Classic Meatballs {with Rich Tomato Sauce}

A rich and delicious family favourite - easy Italian-style meatballs served with spaghetti.

4.85 from 39 votes

Classic Meatballs {with Rich Tomato Sauce}

This easy Meatballs recipe is perfect for a quick supper. This Italian classic recipe is a family friendly dinner that everyone will enjoy. It's also great for batch cooking and freezes really well.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Family Food

Servings: People

Author: Sarah Rossi

Ingredients

For the meatballs

250 g Minced beef About 10% fat
250 g Pork mince Lean
2 Garlic cloves Peeled and crushed
10 g Flat leaf parsley Chopped
50 g Breadcrumbs
1 Egg
1 tbsp Olive oil

For the Tomato Sauce:

1 Onion Peeled and chopped
150 g Carrots Peeled and chopped into small chunks
4 Garlic cloves Peeled and crushed
1 tbsp Dried oregano
Salt and pepper
800 g Tinned tomatoes x2 tins
3 tbsp Tomato puree
2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
20 g Fresh basil or parsley Chopped

To Serve:

300 g Spaghetti (75g per person as a guide)
50 g Parmesan

Metric - Imperial

Instructions

To make the meatballs:

Combine the meatball ingredients (apart from the oil) and squish very well with clean hands. Shape into 12 balls.
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and gently fry the meatballs in batches until browned all over. Remove from the pan and move to one side.

To make the sauce:

Add to your pan (it should still have some fat in the bottom from the meatballs, if not add a splash more oil) the onion, carrot, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Fry for about 10 minutes until starting to soften.
Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, and balsamic vinegar. Fill one of the empty cans with water and add this in too. Stir well and then add your meatballs back in. Pop a lid on and bubble away over a low heat for 25 minutes.
While the meatballs are cooking away, cook your spaghetti.
Stir through the fresh herbs and serve topped with grated Parmesan.

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Notes

Vegetables: Chop the veggies as small as you can as it hides them in the sauce. You could add celery, extra carrots or mushrooms too if you fancy.

Tomatoes: Use as good a quality tinned tomatoes and puree as you can for this recipe. It's an easy shortcut to extra flavour.

Leftovers: It really does freeze well, so make a double batch and, once cooled, package up in freezer dishes and save for another day. You may just need to add a splash of extra liquid when it’s defrosted if the sauce is a little thick.

Nutrition