. Set meatballs aside.

In the same pot, add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, or until translucent. Pour in whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and wine. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and parsley. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.

Add meatballs to pot and stir in gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during the simmer.

Just before serving, stir in basil if using.

Serve over pasta of choice, sprinkled with cheese.

Comments

[Tracy]

What size cans of tomatoes?

[12 tomatoes]

28 oz can

[Noelle]

I've never tried rosemary or paprika in meatballs. Sounds yummy. I can tell you though, raised in an Italian family, that you are missing a key ingredient: parmesan or pecorino-romano cheese. It is an absolute MUST for authentic Italian meatballs, for texture as well as flavor!

[Maureen Bills]

Yes and instead of minced garlic - prefer granulated - in the meatballs not sauce - it just disseminates (not sure if that's the right word) much more evenly throughout the meatballs.... will try the minced and see if it works... I prefer MORE than 3 cloves though ;-)