Meatballs With Marinara Sauce

Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-12My husband calls me the Queen of Meatballs. It’s not exactly an endearing, charming title, but at least you can be assured that these meatballs will be delicious:). Meatballs should be juicy and tender, not hockey pucks and you have my promise that they will be.

The most classic sauce with meatballs has got to be tomato sauce. I thought I would make a really easy Marinara Sauce. If you are lucky enough to have fresh garden tomatoes, by all means, use them in this sauce. I’m not that lucky, so I’m using canned tomatoes. The best thing about using canned tomatoes is that you can make this sauce all year long. The sauce is sweet, tomatoey and tastes really fresh. I love adding fresh herbs and garlic to any tomato sauce, because they really elevate the flavors of it.

You can make both the meatballs and the sauce ahead of time, which is great if you’re a busy person, which seems to be everyone these days. You can also serve the meatballs and the Marinara Sauce with Pasta one day and then another day, change it up a bit and make a sandwich out of it. How about placing the meatballs and sauce on some rolls or a baguette, topping it with some mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and putting it under the broiler? 

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

3/4 lb ground beef

3/4 lb ground pork

1 cup panko bread crumbs

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 onion, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

Marinara Sauce:

1 onion, minced

3-5 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

salt, pepper (to taste)

1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, basil, chopped

Instructions:

Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and set it aside for a few minutes for the milk to soak into the crumbs.

Combine the ground meat, minced onion, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are well dispersed.

I know somebody is going to ask if they can substitute ground turkey, or not use ground pork, etc. YES. You can use whatever ground meat that you like. It doesn’t matter. I personally don’t like the taste of ground turkey, but if you do, go ahead and use it. I do like ground pork. If you don’t, then don’t use it. 

Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-2

Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-3Form the meat mixture into 1 Tablespoon sized meatballs.

Use dampened hands when shaping your meatballs, it really helps for the meat mixture not to stick to your hands and also for the meatballs to be in a nice even shape, not jaggedy and rough. 

Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-4Heat about 1 Tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven or another heavy bottomed pot or a high rimmed skillet. Cook the meatballs in 2-3 batches, on medium heat, covered, about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden on both sides. Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-5

Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-6Set the meatballs aside.

In the same dutch oven, remove all the excess oil, leaving about 1 Tablespoon behind.

Add the minced onion, season with salt, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened.

As the onions cook, they will release liquid and clean up all the delicious brown bits from the bottom of the pot. This will also add a lot of great flavor to the sauce.

Add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-7Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt. Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-8

Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-9Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the fresh herbs to the sauce. Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-10Return the meatballs to the marinara sauce. Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-11Serve the meatballs with pasta or as a submarine sandwich. Garnish with more fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-12

Meatballs With Marinara Sauce-1-13

Meatballs With Marinara Sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Entree
Serves: 50 meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs:
  • ¾ lb ground beef
  • ¾ lb ground pork
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
Marinara Sauce:
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
  • salt, pepper (to taste)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, basil, chopped
Instructions
  1. Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs and set it aside for a few minutes for the milk to soak into the crumbs.
  2. Combine the ground meat, minced onion, the breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt and pepper. Mix until all the ingredients are well dispersed.
  3. Form the meat mixture into 1 Tablespoon sized meatballs.
  4. Heat about 1 Tablespoon of oil in a dutch oven or another heavy bottomed pot or a high rimmed skillet. Cook the meatballs in 2-3 batches, on medium heat, covered, about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden on both sides. Set the meatballs aside.
  5. In the same dutch oven, remove all the excess oil, leaving about 1 Tablespoon behind. Add the minced onion, season with salt, and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened. Add the minced garlic and the red pepper flakes. Cook for another minute, until the garlic is fragrant.
  6. Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
  7. Add the fresh herbs to the sauce. Return the meatballs to the marinara sauce. Serve the meatballs with pasta or as a submarine sandwich. Garnish with more fresh herbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Use dampened hands when shaping your meatballs, it really helps for the meat mixture not to stick to your hands and also for the meatballs to be in a nice even shape, not jaggedy and rough.

You can use any ground meat that you like for the meatballs.

14 Comments

    • olgak7

      Yes, these meatballs can definitely be frozen, Victoria. You can also make half a batch. You’re right, 50 IS a lot. Keep in mind that these meatballs are on the small side though, they are only 1 Tablespoon of meat each.

  • Yelena

    I made this for dinner today! It’s was perfect. Fresh and hearty at the same time. I had to have seconds! I used all beef and croutons. I can’t wait to have the left overs for lunch tomorrow;)

  • olga

    Olga these are delicious definitely making these again!! thanks for the recipe, you rock! If i choose to freeze these would I freeze the meat and sauce desperately or together?
    Thanks!

  • Vika

    Olga, great recipe! Thank you for sharing! I’m not one of the better home cooks out there but thanks to you I think I nailed this one… my husband loved it!

  • Ilona

    Hi Olga, thanks for a great recipe and such simple step by step explanations! Me and my husband were wondering if you could bake the meatballs instead of cooking them on the stove? Have you ever tried it?

    • olgak7

      Yes, you can definitely bake them, Ilona. Bake them at 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. The meatballs will not be golden and crisp around the edges, though. They will look kind of pale, but if you cook them until they are golden they will be dry and overcooked, so take them out of the oven as soon as 15-18 minutes are up. Since they will be in the sauce, it will be just fine:).

      • Ilona

        Ok, that’s what I thought too, that it won’t be crispy. But baking is easier and I feel like healthier too? Anyway, thanks for quick reply!

  • Rich o

    Olga,great video. We to are a medical family, my wife was a neonatal nurse,daughter, Kara is in nursing school,son Yuri,is an engineer for the hospital,and i just retired from working in Cardiac surg. We absolutely love your web page and your wonderful recipes. Please post more of your traditional Russian food recipes. Thank you,Rich

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