Tender, juicy Meatballs with Marinara Sauce served over spaghetti or tapas-style with some bread.
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Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Ground meat: Use a blend of ground meats (beef, pork, veal, or chicken) for moisture, flavor, and texture. I recommend 80% to 90% lean meat for the ideal meat-to-fat ratio.
- Breadcrumbs: They give meatballs a tender, lighter texture. By absorbing the liquid in the mixture, they also make the meatballs moist and juicy. You can use plain, Italian-style, or panko breadcrumbs.
- Crushed tomatoes: You can also use a can of whole peeled tomatoes and crush them to your desired consistency. In a pinch, you can use tomato sauce which has a thin, smooth consistency made from puréed tomatoes.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Combine 2 pounds ground meat, ¾ cup breadcrumbs, ¼ cup milk, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 2 eggs, 1 onion, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ cup chopped parsley, salt (about one teaspoon kosher salt or less for table salt), and ground pepper (to taste) in a large bowl.
Step 2: With your hands, mix until evenly combined. Roll into balls about 2 inches in diameter (or any size, depending on your preference).
Use a cookie scoop to make meatballs of equal size. Don't overmix or overpack the meatballs, as it will make them tough when cooked.
Step 3: Set a sauté pan or a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add some oil and sear the meatballs until browned for about 3 minutes. Set them aside.
Step 4: Set the same pan over medium heat, then add ¼ cup olive oil. Sauté 1 onion, 6 garlic cloves, and a pinch of crushed red pepper for about 2 minutes. Scrape the fond or browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
Step 5: Add 1 (28-ounce) can of crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 2 bay leaves, some salt, and pepper to taste. Mix it and let it simmer.
Step 6: Add the meatballs to the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust as needed.
Step 7: Add parmesan cheese and fresh basil, as desired.
Serve Meatballs with Marinara Sauce over spaghetti or tapas-style with bread.
You may also like to try Spaghetti Carbonara and Anchovy Pasta with Breadcrumbs, or Asian-inspired pasta and noodles including Baked Macaroni, Pancit Canton, and Yaki Udon.
Recipe FAQs
Use a blend of ground meats with enough fat for juicy, flavorful meatballs. Breadcrumbs will keep them moist and tender.
To ensure they are well-seasoned, fry a small amount of mixture before forming them into balls, then adjust as needed. Mix the ingredients just until incorporated-overmixing will make the meatballs dense and tough.
Eggs act as a binder and add moisture to meatballs. You can skip the eggs by using meat with higher fat content, holding the meatballs together.
Breadcrumbs or flour can also serve as a binder. Ground chicken is generally so sticky that a binder isn't necessary.
Don't overload the meatballs with extra ingredients that may cause them to fall apart.
Marinara sauce is a red sauce that contains tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and olive oil. Other variations may include onions, carrots, celery, wine, or spices.
You can use marinara sauce as a pasta sauce or dipping sauce, on pizza, or add ground meat to make spaghetti sauce.
Other noodles and pasta recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
Equipment
- Large sauté pan or Dutch oven
- Cookie scoop (optional)
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 2 pounds ground meat blend (see note)
- ¾ cup breadcrumbs (see note)
- ¼ cup milk sub:water
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese more for serving
- 2 eggs
- 1 yellow onion minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Olive oil or neutral oil for searing and sautéing
- Salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon kosher salt or less for table salt)
For the marinara sauce:
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion minced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- Crushed red pepper a pinch
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (see note)
- 1 teaspoon sugar or more
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 dried bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
For serving:
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil leaves optional
- Spaghetti or bread optional
Instructions
- Combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, milk, parmesan cheese, eggs, onion, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, salt (about one teaspoon kosher salt or less for table salt), and ground pepper (to taste) in a large bowl.
- With your hands, mix until evenly combined. Roll into balls about 2 inches in diameter (or any size, depending on your preference). Use a cookie scoop to make meatballs of equal size. Don't overmix or overpack the meatballs, as it will make them tough when cooked.
- Set a sauté pan or a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add some oil and sear the meatballs until browned for about 3 minutes. Set them aside.
- Set the same pan over medium heat, then add olive oil. Sauté onions, garlic, and crushed red pepper for about 2 minutes. Scrape the fond or browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, sugar, bay leaves, some salt, and pepper to taste. Mix it and let it simmer.
- Add the meatballs back into the sauce. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Add parmesan cheese and fresh basil, as desired.
- Serve over spaghetti or tapas-style with bread.
Video
Notes
- Ground meat: Use a blend of ground meats (beef, pork, veal, or chicken) for moisture, flavor, and texture. I recommend 80% to 90% lean meat for the ideal meat-to-fat ratio.
- Breadcrumbs: They give meatballs a tender, lighter texture. By absorbing the liquid in the mixture, they also make the meatballs moist and juicy. You can use plain, Italian-style, or panko breadcrumbs.
- Crushed tomatoes: You can also use a can of whole peeled tomatoes and crush them to your desired consistency. In a pinch, you can use tomato sauce which has a thin, smooth consistency made from puréed tomatoes.
Mayet says
I love how good this looks. I’m definitelg making this one. Thank you!
Nora Rey says
Hello Mayet, thank you and I hope you'll give it a try. =)
Nora Rey says
Absolutely! Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm thrilled to hear that you love how it looks and that you're planning to make it. Let me know how it turns out!