Italian meatballs

A classic Italian dish of seasoned meatballs in marinara sauce, perfect for pasta or subs.

Details

Prep Time	15 minutes
Cook Time	45 minutes
Servings	3
Difficulty	Medium
Tags	Dinners, Pasta

Ingredients

• 500g minced beef
• 1 brown onion
• 7 cloves garlic
• 1 egg
• 80g breadcrumbs
• 30g grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
• 5 fresh parsley stems
• 100g tomato puree
• 2 tins (800g) chopped tomatoes
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 450ml beef stock

Instructions

1. To start, make the meatballs.
2. In a large bowl, add the minced beef, egg, breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese.
3. Halve the onion and grate it into a large bowl.
4. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and add to the bowl.
5. Mix the beef mixture with your hands until well combined.
6. Shape the mixture into 16-18 meatballs, rolling them in your hands.
7. To make the sauce, finely chop the remaining onion and mince the remaining garlic.
8. Preheat a saucepan over medium heat with a little oil.
9. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
10. Add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
11. Add the tomato puree and cook for 1 minute.
12. Add the whole parsley, italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and sugar, stirring well.
13. Add the chopped tomatoes and beef stock, bringing the mixture to a simmer.
14. Mix until stock and tomatoes are combined.
15. Add the meatballs to the sauce, ensuring they are submerged.
16. Cover the saucepan and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
17. Serve with spaghetti or in a sub roll with cheese.

Tips

• Roll the meatballs tightly to prevent them falling apart during cooking
• Low and slow cooking allows the flavors to develop and sauce to thicken, don't rush it.
• Add a little parmesan cheese to garnish