Italian Baked Meatballs with Tomato Sauce is a plate of flavoursome, spicy beef meatballs, swathed in a tomato and basil sauce. Pure comfort food! Meatballs are very easy to make, and as we skip the messy step of pan frying these before they hit the sauce, it becomes a one pan wonder. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
Bread and milk
Soaking white bread with milk keeps the meatballs moist.
Rolling meatballs
To get the most flavour into your meatballs, don’t roll them too tightly. This allows the sauce to soak into the meatballs during the simmering stage.
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Italian Baked Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
What’s not to love about an entire meal prepared in onepan. If you don’t have an oven proof frying pan try cooking in a smallish baking dish.
Watch how to make Italian Baked Meatballs with Tomato Sauce
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Homemade meatballs are very easy to make, and as we bake the meatballs in the same pan that the sauce is cooked in, it becomes a one pan wonder. Perfect for a quick midweek meal where the oven does most of the work.
Ingredients
1/3 cup full cream milk
1 thick slice of white bread, crusts removed and sliced into small cubes
500 g (1 pound) beef mince (ground)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 cloves of garlic, minced - 2 for meatballs, and 2 for the sauce
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes (or less)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 x 400g (140z) cans diced tomatoes
1-2 teaspoons white sugar - see notes
see notes
3-4 stems of basil leaves, crushed by hand - see notes
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, finely sliced
500 g (1 pound) fettucine, linguine or spaghetti
freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
preheat oven to 220 c (425F)
place bread and milk in a small bowl and allow bread to soak up all of the milk
combine mince, onion, parsley, thyme, egg, Parmesan, 2 cloves of minced garlic, chilli and bread mixture along with salt and pepper into a large bowl
gently mix mixture with your hands, then shape into even sized balls ( just smaller than a golf ball)
heat oil in a large frying pan till hot and add meatballs allowing space between each meatball
cook meatballs in the oven for 8-9 minutes and remove pan from oven, drain off excess oil
return pan to oven and bake for a further 8-9 minutes
remove pan from oven and add in tomatoes, garlic, sugar and basil leaves, season to taste with salt and pepper
stir tomato mixture and spoon mixture over the meatballs
finish sauce on the stove top over medium heat for 10 minutes or until sauce is thickish and coating the meatballs
remove basil stems and discard, and add fresh sliced basil leaves to the finished dish
serve with pasta of your choice and freshly grated Parmesan cheese
enjoy!
Notes
add 1-2 teaspoons of white sugar to tomatoes to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes
infusing the stems of crushed basil leaves into the sauce releases the basil flavour
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American meatballs are the biggest in size, with Italian and Swedish meatballs following on the depth chart. Italian meatballs call for seasonings like grated parmesan and oregano, while Swedish ones use seasonings like nutmeg and allspice. While it doesn't sound like a huge distinction, you'll notice it in the taste!
In an oven preheated to 350 degrees F, these meatballs should be fully cooked through and evenly browned in about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the meatball should read at least 165 degrees F.
Baking will result in meatballs with a crunchy exterior, though the caramelisation achieved from frying will be superior. Baked meatballs take the least amount of effort, as you'll only need to turn them once or twice throughout the cook and you can make a larger batch at once.
Although meatballs cooked in tomato sauce and served with pasta is likely what most Americans first imagine when they think of them, this meatball preparation is virtually nonexistent in Italy. In most regions, meatballs are just fried and eaten as is—enjoyed as a snack or served as a second course without any sauce.
Sicilian meatballs, on the other hand, are typically made from a combination of ground beef and ground pork, along with ingredients like garlic, onion, parsley, breadcrumbs, and sometimes even pine nuts and raisins. They are often served in a tomato sauce or a sweet and sour sauce made from vinegar and sugar.
To be sure all harmful bacteria are destroyed, cook all ground beef products to an internal temperature of 160 °F throughout. Ground beef can be pink inside after it is safely cooked. The pink color can be due to a reaction between the oven heat and myoglobin, which causes a red or pink color.
Spaghetti and meatballs is a classic dish found all over the world and is considered a staple dinner menu item. While we believe that most pasta dishes are considered to be Italian, you likely won't find the dish anywhere in Italy.
This is especially important when working with pork, turkey and chicken, which are very wet when ground. Refrigerating gives the fat in the meat time to solidify, which helps maintain the shape. Chill your meatballs for anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on their size.
A traditional size for this sort of meatball is 2 to 3 inches across, but you can make them any size you want. Once you roll the meatball in your hands, roll it in the flour to give it a good coating. Set each one on a baking sheet as you work.
Baking them ensures even cooking and browning as well as good flavor development. Throwing them into the sauce for a few minutes before serving flavors the sauce and keeps the meatballs moist and delicious.
Give each meatball a final roll and add them to the pot. Brown them in batches, for a few minutes on each side. They won't be cooked all the way through. Remove and set aside until the sauce is prepared, then simmer them in the sauce for 45 minutes.
Remember, you're not cooking the meatballs through so after 3-4 turns, pull the meatballs off and place them on a paper towel-lined plate. Step 5: Transfer the meatballs to the sauce and allow them to simmer for at least 1 hour. I usually allow them to simmer for up to 3 hours to really suck in all the flavor.
It is often preferable to cook the meat and vegetables separate from the simmer sauce at high heat first. Then add the sauce, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes and using the time you saved in preparation to make a salad or even catch up on social media.
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