Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Dinner Recipes - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

Homemade Beef Meatballs in Tomato Sauce and Spaghetti, one of my favourite Italian dishes, and without a shadow of a doubt one of the best dishes I have ever cooked. Comforting, super easy to make, and so delicious, this is the ultimate comfort food that goes down well with the whole family.

Nothing says comfort food the way a plate of spaghetti and meatballs does. You are warned, just in case you think you will only have one portion, this will not happen!

I love beef meatballs, and I believe many people will also agree that they taste the best. Of course, chicken, lamb, pork or any other meat can be used. And there has to be parmesan, without it the dish will not have the same taste of Italy.

Making your own homemade meatballs in tomato sauce is a lot easier than you'd think. Forget about ready-made or frozen meatballs, they will never taste the same. And that's because you can season them the way you like, and add some more simple ingredients that will make them even more delicious.

A bit of salt and pepper, and bit of parmesan, some finely chopped onion and garlic, and they are already divinely delicious. Cook them in a rich and healthy tomato sauce, and you are in for a treat.

Ingredients needed

• minced beef - ground beef
• garlic
• onion
• grated parmesan cheese
• sea salt &ground black pepper
• olive oil
• chopped tomatoes - or plum tomatoes, slightly squashed
• beef stock - broth

Step-by-step photos and instructions

As promised, this recipe is as delicious as it looks. And bonus point, everything is cooked in one pot! No more cleaning lots of pots afterwards, and the whole dish can be ready in 30-40 minutes. Easy, right?

For the balls

All we need for our meatballs: ground beef, parmesan, salt and pepper, onion and garlic. Mix everything well, and shape into meatballs - l got 15, but you can get more or less depending on the size of the meatballs made. Heat up the oil in a large pan, add the meatballs, and fry gently until lightly brown on both sides.

NOTE! The meatballs won't be cooked through at this stage, they will cook further in the sauce!

For the sauce

Once the meatballs have browned, add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock, parmesan, salt and pepper and bay leaves, and give it a good stir.

Leave to cook with the lid on until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is reduced into a thick sauce that coats the meatballs nicely.

Can you cook raw meatballs in the sauce?

Yes, absolutely! Browning adds more flavour, and colour, but otherwise the meatballs will still be perfectly cooked in the sauce even if you choose to just add them to the pan without browning.

Browning also helps the meatballs not fall apart during cooking, I did not add breadcrumbs to mine and they were absolutely fine. Just make sure you fry them in a non-stick pan, so they can keep their nice shape.

What to serve with meatballs

The obvious choice would be spaghetti - there is something so comforting about spaghetti and meatballs. But any other pasta will do too. Also, they are great with mashed potatoes too. Couscous, bulgur wheat, or basmati rice are also delicious.

Other meatball recipes

And here is our yummy dish, so good, and so easy to make. For more meatball goodness, how about myMozzarella-Stuffed Pork Meatballs.Or Crockpot Meatball Sliders. Or perhapsBaked Spaghetti and Meatballs Casserole?

My Turkey Meatball Curry might sound strange, but it's utterly delicious! So many choices! Although I also love this yummy soupHealthy Romanian Meatball Soup with Rice. It healthy, quick and so easy to make too. Do give them a try!

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