If you love the thought of making homemade Italian meatballs but dread the extra step of baking the meatballs in the oven or batch frying them on the stove, then, my friend, you’ve come to the right place! I’m going to share how easy it is to roll meatballs and tuck them right into a simmering pot of rich Italian red sauce to cook so you can get on with your day.
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Why simmer or poach meatballs?
I have created quite a homemade meatball recipe collection and in this particular meatballs and tomato sauce recipe, I’m skipping a big step and poaching the meatballs right in the sauce.
As meatballs simmer in sauce, they are cooking low and slow. My large stock pot has a very slight bubble action on top but isn’t boiling furiously.
Make Italian meatballs ahead of time—everyone knows meatballs taste better the next day. Or even the day after that.
When meatballs completely cook right in the sauce, the meat juices release into the sauce adding a whole layer of umami. At the same time, the acid from the tomato sauce tenderizes the meat creating a super moist meatball.
Ladle a pile of these babies over a bowl of fresh, homemade pasta noodles and you have a Sunday dinner dreams are made of.
Ingredients needed
There are many expected and a few unexpected ingredients in this meatballs and sauce recipe.
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How to make this meatballs in sauce recipe
There is a reason that my mom cooks her meatballs this way because she knows that the best meatballs are cooked right in the sauce!
Ready to roll?
Top tips for cooking Italian meatballs in sauce
A crowd pleaser
Meatballs make the best party recipe.
I have served them with skewers as appetizers, piled into meatball sandwiches for graduation parties….we even had over 700 made with homemade Italian sausage for our wedding!
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Slowly Simmered Pork and Beef Meatballs in Sauce
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 2 lbs. ground chuck, 80% but no more than 85%
- 2 lbs. ground pork
- 1 T kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup plain breadcrumbs, or fresh from 4 slices of bread blended in a food processor
- ¾ cup seasoned Italian panko
- ¾ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, no green can please!
- 2 T chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced , or 2 teaspoon from a bottle
- 1 cup warm tap water
For the sauce
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 T olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 oz can of tomato paste
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 T sugar
- 28 oz can of whole tomatoes , or tomato puree
- 30 oz tomato sauce, equals 2-15 oz cans
- 15 oz can water, I fill one of the empty tomato sauce cans
- bunch fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Make the meatballs
- In a large bowl and using your hands, blend the meats together until mixed well. You don't want to see big clumps of either meat but a nice uniform mixture.2 lbs. ground chuck, 2 lbs. ground pork
- Add the salt, pepper, oregano, both breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley and spices. Mix well into the meat along with the eggs.1 T kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 large eggs, 1 cup plain breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup seasoned Italian panko, ¾ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, 2 T chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the warm water and mix gently with both hands making sure to incorporate all the water. It will feel like it won't mix together but it will eventually!1 cup warm tap water
- Shape into 2” balls using either your hands or a medium-sized scoop. The mix will be very wet. As you go along and your hands start to get a little sticky, rinse your hands with warm water but don't dry them and go back to making your meatballs laying them on a baking sheet until the sauce is on simmer.
Make the sauce (or skip if using premade sauce)
- Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add and sauté the onion in oil until translucent. After 5 minutes, add in garlic and tomato paste. Swirl until the tomato paste is caramelized for about 1 minute or so.1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 T olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 6 oz can of tomato paste
- Add 1/2 tsp salt first along with the seasoning, herbs and sugar to the tomato paste for about 2 minutes, stirring the whole time. Add in tomatoes and water and then stir again along with the rest of the salt. Lay in fresh basil and simmer until bubbling.28 oz can of whole tomatoes, 2 tsp salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 2 T sugar, 30 oz tomato sauce, 15 oz can water, bunch fresh basil leaves
- Drop meatballs in sauce and cook for 2 hours until tender. Serve with cooked pasta and lots of Parmesan cheese for topping.
Notes
- Store leftovers in airtight containers or resealable bags for up to 4 days.
- Freeze cooled meatballs in freezer safe bags for up to 3 months.
- Reheat leftover meatballs either in a saucepan on the stove in sauce over medium heat until warmed through.
5 stars and allll of her stuff is to die for and has the best ingredients with so much flavor! Her other recipes are all worth trying. The best!
awww Sarah! Thank you so much! ❤️ I am so happy you all enjoyed the meatballs and so appreciate you taking the time to share ☺️
I already had premade raw meatballs and was looking for a recipe on how to simmer in sauce so my rating is on the sauce. It was very good and I will make again and do the meatball part as well lol
Yay! So glad you loved the sauce – thank you for trying it!😊
This really is the only way to make spaghetti and meatballs. Any other way is simply working more to achieve exactly nothing.
The best meatball texture, flavor, and much easier to use leftover meatballs in such things as hot subs. Just keep your pasta separate from the sauce, until individually served and plated. Store cooked pasta separately from the sauce, too.
Thanks Jeff!! SO glad you enjoyed them and I completely agree on the storing/serving tips for the meatballs.