Meatballs In Winter Tomato Sauce Recipes

EASY MEATBALLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook to deepen the color for more flavor.
• Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well. Add the sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn and the flavors develop.
• Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs. Break the beef apart in a large bowl. Add the beaten egg, bread crumbs, oregano, mint, salt and pepper. Gently mix with your hands until blended. Don't overwork the beef or the meatballs will be tough.
• Shape the mixture into about 12 1 1/2-inch meatballs. Drop them into the sauce and stir gently to cover in sauce. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.
• Remove the meatballs from the sauce and add the pasta. Gently stir to coat the pasta then add the meatballs back to the pan. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.

MEATBALLS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• For the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, add the ground beef, ricotta cheese, egg, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmigiano cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix well until the ingredients are evenly distributed. With your hands, shape the meatballs into the size of golf balls and then pat them down so they will evenly cook.
• For the tomato sauce: In a large pot, heat the extra-virgin olive oil and cook the onions until translucent. Add the tomato puree and bring to a boil. Add the salt, and pepper, to taste and lower the heat to medium. Add the uncooked meatballs to the pot and let cook on medium heat for 30 minutes.

SPAGHETTI AND DROP MEATBALLS WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a stockpot of water to a boil and salt it. Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Put the ground beef in a medium bowl. Grate the cheese, put 1 cup over the meat and reserve the rest, about 1/2 cup. Chop 1/2 cup of parsley and add all but 2 tablespoons to the meat mixture; save the rest of the parsley for another use. Add the bread crumbs, crack in the egg, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently mix until everything is just combined.
• Raise the heat to medium-high; use 2 teaspoons to drop rounds of the meatball mixture into the skillet without touching one another if you can help it. Adjust the heat so the meatballs sizzle but don't burn and cook undisturbed until they're lightly browned on the bottom, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim, peel and chop the onion; scatter it around the meatballs. Peel and mince the garlic and put it on top of the onions.
• When the meatballs are browned on the bottom and the aromatics begin to soften, add the tomatoes to the skillet, along with the bay leaves and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Adjust the heat so the mixture bubbles gently but steadily, then cover the skillet and cook until the meat cooks through, about 8 minutes. Remove the lid and let the sauce bubble vigorously to thicken for another 5 to 10 minutes, essentially while the pasta cooks. Stir only as needed and carefully if you do.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir. Start tasting after 5 minutes. When the pasta is tender but not mushy, drain it, reserving some cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot.
• Move the meatballs to one side of the skillet with a spatula and stir the sauce; taste and adjust the seasoning. Discard the bay leaves and spoon about half the sauce into the pasta pot. Toss the pasta over low heat, adding a splash of cooking water to make it saucier if you like.
• To serve, divide the pasta among 4 plates or bowls; top with the meatballs and the remaining sauce, and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and parsley over the top.

MEATBALLS IN WINTER TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large bowl soak bread crumbs in milk 10 minutes. Finely chop onions. Add onions and remaining meatball ingredients to bread crumb mixture and with your hands blend together until just combined well (do not overmix). Form mixture into walnut-size balls and arrange on large trays or baking sheets.
• In a large heavy skillet heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown meatballs in batches without crowding, shaking skillet to maintain round shape and adding remaining oil as necessary. Transfer meatballs as browned (and any browned onions that fall from meatballs) with a slotted spoon to a 7- to 8-quart heavy kettle.
• In a large sieve set over a bowl drain tomatoes, reserving juice, and chop. To meatballs add chopped tomatoes with reserved juice, garlic, and oregano and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Transfer meatballs with a slotted spoon to a bowl and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Briskly simmer sauce until reduced to about 2 cups, about 25 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper and gently stir in meatballs. (Meatballs in sauce may be made 3 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before being chilled, covered. Reheat meatballs in sauce before serving.)
• Gently stir parsley into meatballs and sauce.