When you think of a dish that you’d love to eat, that immediately makes you hungry or that reminds you of the scents and flavors of your childhood, then you are probably thinking about meatballs with tomato sauce. Little balls of minced meat browned in a pan and cooked for a long time in a tomato-basil sauce: how can you resist such goodness? Cooking them is simple but takes some time, both for the preparation of the meat and the sauce. As for many other dishes, this is why the extra time for cooking ensures the best result.
So many meatball recipes
There’s more than just one meatball recipe. The basic recipe includes minced meat, eggs, salt, and pepper; but if you try to add more to these ingredients, the taste of your meatballs will become all the more intriguing. To begin, you can add pork meat to your minced beef, which is fatter and tastier. Or you can chop a few pieces of cooked ham, mortadella or sausage – also to be added to the minced meat. If you like your meatballs a little on the spicy side, add a mixture of spices or herbs to the breadcrumbs. Finally, to make them softer, add fresh milk or stale, soaked bread to the dough.
Recipe for Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
You’ll need 1 lb 7 oz of minced meat (beef or mixed meat, based on personal preference), 1 egg, 4 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano, chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
For the sauce, you’ll need 1 lb tomato purée, a clove of garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and fresh basil.
First, prepare the sauce: in a large pan, brown the garlic in a little oil. Once golden-brown, add the tomato purée and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. Then add salt and basil. Set aside.
Now take the minced meat and transfer it to a bowl with Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper.
Mix well and then, with your hands, form balls that you will dip into the breadcrumb mixture.
Heat a little extra-virgin olive oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs a few at a time, rotating them often until they are golden-brown.
Once cooked, add the tomato sauce and cover with a lid.
Let cook over low heat for about an hour.
In the photo gallery, discover a few tips and tricks for unforgettable meatballs!