Meatballs in Sauce. Tasty, fragrant, and accompanied by the classic tomato sauce: who can resist meatballs with sauce, which immediately bring to mind grandma’s house?
When you think of a dish that makes your mouth water, that reminds you of the aromas and flavors of childhood, you might be thinking of grandma’s meatballs in sauce.
Small balls of ground meat browned in a pan and then cooked slowly in a fragrant tomato sauce with basil: how can you resist such goodness?
Cooking them is simple but takes some time, both for preparing the meatballs and for the sauce.
There is not just one type of meatball: the basic recipe includes ground meat, eggs, salt, and pepper, but if you try adding other ingredients, the flavor of your meatballs will become much more intriguing.
To start, in addition to ground beef, you can add ground pork, which is fattier and more flavorful.
Or you can chop together some cooked ham, mortadella, or sausage.
If you like them a bit spiced, add a mix of spices or various herbs to the breadcrumbs.
Finally, to make them softer, you can add fresh milk or stale and soaked bread to the mixture.
Meatballs are a great way to recycle food that needs a second life: meat, bread, cold cuts, cheeses, mixed together can create truly delightful dishes. I have made several, and I have often used them to enrich lasagna, timbales.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 603.68 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 38.42 (g) of which sugars 3.33 (g)
- Proteins 22.23 (g)
- Fat 40.47 (g) of which saturated 12.31 (g)of which unsaturated 16.05 (g)
- Fibers 3.83 (g)
- Sodium 2,335.98 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 150 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for Meatballs in Sauce
- 1.1 lbs mixed ground meat
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- 7 oz stale bread (only the crumb)
- salt
- parsley
- pepper
- to taste flour
- to taste breadcrumb
- 1 egg
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- leaves basil
- 1 clove garlic
- salt
Tools
- Bowl
- Saucepan
- Pan
Steps for Meatballs in Sauce
To prepare this dish, let’s start with the tomato sauce.
It can be prepared in two different ways (depending on your taste). I prepare it using a clove of garlic for a more delicate flavor, but if you prefer pungent flavors, you can use chopped onion.
In a large pan, sauté the garlic in a little oil.
When it’s golden, add the tomato puree and salt, pour a little water into the puree bottle, shake and pour into the pot, stir and let it cook on low heat.
If desired, add a few basil leaves.
While the sauce is gently cooking, let’s prepare the meatballs.
Place the bread slices in a bowl to soak with half a glass of milk (you can also use water if you prefer). After a few seconds, squeeze it and crumble it.
Place it in a bowl with all the other ingredients for the meatballs: ground meat, grated cheese, parsley, eggs, salt, and minced garlic.
Add a pinch of pepper.
Knead with your hands until you get a homogeneous mixture.
To give it the right consistency, add a few tablespoons of breadcrumbs if necessary.
Shape the meatballs between your palms and roll them in flour.
(A light coating).
(If you don’t want to use flour, breadcrumbs are also fine).
Fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a plate with absorbent paper.
Once they are all cooked, add the tomato sauce, cover with a lid, and let them cook slowly for about an hour.
The Very Soft Meatballs in Sauce are ready to be served.
Enjoy your meal.
Advice
Meatballs in Sauce can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Kneading the meatball mixture for a long time helps to compact the ingredients better, distributing them evenly.
You can make fried or baked meatballs and then dip them in the sauce.
For a light version, you can also put them directly into the pot raw and let them cook in the sauce.
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