Italian Meatballs With Tomato Sauce
Juicy Italian meatballs made with beef and spicy sausage, simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce. A warm, hearty dish that's great with pasta or risotto—and all done in one pan.
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 6 oz ground beef
- 6 oz spicy ground Italian sausage
- 1 egg
- ½ cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 slice white bread crusts removed and shredded
- ⅓ cup Italian seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley finely chopped
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil
Meatball Seasonings:
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the Tomato Sauce:
- ½ can pasta sauce about 1 cup
- ¼ teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Pinch dried mint
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, tear the bread slice into small pieces. Add all meatball ingredients and mix by hand just until combined—don’t overmix.
- Roll 2–3 tablespoons of the mixture into balls. You’ll get 10–12 medium meatballs. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium. Brown meatballs on all sides, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan, pour in pasta sauce and herbs. Stir and scrape up browned bits. Bring to a simmer over medium-low.
- Return meatballs to the pan. Spoon sauce over each. Cover and simmer 5 minutes, flip, then cook 5 more minutes or until fully cooked.
- Serve hot with spaghetti, risotto, or in a roll. Garnish with parsley or parmesan if desired.