Traditional Italian Meatballs

Meatballs with tomato sauce in white cooking pan.

These Traditional Italian Meatballs are made with ground veal for a tender, delicate texture and are slowly simmered in a rich tomato sauce. They’re sure enough to become a weeknight staple.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Traditional Italian Meatballs

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 45

Servings

Calories 310kcal

Ingredients

For the Italian Meatballs

1 cup bread, cubed and loosely pack crust removed
1/2 cup milk
454 grams ground veal
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese freshly grated
1 large egg
1 clove garlic minced
3 tbls parsley chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper ground

For the Tomato Sauce

3 tbls olive oil
1/2 cup celery diced
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup carrots diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp crushed chilli pepper
796 ml Passata strained crushed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 sprigs of fresh basil plus more for garnish

Instructions

For the Italian Meatballs

Start by soaking the bread with milk in a small bowl for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Then drain the bread and squeeze out the excess milk.
Place all the meatball ingredients and the milk-squeezed bread in a medium-sized bowl.
Mix well and shape portions of meat into well-rounded, medium-sized meatballs. (Have a small bowl of water or oil nearby to moisten your hands and make it easier to shape the meatballs.)
Place the meatballs on a small platter and set aside while you prepare the tomato sauce.

For the Tomato Sauce.

Heat the oil in a pot, then add the chopped celery, carrots, onions, garlic and crushed chilli pepper.
Sauté on medium-low until the onions are translucent. (about 5 minutes)
Pour in the strained tomatoes.
Fill the strained tomato bottle halfway with cold water. Swirl the bottle to collect any remaining crushed tomatoes, and pour this into the pot.
Add in the salt, pepper and sprigs of fresh basil. Bring to a low simmer.
Once the sauce starts to simmer, add the raw meatballs directly into the tomato mixture and simmer on low heat for approximately 40 minutes. Stir occasionally. (If the tomato sauce gets a little too dry while cooking, you can add some water and stir to incorporate.
When they're ready, you can serve the meatballs as a second course, topped with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and garnished with fresh basil.
Or, you can serve the meatballs over pasta and even make meatball sandwiches out of them.
The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Nutrition