Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
My mother, arguably the best cook in the world, taught me how to cook. Something I’ve come to learn on my own however, is that it doesn’t matter if you follow a recipe to the exact instructions, two people cooking the same dish will always have different tastes. This is because our measuring is done by hand, eye and feel. With that being said, have fun with this recipe and know that these measurements do not have to be exact!
Here is my recipe for Italian meatballs and tomato sauce, a staple in our household and a dish that holds the title of my husbands favourite meal. These Italian Meatballs keep in the fridge for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to a month. If freezing, just simply placed the cooked meatballs, once cooled, into a freezer friendly ziplock back and remove as much air as possible.
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
MEATBALLS
Yields 24
- 1 Package Ground Veal (approx. 450g)
- 1 Package Ground Pork (approx. 450g)
- 3/4 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Egg
- 3 Cloves of Garlic, diced
- 1/2 Onion, diced (red or white)
- 2 Tbsp of Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan or Romano Cheese, finely grated (opt.)
- Salt & Pepper to taste (opt.)
TOMATO SAUCE
- 1 Jar of strained and crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- Red Wine (opt.)
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Basil, roughly chopped (opt.)
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a large bowl add the ground veal, pork, Italian bread crumbs, olive oil, egg, garlic, onion, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are well combined. Using your hands, shape into 24 meatballs approximately 2″ inches in size.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and transfer meatballs onto the baking sheet.
- Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. Once the meatballs are done, remove from the oven and let cool.
- While the meatballs are baking, start the tomato sauce.
- In a medium size pot add the olive oil and warm over a medium/high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, oregano, and a splash of red wine.
- Lower the heat to medium/low and let simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The tomato sauce will be done once you notice the olive oil has risen to the top.
- Since this recipe yields 24 meatballs, I usually freeze half for another meal in the future. Add the remaining meatballs to your tomato sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Serve with your choice of pasta and enjoy!
