Meatballs with Tomato

Meatballs with tomato, meat, and zucchini are a delight! Did you know that the meatball is considered one of the most appetizing and tantalizing foods ever to appear on the world culinary scene? It can be considered the most versatile in the kitchen for preparations, with hot and cold meatballs, round or flattened, small like an olive, or big like a peach. But that’s not all, and we also have floured or breadcrumb-coated meatballs, crispy, beautiful, and fried or meatballs with tomato sauce. Surely everyone has their ideal and delicious meatball because everyone remembers how good the meatballs made by their mother or grandmother were, including me.

  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Cost: Medium
  • Preparation time: 40 Minutes
  • Portions: 5
  • Cooking methods: Stove, Microwave
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Seasonality: Spring, Summer, All Seasons
253.70 Kcal
calories per serving
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  • Energy 253.70 (Kcal)
  • Carbohydrates 20.08 (g) of which sugars 1.07 (g)
  • Proteins 15.38 (g)
  • Fat 13.00 (g) of which saturated 4.15 (g)of which unsaturated 4.22 (g)
  • Fibers 2.56 (g)
  • Sodium 1,062.98 (mg)

Indicative values for a portion of 160 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 needed to prepare meatballs with tomato

  • 5.3 oz ground beef
  • 1.06 cups zucchini
  • 2.8 oz breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 0.42 oz parsley
  • 0.53 oz pecorino
  • 1 lemon (zest)
  • 14.1 oz tomato puree
  • to taste salt
  • 0.7 oz extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 sprigs basil
  • 2 tablespoons flour

Tools needed to prepare meatballs with tomato

  • Food Chopper
  • Bowl
  • Pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Crisp plate
  • Grater

Steps necessary to prepare meatballs with tomato

  • In the food chopper, I put the zucchini with parsley and garlic, the zest of half a lemon with a little breadcrumbs, I chopped until everything became homogeneous, added the rest of the breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt, and mixed.

  • In a large bowl, I mixed all the breadcrumb mixture with the ground meat.

  • Another good mix and a pinch of salt.

  • I added the eggs

  • and mixed the compound well; if it turns out too soft, add more breadcrumbs.

  • Form meatballs; I made 10 with this amount.

  • I rolled them in flour and then placed them on the crisp plate with parchment paper, salt, extra virgin olive oil, and parsley.

  • Cook for 20 minutes at maximum power in crisp mode

  • Meanwhile, in a pan, I put everything together: garlic, extra virgin olive oil, tomato puree, and lots of basil, ten minutes of cooking, and

  • as soon as the meatballs are ready, I plunged them into the tomato

  • turning them and literally covered them with the tomato.

  • Another ten minutes of cooking and then once I turned off the heat, I placed a heap of grated pecorino over each meatball with tomato.

  • Covered everything and let the pecorino gently melt with the heat off for just 10 minutes.

  • And here are my meatballs with tomato ready.

Author image

in cucina con pina

My name is Pina, and my passion is food and cooking in general. On the blog, I focus on regional dishes like those from my birthplace, Sicily. I also feature dishes from Lazio, the region that has hosted me for over 40 years, but in general, I cover all Italian regions. Traveling and exploring is my second passion, so I couldn't leave out dishes from around the "World" on my blog. My blog is divided into simple and essential sections like appetizers, first courses, main courses, side dishes, bread and leavened products, jams and preserves, wines and wineries, and of course, travels. Desserts are included, and finally, there is a dedicated corner for gluten-free options. Easy recipes, explained step by step and always updated.

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