Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

 Note: This post is sponsored by Moyer Beef. All opinions are mine alone.

Sunday night in my house is pasta night, which almost always means pasta with a meaty tomato sauce. I tend to make Meatballs in Tomato Sauce in batches about once a month and freeze it for future Sundays.

It’s funny, I make this recipe all the time and yet

1. I had no clue what measurements I was putting into my sauce, and
2. never posted the recipe to my blog!

Continuing my partnership with Moyer Beef, I decided it was about darn time I actually figured out what exactly I make every month and to share it on here.

These meatballs are half ground beef and half hot Italian sausage. It adds a touch of heat to the overall sauce without being actually spicy.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

• 1 lb 80% lean ground beef (I used Moyer Beef’s 81% lean ground beef chuck)
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage removed from its casing
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Tomato Sauce:

• 1 lb beef short ribs (1-2 pieces)
• 1 lb 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 (28 oz) cans strained tomatoes (can substitute tomato puree)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

First make your meatballs. Add all ingredients besides the olive oil to a large bowl.

Using your hands, mix until combined.

Form the mixture into golf ball-sized balls. You should end up with about 18 meatballs.

Add the 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pot over medium high heat. (The pot should be a big pasta pot, you’re going to make the sauce in this entire pot.) Add the meatballs in batches; don’t crowd the pot. Brown on all sides, about 3-5 minutes for each batch. Remove and set aside. Add more olive oil in between batches if needed. (Note: you are not cooking them completely through, they will finish in the tomato sauce.)

When finished with the meatballs, add your ribs to the pot, browning on all sides. Remove from the pot and set aside. (They will also not be fully cooked)

Add more olive oil to the pan, if needed. Add in the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add in the tomato paste, stirring to combine.

Add in your spices and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds to a minute.

Add the crushed and strained tomatoes and parmesan cheese, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Add back in your meatballs and ribs.

Cover and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and cook for at least 1 hour.

After an hour, serve or let cool and freeze until ready to use. If you’re making pasta at the same time you’re making the sauce, reserve some of the pasta water (~1/2 cup) and add it to the tomato sauce, stirring to combine. If not, add a little pasta water when reheating at a later time.

So, I’m pretty sure every Italian or partly Italian family has their own recipe for tomato sauce, or “gravy.” Feel free to tweak this to fit your tastes! I love a relatively thick tomato sauce, very meaty, and super savory (no sugar here!) but if you like yours thinner, with less meat, and a bit o’ sugar, make it your own!

The meatballs stay tender cooking in the tomato sauce, and impart a lot of flavor on the actual sauce as well.

Ribs (or really any meat with a bone) adds another layer of flavor that is hard to explain, but is so necessary!

What do you put in your sauce that makes it special?

 

Other Moyer Beef Posts:

• Grilled New York Strip Steak w/ Honey-Tarragon Blue Cheese Butter & Grilled Tarragon Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos with Chimichurri
• Grilled T-Bone Steak with Gremolata
• Beef Kofta Kebabs
• Hashweh (Spiced Ground Beef with Pistachios Over Rice)
• Steak and Eggs Hash
• Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas