Hearty Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

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This recipe for Meatballs with Marinara Sauce is entirely ‘guest-worthy’ when company comes and never fails to satisfy everyone at my table!

Prep Time15

Cook Time1 40

Total Time1 55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Jenny DeRemer

Cost: $3.19 per serving

Equipment

Ingredients

for the marinara sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 cup basil fresh, whole leaf, tightly packed
1 cup dry red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole San Marzano tomatoes in juice crushed
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
½ to ¾ cups granulated sugar

optional

1 2-inch rind of Parmesan cheese or other aged hard cheese rind

for the meatballs

2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
3 - 5 fresh rosemary branches
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
10 ounces ground pork NOT sausage
5 ounces ground beef chuck or lean ground beef
5 ounces ground veal
⅓ cup provolone cheese shredded from a large block
⅓ cup whole milk ricotta cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese grated from a large block
¼ cup pecorino Romano cheese grated from a large block
¾ cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
3 large eggs lightly beaten

optional

½ cup tomato confit method in NOTES below

optional for serving

cooked spaghetti or other favorite pasta
toasted hoagie roll or sub roll
fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

for the marinara sauce

Heat the olive oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic, cooking for 45 seconds to 1 minute before adding dried parsley, dried basil, half the fresh basil leaves, and a full cup of a good dry red wine. Bring to a low simmer and add Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and two 28-ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes in juice, preferably San Marzano's. If using a rind of parmesan or other aged hard cheese rind, drop into the sauce now. Cook the sauce over low heat for 60 minutes stirring occasionally and reducing constantly. Use a splatter screen to prevent the sauce from splashing.
At the end of the hour, begin by adding 1/2-cup of granulated sugar and continue reducing until thick, about another 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning. If additional sugar is required, add another 1/4-cup. Keep hot over a low rear burner.

for the meatballs

In a large bowl, mix the pork, chuck or lean ground beef, veal, provolone, ricotta, parmesan, pecorino Romano, breadcrumbs, lightly beaten eggs, salt, pepper, and garlic. Mix loosely but mix well, making sure you do not "pack" the meat.
Roughly divide the mixture in half, then each half in half, and lastly each quarter into halves so you have 8 portions. Form into balls that are about 2 1/2-inches to 3-inches in diameter.
If NOT using oil from a tomato confit, add a little fresh olive oil to a large skillet. If using a confit, spoon most of the oil and about half the tomatoes into the skillet, crushing the tomatoes with the back of a spoon gently. Add three or four fresh rosemary branches to the oil you are using. Heat over medium-high. Reduce slightly if the oil begins to pop.
Once the oil is shimmering, and working in batches, add the meatballs. Cook, turning until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. The meatballs will NOT be cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove each meatball to the pot of sauce and repeat the searing process with the remaining olive oil and remaining meatballs.
Once all the meatballs have been transferred to the sauce, add the remaining fresh basil leaves to the sauce and simmer all over medium-low heat until the meatballs are cooked through, about 1 hour. NOTE: if using a tomato confit, use a pastry brush to apply a thin amount of the flavored oil to toasted baguette or a homemade garlic bread if you like, and add whatever remains of the confit tomatoes directly into the sauce for added flavor.

Notes

Please Note that table salt and iodized salt are NOT substitutions for Kosher salt. Do not use table salt or iodized salt in any of the recipes you find on Not Entirely Average UNLESS specified otherwise.

To Make a Tomato Confit Use any small-ish tomatoes (I am using 15 cherry tomatoes), load them whole into a small baking dish along with three large cloves of peeled garlic and enough olive oil to almost submerge them. Roast in a 425°F over for 25 minutes before removing and cooling slightly.

Store Leftover Meatballs and Sauce in an airtight container under refrigeration for up to 3 days. To Reheat, place on counter at room temperature for 15 minutes before emptying contents of container into a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat for 25 minutes until heated through, stirring occasionally. Use a splatter screen to prevent the sauce from splashing.

To Freeze Leftover Meatballs and Sauce, load into an airtight and freezer safe container. Freeze up to 3 months. To Thaw, place in refrigerator overnight. Place on counter at room temperature for 15 minutes before reheating. Use a splatter screen to prevent the sauce from splashing.

Nutrition