Giant Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
A really big, tender, meaty meatball. Stuff them in sandwiches, eat them by themselves —you won't miss the spaghetti. These huge Italian meatballs are fork-tender thanks to a tried and true family recipe and soak up ginormous flavor from a rich slow-baked tomato sauce.
Servings 6
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 lbs. ground chuck 80% but no more than 85%
- 1 lbs. ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup panko
- ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese no green can please!
- 2 T chopped fresh parsley
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg
- ½ garlic powder
- ½ cup warm tap water
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
For the sauce:
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 T chopped garlic from 3-4 cloves depending on the size
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 28 oz canned San Marzano whole tomatoes pureed until smooth*
- 24 oz San Marzano tomato passata bottle
- 1 T kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tsp sugar
Instructions
For 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.1 lbs. ground chuck, 1 lbs. ground pork
- One at a time, crack the eggs into the side of the bowl and beat them lightly with a fork. Of course, you can beat them in a separate small bowl and then add them but I'm all about saving some dishes. 😀1 large egg
- Add the salt, pepper, oregano, the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley and spices. Mix well into the meat along with the eggs.2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 cup panko, ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, 2 T chopped fresh parsley, ½ tsp dried oregano, ⅛ tsp nutmeg, ½ garlic powder
- 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!½ cup warm tap water
- Use a scale or eyeball the meat mixture into 6 sections. Weigh to make them as even as possible so they'll cook the same.
- Roll each section into a meatball, moistening your hands with water to keep the meatball mix from sticking.
- Add 2 T canola oil to a braising pan or large skillet with a lid and heat over medium high heat until shimmering.2 Tablespoon olive oil
- Gently lay the meatballs into the heated oil and brown them until golden on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. You'll know when they're ready to be flipped when they easily release from the pan.
- After browned completely, remove the meatballs to a paper-towel lined plate to drain
Make the sauce:
- To the same pan, add 1 Tablespoon olive oil and heat gently while scraping up all the brown bits in the pan. Sauté chopped onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes until translucent and slightly golden. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds or until you can smell it. Don't allow it to brown.1 T olive oil, 1 large onion, 1 T chopped garlic
- Add the tomato paste and stir it until caramelized, about 2 minutes.6 oz can tomato paste
- Add the tomato passata and sauce along with the remaining ingredients. Simmer until bubbling about 3 minutes.24 oz San Marzano tomato passata, 1 T kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tsp sugar, 28 oz canned San Marzano whole tomatoes
- Preheat an oven to 375°.
- Nestle the six meatballs into the sauce and spoon over sauce to cover. Place the lid securely on the pan and place in the preheated oven to bake for about 1 hour to an hour and a half or until the center of the meatballs reach 165°. Periodically remove the lid to baste the meatballs with more sauce.
- Sprinkle over fresh chopped parsley before serving and top with parmesan, as desired. You can also broil with some fresh mozzarella or provolone slices on top for a cheesy version.
Notes
You can substitute an additional bottle of passata for the can of whole tomatoes.
Use a meat thermometer to gauge adequate internal temperature of the meatballs.
