Classic Italian Meatballs Recipe
These Italian-style meatballs from recipe developer Deniz Vergara are made with a classic mixture of ground beef seasoned with onion, garlic, basil, and Parmesan cheese, while breadcrumbs and egg keep everything together. The result, she assures us, is "tender and juicy ... [and] will melt in your mouth." When eaten together with her homemade marinara sauce, she feels the meatballs make for "the ultimate comfort food."
As for the marinara sauce, which Vergara calls "simple and delicious," it starts with canned tomatoes and echoes the onion, garlic, and basil found in the meatballs. There's one ingredient you might not expect, though, or at least not in such a large amount. While Vergara admits that "people may be surprised by the amount of olive oil used in the sauce," her advice is to "Just trust it." As she explains, the addition of a large quantity of olive oil "adds so much flavor to the marinara."
Gather the ingredients to make classic Italian meatballs
To make the marinara, you'll need olive oil, a yellow onion, garlic, canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, fresh basil, and salt. Additional ingredients you will need to make the meatballs include panko breadcrumbs, ground beef, an egg, and Parmesan cheese.
Step 1: Fry the onions in oil
To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent but not brown at all (about 5 minutes).
Step 2: Fry the garlic
Add the garlic, and continue to cook over medium-low heat for another 2–3 minutes. This process infuses the oil with the flavor of the onion and garlic.
Step 3: Cook the marinara sauce
Add the pureed tomatoes, basil, and salt to the pot, mixing to incorporate. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Salt the sauce, if needed
Taste, then add another ½ tsp salt, or to taste.
Step 5: Switch off the stove burner
Turn off the flame and set aside.
Step 6: Mix the breadcrumbs with water
Make the meatballs: In a small dish, mix together the breadcrumbs and water. Set aside.
Step 7: Make the meatball mixture
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the beef, egg, cheese, basil, onion, garlic, salt, and the breadcrumb mixture. Mix the ingredients together using your hands.
Step 8: Shape the meat into balls
Use a portion scoop to divide the meatballs, then roll into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter.
Step 9: Cook the meatballs in the sauce
Bring the marinara sauce back up to a simmer. Place the meatballs in the simmering sauce for about 20 minutes, until fully cooked through.
Step 10: Eat the meatballs with the sauce
Serve the meatballs and sauce.
What can I serve with these classic Italian meatballs?
Italian meatballs in marinara are, of course, the perfect partner for a plate of pasta. In fact, you wouldn't even call the pasta a side dish, as together these three elements combine to make a one-plate meal complete with starch, vegetables (the tomatoes in the sauce), and meat. As for the pasta, Vergara says, "These meatballs pair well with spaghetti," but just about any other type would work – linguine or fettucine are practically interchangeable with spaghetti, while short and chunky noodles like shells or penne or even unique pasta shapes such as orecchiette or radiatori might make for a fun change.
If you want something green to go with your pasta and meatball meal, Vergara suggests that a green salad will "balance everything out." One more addition she likes to make to the meal is garlic bread. As she tells us, she uses this "for dipping in the delicious sauce."
What can I do with leftover classic Italian meatballs?
If you have leftovers of either the meatballs, the sauce, or both, Vergara tells us that these should last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the leftovers — either separate the two components or keep the meatballs in the sauce depending on how you plan to make use of them once they're thawed out.
Any leftover marinara sauce can be used to top more pasta, of course, or you could mix it with some Mexican-style spices such as chili powder and cumin to turn it into enchilada sauce. The sauce can also be used to top a pizza or as a dip for mozzarella sticks. Any leftover meatballs, Vergara says, "can be repurposed ... by making meatball subs, a meatball casserole, or meatball soup." You could also use them for a meatball-topped pizza or meatball sliders, or you can cut them into quarters and tuck them between the layers of a lasagna.
- For the marinara
- 3 ounces extra virgin olive oil
- ½ yellow onion, finely minced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed with the back of a knife
- 28 ounces whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, pureed
- 6 basil leaves, chiffonade cut
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- For the meatballs
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil (about 2 leaves)
- ½ yellow onion, finely minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced on a microplane
- 1 teaspoon salt
- To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent but not brown at all (about 5 minutes).
- Add the garlic, and continue to cook over medium-low heat for another 2–3 minutes. This process infuses the oil with the flavor of the onion and garlic.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, basil, and salt to the pot, mixing to incorporate. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Taste, then add another ½ tsp salt, or to taste.
- Turn off the flame and set aside.
- Make the meatballs: In a small dish, mix together the breadcrumbs and water. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the beef, egg, cheese, basil, onion, garlic, salt, and the breadcrumb mixture. Mix the ingredients together using your hands.
- Use a portion scoop to divide the meatballs, then roll into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter.
- Bring the marinara sauce back up to a simmer. Place the meatballs in the simmering sauce for about 20 minutes, until fully cooked through.
- Serve the meatballs and sauce.