Italian Style Meatballs
My take on a timeless classic. Italian-style meatballs are a truly heartwarming dish. One of those dishes that brings 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 between 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 vegetables 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 approximately 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 them easier for your kids to enjoy.
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 desired meatball size.
- Take a large casserole 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 slightly 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 it to 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 it up in your hands and stir it into your sauce before serving.
