Meatballs with Tomato Sauce Recipe

Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

About this Recipe:

There are various recipes available for meatballs all around the world. In Europe it is a popular dish specially in Italy where it is known as polpette. It may be served as the main course with spaghetti and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese on top or may be eaten in a soup. Although meatballs are usually made with beef, different recipes call for other meats as well. The recipe presented here is a classic dish which calls for beef, tomato and fresh herbs.

Main Ingredients:

Ground Beef: 1 lb
Egg: 1
Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
Garlic: 1 clove, crushed or finely chopped
Parmesan Cheese: 1 tbsp, grated
Fresh Parsley: 1 tbsp, chopped
Bread Crumbs: 2 tbsp (optional)
Olive Oil: 4-5 tbsp
Ground Cinnamon: a pinch
Salt
Pepper

Sauce Ingredients:

Tomatoes: 1 lb
Garlic: 2 cloves
Basil: 1 tbsp, chopped
Tomato Paste: 1 tbsp (optional)
Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and saute onion and garlic until just soft. Remove from the heat and cool.

2. Combine them with ground beef, egg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and fresh parsley and mix well. Season with cinnamon, salt and pepper.

3. Divide and shape the mix into 12 small balls. Leave in the fridge for 30 min.

4. Meanwhile to make the sauce, boil the tomatoes in water for 3 min. Let them cool.

5. Remove the tomatoes skin and chop them into small pieces.

6. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan. Saute garlics and basil for 2 min.

7. Add chopped tomatoes and their juice to the pan. Blend in the tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce for 15 min on medium heat until tomatoes are soft.

8. In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Fry meatballs for 5 min or until brown on all sides.

9. Add tomato sauce to the meatballs pan and continue cooking for 10-15 min.

10. Serve them with some pasta or rice on side.

Published on June 19, 2008

Herbs & Spices in this Recipe: