Serves 50
50 min
Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
Recipe GLPR982e3b2d05c576
Tender, juicy meatballs made from a blend of ground beef and pork, bound with soaked breadcrumbs and egg, then pan-seared until golden. They're finished in a vibrant homemade marinara sauce infused with fresh garlic, herbs, and a hint of red pepper heat. Perfect as an appetizer, served over pasta, or in a sandwich.
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Ingredients
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
¾ cup whole milk
¾ lb ground beef
¾ lb ground pork
1 large egg
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Directions
Pour the milk over the panko breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the breadcrumbs have fully absorbed the milk and form a paste-like mixture.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, minced onion, soaked breadcrumb mixture, egg, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and salt to taste.
Mix gently with your hands or a spoon until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Do not overmix. Form the meat mixture into about 50 small meatballs, roughly 1 tablespoon each in size.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Working in batches of 15–20 meatballs, cook them in a single layer, covered, for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown on all surfaces. (Ground meat mixtures reach safe temperature at 160°F internal temperature.) Transfer cooked meatballs to a plate. Repeat with remaining batches, adding a bit more oil as needed. Once all meatballs are cooked, pour off excess oil from the pot, leaving about 1 tablespoon behind.
Add the minced onion to the same pot with the remaining oil. Season lightly with salt and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes with their juices. Season the sauce with salt to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and basil into the marinara sauce. Return all the cooked meatballs to the pot and gently stir to coat them evenly with the sauce. Simmer together for 2–3 minutes to warm through.
Serve the meatballs and marinara sauce over cooked pasta, in a submarine sandwich, or on their own as an appetizer.
