Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli
Recipe courtesy of Alex Guarnaschelli
Watch how to make this recipe.
Dad's Beef Meatballs with Marinara Sauce
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- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 45 min
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 608
- Total Fat
- 40 g
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 33 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Protein
- 31 g
- Cholesterol
- 106 mg
- Sodium
- 1028 mg
My dad put so many types of tomato products and garlic in his Italian American dishes that my head spun. He loved his tomato paste and would buy the little cans like he was hoarding gold. He also bought passata, which is simply puréed and strained tomatoes—it’s vibrant in flavor and free of bitter seeds and acidic bits of skin and blends with the tang of the tomato paste and the heartiness of canned tomatoes. Can’t find passata? Purée a few ripe tomatoes and strain out the seeds and skin. Don’t want to use beef for your meatballs? Sub the same amount of pork or ground turkey. Also, on nights when we had friends over, we would add a few cooked, spicy pork sausages to the pot of sauce and meatballs. And if anyone asks you, in my house it’s called sauce, not gravy!
- Level: Easy
- Total: 1 hr
- Active: 45 min
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 608
- Total Fat
- 40 g
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 33 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 13 g
- Protein
- 31 g
- Cholesterol
- 106 mg
- Sodium
- 1028 mg
Ingredients
The Tomato Sauce:
The Meatball Mix:
Serving:
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Directions
- Start the tomato sauce: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions become translucent. Add the tomato paste and fry it, stirring over medium-high heat, until it breaks apart and melds with the onions, 2 to 3 minutes. You should smell the tartness of the paste as the aroma escapes from the pan. Don’t rush this part. Let the tomato paste break down.
- Cook the sauce: Add the garlic powder, granulated garlic, oregano, canned tomatoes, passata, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups water to the sauce base and cook 30 to 35 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasoning. The tomatoes should be broken down. At this point, my dad would taste and add a squeeze more tomato paste or more salt or sugar to amp up the flavors.
- Make the meatball mix: In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and season with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat for about 3 to 5 minutes until the onions become tender and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
- Put the beef in a large bowl and spread it all gently over the bottom of the bowl and up the sides a little. This will help you to distribute the seasonings evenly through the meat without having to mix a lot. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and add the granulated garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese and the parsley all over the meat. Sprinkle with the cooked onions and garlic and add the egg and yolk. Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together. Do not overmix or the meatballs will become tough!
- Form them: Gently roll the meat into firmly packed balls. The mix should make about 15 to 18 meatballs, each approximately 2 inches in diameter from about 2 heaping tablespoons.
- Cook the meatballs: Heat a large skillet and add half of the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, shut off the heat and add about half of the meatballs (you’ll cook them in 2 batches) in a single layer and spread them somewhat apart so they’ll brown instead of steam. Put the heat back on high and cook them, turning them so they brown all around. Ideally, the exterior should develop a crust and the meat should still be undercooked in the center. In other words: Cook only until they are medium rare to medium, about 3 to 5 minutes. Touch them to make sure they’re still tender in the center. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove them from the pan and transfer them to a tray lined with a kitchen towel to drain any excess grease. Wipe the skillet clean and repeat with the remaining olive oil and meatballs. Lightly season the meatballs with salt after they’re cooked.
- Serve the meatballs: Pour off excess grease in the skillet. Add a ladle of tomato sauce to the skillet where you cooked the meatballs and bring to a simmer. Scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour the sauce from the skillet back into the pot of sauce. Gently nestle the meatballs into the sauce. Allow them to bubble slightly and simmer over very low heat, 12 to 15 minutes or until the meat is cooked through but not dried out. Serve with torn basil and Parmesan cheese.
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