Did you know that to make authentic Italian meatballs in tomato sauce, you don’t necessarily have to bake or sear your meatballs first? There’s a simple way to prepare this dish: simmering your meatballs in the sauce until they are cooked through.
Yes, this method might produce a bit less flavor than searing them first, but I would argue even that point. Try this recipe and you can judge for yourself whether it’s delicious or not (it is). On the other hand, this method is much simpler, and not to mention, it is actually the way this dish is often prepared in Italy. The Italian name for this dish is polpette al sugo, literally “meatballs in sauce.”
The Secret Spice — Twice
There is a secret ingredient, though, that you would not even think of as a spice. And this is Parmesan cheese, or Parmigiano Reggiano.
And why twice? The trick I learned from authentic Italian recipes is not to discard the Parmesan rind. The rind has all the flavor of the cheese, but it’s too hard to eat. But if you add this umami bomb to your tomato sauce, you can bet it will make it unforgettable.
Parmesan rind — your secret spice for making exceptional Italian tomato sauce
What Is Passata
The main ingredient in the tomato sauce in this recipe is Italian passata (passata di pomodoro, literally tomato purée). This is simply canned tomato purée, and you can easily find it online. But if you can’t get hold of it, you can use any canned tomato sauce instead.
Italian passata does not have added salt. So if you’re using any other product, please check the saltiness. Also be aware that spices in your canned sauce might modify the taste.
For this recipe, I used two jars of passata, 2×690 grams. This is the standard Italian packaging, and this quantity equals about 5 1/2 cups of tomato purée.
Tips for Making Perfect Meatballs
- You can use ground beef or ground pork for your meatballs. You can even mix them, 50% pork and 50% beef.
- Add some dairy product to make your meatballs lighter. This can be 1–2 tablespoons of sour cream, yogurt, or even milk. Adjust the quantity of breadcrumbs accordingly (you might need more).
I used a 1/4-cup measuring cup to form my meatballs. This results in slightly bigger meatballs than you might be used to, but I figure these are closer to the actual versions they prepare in Italy. 1 pound of ground beef yielded 14 larger meatballs.
Using a measuring cup, though, will help you produce equal-sized meatballs; consider using a 1/4- or 1/8-cup measure.
And one tip for your sauce: the longer you cook it, the richer it’ll get. If you have time, cook the tomato sauce (the sugo) for 30–60 minutes before adding the meatballs.
How to Serve Italian Meatballs
Classic Italian-American meatballs are served over spaghetti—hence the popular name, spaghetti and meatballs. But yes, you read that right: this is the American version.
Of course, you can serve your authentic Italian meatballs over spaghetti or any kind of pasta. I really mean any type; you should try them with penne, fusilli, or farfalle, just to name a few.
But this is actually not the typical way of serving this dish in Italy. Pasta in Italy is considered a first course (primo piatto), while meatballs are a main dish (secondo piatto). So generally, no spaghetti and meatballs together. They serve their meatballs as a separate main dish instead, usually with fresh Italian bread.
One very common way of serving meatballs in Italy is to sprinkle them with chopped fresh parsley and basil, as you can see in this picture.
Italian Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- ⅔ cup onions chopped
- 1380 g passata tomato purée, see recipe for tips
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Parmesan rind optional
- 3 cups water
Meatballs
- 1 lbs ground beef
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ½ tsp salt
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
Tomato Sauce
- Finely chop onions and mince garlic. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Sautée onions in olive oil over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sautée for another minute.
- Add tomato purée, salt and about 3 cups of water. Optional: add Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes over low heat.
Meatballs
- Mix meatball ingredients in a bowl (ground meat, lightly beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, salt, black pepper).
- With wet hands, form balls and put them in the tomato sauce. Use ⅛ cup or ¼ cup of meat mixture for each meatball.
- Cook the meatballs in the tomato sauce for 25-30 minutes.
