Juicy Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Tender beef and pork meatballs with parmesan and herbs, simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4. Tick things off as you go.
Method
Soak the crumbs
Stir the breadcrumbs and milk together and leave for 5 minutes until they form a paste.
Mix the meatballs
Combine the beef, pork, soaked crumbs, egg, parmesan, grated garlic, parsley, salt and pepper with your hands, mixing just until combined. Overworking makes them tough.
Shape
Roll into 20 balls, about 40 g each.
Brown
Heat the oil in a wide, deep pan over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs in batches for 5 minutes, turning, until golden on all sides. Move to a plate.
Make the sauce
In the same pan, cook the onion for 5 minutes, then the sliced garlic for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and sugar and bring to a simmer.
Simmer
Return the meatballs and simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes, turning once, until cooked through to 71°C (160°F) with no pink inside and the sauce is thick.
Serve
Tear over the basil and serve with spaghetti, polenta or crusty bread.
Nutrition per serving
475 kcal · protein 36 g · carbs 18 g · fat 29 g · fibre 3 g. This is an estimate, not a lab measurement.
Allergens
Read the label on every ingredient you buy. We can't account for how a product was made or packed.
How this page was made
Written by the Cookt team for the Cookt app, following our recipe standards. AI tools help us draft, check and illustrate recipes. No star ratings until enough people have rated this recipe in Cookt.
Sources
- Safe internal temperatures in the method: Safe minimum internal temperature chart, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
