Description
Succulent Italian-Style Meatballs dance in rich, herbaceous tomato sauce, bringing Mediterranean comfort to your dinner table. Hearty ingredients and classic techniques guarantee a soul-warming meal that transports you straight to an Italian kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 pound (454 grams) lean ground beef
Herbs and Spices:
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
- 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Binding and Texture Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, grated
Meatball Cooking Fat:
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sauce Base Ingredients:
- 1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cups passata tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Pasta:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F (220C) and prepare a parchment-lined baking sheet for meatball preparation.
- Combine ground beef, panko, grated onion, herbs, and salt in a mixing bowl, carefully blending ingredients without overworking the mixture.
- Form 8 uniform meatballs using lightly oiled hands, ensuring gentle shaping to maintain tenderness.
- Arrange meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes, creating a golden exterior while keeping the interior partially uncooked.
- In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium-low heat and sauté diced onions until they become soft and translucent, approximately 3-5 minutes.
- Introduce garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and salt to the onion mixture, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes to develop rich aromatics.
- Pour passata into the pot, bringing the sauce to a gentle simmer and creating a smooth, flavorful base.
- Carefully transfer the partially baked meatballs into the simmering tomato sauce, ensuring each is submerged.
- Cover the pot and allow meatballs to cook in the sauce for 10-15 minutes, enabling them to finish cooking and absorb the sauce’s flavors.
- Simultaneously, boil salted water and cook spaghetti to al dente perfection according to package instructions.
- Drain pasta and toss with a few spoonfuls of sauce to enhance flavor and prevent sticking.
- Plate the spaghetti, top with meatballs, drizzle additional sauce, and garnish with fresh basil leaves for a classic Italian presentation.
Notes
- Handle ground beef gently to maintain a tender, soft texture without compressing the meat fibers during mixing and shaping.
- Grate onions instead of chopping to distribute moisture and flavor more evenly throughout the meatballs, preventing dryness.
- Use a light touch when forming meatballs, keeping them loose and preventing dense, tough results that can occur from overworking the meat.
- Opt for lean ground beef (85-90% lean) to reduce excess grease while maintaining juiciness in the final dish.
- Consider replacing breadcrumbs with gluten-free alternatives like almond meal for those with wheat sensitivities.
- Enhance protein content by mixing ground beef with ground turkey or adding finely grated Parmesan cheese to the meatball mixture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 498 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 740 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg