Description
These Italian Meatballs are extra soft and juicy, combining ground beef and pork with fresh herbs, grated onion, and bread soaked in onion juice for maximum tenderness. Pan-fried until browned and then simmered gently in a flavorful tomato sauce, these meatballs are perfect served over your favorite pasta with extra Parmesan and parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 1 lightly packed cup of diced white sandwich bread, crusts removed
- 1 small onion (brown, white or yellow)
- 14 oz / 400 g ground beef (mince)
- 3 oz / 100 g ground pork (mince), or substitute with more beef
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Tomato Sauce
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 cup onion, finely chopped (white, brown or yellow)
- 24 oz / 700 g tomato passata (tomato puree)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (chili flakes)
- 3 tsp dried Italian herb mix (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano)
- 1 tsp salt
- Black pepper, to taste
To Serve
- Pasta of choice
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Grate the onion: Using a standard box grater, grate the small onion into a large bowl until you have about 1/2 cup grated onion and juices.
- Soak the bread: Add the diced white bread to the grated onion bowl, mixing thoroughly so the onion juice soaks the bread and it starts to disintegrate. Set aside for about 5 minutes.
- Make the meatball mix: Add ground beef, ground pork, egg, fresh parsley, minced garlic, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper to the bread and onion mixture. Use your hands to mix all ingredients well until combined.
- Form the meatballs: Measure out heaped tablespoons of the mixture and gently roll them into balls. Repeat with remaining mixture.
- Brown the meatballs: Heat 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until browned on all sides, about 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to cook through completely.
- Remove browned meatballs: Carefully transfer browned meatballs to a plate, leaving the frying pan ready for the sauce.
- Prepare the tomato sauce: Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the same pan. Sauté minced garlic and finely chopped onion over medium heat until softened and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Simmer the sauce: Stir in tomato passata, water, red pepper flakes, dried Italian herb mix, salt, and black pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Cook the meatballs in sauce: Gently add the browned meatballs back into the simmering sauce. Cover and let them simmer gently for about 15 minutes until fully cooked and flavors meld together.
- Serve: Serve the meatballs and sauce over your favorite cooked pasta. Garnish with extra Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
- Note 1: For bread substitute, you can use gluten-free bread if needed to maintain texture.
- Note 2: Ground pork adds moisture and flavor; if unavailable, increase ground beef quantity.
- Note 3: Fresh parsley adds freshness and brightness; dried can be used but is less flavorful.
- Note 4: Tomato passata is smooth tomato puree commonly found in European stores, substitute with plain tomato puree in the US or Canada.
- Note 5: Rolling meatballs lightly helps keep them extra soft and tender instead of densely packed.
