Description
Authentic Italian meatballs made with two secret techniques for the most tender, flavorful meatballs you’ve ever tasted. Bread soaked in grated onion creates incredibly soft texture while the beef and pork blend simmers in rich tomato sauce. Perfect over pasta or in subs!
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lightly packed cup diced white sandwich bread, crusts removed
- 1 small onion (brown, white, or yellow), grated
- 14 oz (400g) ground beef
- 3 oz (100g) ground pork (or substitute with more beef)
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (or parmesan), freshly grated
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For Cooking Meatballs & Sauce:
- 2½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup onion, finely chopped (white, brown, or yellow)
- 24 oz (700g) tomato passata (tomato puree in US/Canada)
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (chili flakes)
- 3 teaspoons dried Italian herb mix (parsley, basil, thyme, oregano)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper to taste
To Serve:
- Pasta of choice
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
Grate the small onion using a standard box grater into a large bowl until you have about ½ cup of grated onion and all those delicious juices. Don’t throw away the juice—that’s liquid gold for our meatballs!
Add the diced bread to the grated onion and mix everything together so the onion juice soaks into the bread until it starts to disintegrate. Set this aside while you prep the other ingredients—about 5 minutes is perfect. You’ll see the bread transform into a soft, flavorful paste.
Add all the remaining meatball ingredients (beef, pork, egg, parsley, garlic, Parmesan, salt, and pepper) to the bowl with your onion-bread mixture. Here’s the KEY: use your hands to mix everything well, but DON’T overmix! Once everything is just combined, stop. Overmixing makes tough meatballs, and we want tender ones!
Measure out a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and roll it lightly between your palms to form a ball. Don’t pack them too tightly—gentle hands make tender meatballs! Repeat with the remaining mixture. You should get about 20-24 meatballs depending on size.
Heat 1½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick fry pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs (work in batches if needed—don’t crowd the pan!) and brown them all over—about 3-4 minutes total. They should be golden and gorgeous on the outside but NOT cooked through yet. Carefully transfer them onto a plate.
In the same fry pan (all those brown bits = flavor!), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they’re soft and translucent. Add the tomato passata, water, red pepper flakes, Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper. Bring everything to a simmer, then turn the heat down to medium-low so it bubbles gently rather than splattering all over your stove!
Carefully nestle the browned meatballs and ANY juices that have pooled on the plate back into the sauce. This is where the magic happens! Cook the meatballs for 8-10 minutes, turning and stirring occasionally, until they’re cooked through and have absorbed all that incredible sauce flavor. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
While the meatballs are simmering away, cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain it, plate it up, and top with those beautiful meatballs and plenty of sauce. Garnish with extra Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Notes
- Don’t Overcook During Browning: Remember, you’re just creating a flavorful crust here—the meatballs will finish cooking in the sauce. If you cook them all the way through during browning, they’ll be overcooked and dry by the time they’re done simmering.
- Use a Cookie Scoop: If you want perfectly uniform meatballs (they’ll cook more evenly!), use a small cookie scoop or ice cream scoop instead of a tablespoon.
- Keep Them Tender: The enemy of tender meatballs is overworking the mixture. Mix just until combined, and roll gently—don’t compress them like you’re making snowballs!
- Fresh vs. Dried Herbs: Fresh parsley is SO worth it in the meatballs themselves, but dried Italian herbs work perfectly fine for the sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian