Italian Style Meatballs

Name: Italian Style Meatballs
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 500g beef mince; 500g pork mince; 100g breadcrumbs; 3 cloves of garlic; 2 large eggs; 100g parmesan cheese; 1 tsp oregano; salt; pepper; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 1 medium onion; 3 cloves of garlic; 800g peeled tomatoes; 1 tsp oregano; salt; pepper; 10 fresh basil leaves

My take on a timeless classic. Italian style meatballs are a truly heartwarming dish. One of those dishes that bring warmth even on a cold and rainy evening, transporting you to the warm Italian countryside with every bite.

These are great with pasta, some rice, or you can even throw them inbetween two slabs of bread for a truly indulgent sandwich. No matter which way you go, a good grating of cheese on top is an essential additional pleasure. Root vegatables is also a great choice; I recommend trying these meatballs with roasted butternut squash or perhaps some marrow.

Use the best quality tomatoes you can find. If using tinned, I try to go for whole San Marzano tomatoes. If using fresh, don't forget to skin your tomatoes first. I usually aim to roll the meatballs into aproximately 55g balls which are a decent size. If you're cooking for children, you may prefer to make the meatballs half the size to make it easier for your kids to enjoy them.

Serves

Prep

30m

Cook

30m

Total

Ingredients

Meatballs

500g beef mince

500g pork mince

100g breadcrumbs

3 cloves of garlic

2 large eggs

100g parmesan cheese

1 tsp oregano

salt

pepper

Marinara sauce

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion

3 cloves of garlic

800g peeled tomatoes

1 tsp oregano

salt

pepper

10 fresh basil leaves

Method

For the meatballs, place the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, garlic, eggs, parmesan and oregano into a large bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and a good grinding of fresh black pepper before mixing and combining the ingredients with your hands.
Roll the balls evenly into your disired meatball size.
Take a large casserol dish or other large pan and add the olive oil. Bring to a medium heat.
Once your pan has reached temperature, gently fry each side of your meatballs until slighlty browned all over, then remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your pan.
To make the marinara sauce, chop your onion into small chunks and add into the same pan you used for browning the meatballs. Once golden, add the garlic, oregano and tomatoes and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat down to medium low and return the meatballs to the pan. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
Turn off the heat once ready. Take the basil and tear up in your hands and stir into your sauce before serving.

Ingredients

Meatballs

500g beef mince

500g pork mince

100g breadcrumbs

3 cloves of garlic

2 large eggs

100g parmesan cheese

1 tsp oregano

salt

pepper

Marinara sauce

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion

3 cloves of garlic

800g peeled tomatoes

1 tsp oregano

salt

pepper

10 fresh basil leaves

Tap for method

Method

For the meatballs, place the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, garlic, eggs, parmesan and oregano into a large bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and a good grinding of fresh black pepper before mixing and combining the ingredients with your hands.
Roll the balls evenly into your disired meatball size.
Take a large casserol dish or other large pan and add the olive oil. Bring to a medium heat.
Once your pan has reached temperature, gently fry each side of your meatballs until slighlty browned all over, then remove the meatballs from the pan and set aside. You may need to work in batches depending on the size of your pan.
To make the marinara sauce, chop your onion into small chunks and add into the same pan you used for browning the meatballs. Once golden, add the garlic, oregano and tomatoes and season liberally with salt and pepper.
Turn the heat down to medium low and return the meatballs to the pan. Let the sauce simmer for about 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
Turn off the heat once ready. Take the basil and tear up in your hands and stir into your sauce before serving.

by Max Makes Munch

Pasta

Main course

Italian