Meatballs with tomato sauce
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 6
- Dietary
- Nut-freePregnancy-friendly
Meatballs are a quick, comforting family meal, especially if your kids like to get messy! Do they ever get tired of slurping up spaghetti? It's faster to cook than bolognese, but somehow feels more special and can easily be adapted to use different meats or for batch cooking (see the recipe tips).
Each serving provides 546 kcal, 37.5g protein, 9g carbohydrates (of which 8g sugars), 40g fat (of which 15.5g saturates), 2g fibre and 0.8g salt.
By Rachel Allen
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 150g/5oz onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 900g/2lb beef mince
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped herbs, such as marjoram or thyme, or 1 tbsp rosemary
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 110g/4oz onion, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 150g/5¼oz mozzarella, grated
- 2 x 400g tins tomatoes
- 1 tsp caster sugar
Method
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy saucepan over a gentle heat and add the onion and garlic. Gently fry for 4 minutes, until soft and a little golden. Allow to cool.
In a bowl, mix the minced beef with the cold onion and garlic. Add the herbs and the beaten egg. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
Fry a tiny bit to check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Divide the mixture into approximately 24 round balls. Cover the meatballs and refrigerate until needed.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, toss until coated, cover, and gently fry on a low heat until soft and pale golden.
Slice the tinned tomatoes (if using plum tomatoes) and add, with all the juice, to the onion mixture. Season with sugar, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cook the tomatoes uncovered for approximately 30 minutes or until the tomato softens.
Meanwhile, heat a frying pan and heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Cook the meatballs, turning often, for about 10 minutes or until browned on the outside and cooked through.
When the meatballs are cooked, put them into an ovenproof dish with the tomato sauce and top with the grated mozzarella.
Preheat the grill on a high setting. Grill the meatballs until the cheese has melted.
Serve with spaghetti.
Recipe tips
Instead of beef mince, try making these meatballs with lamb or turkey mince instead. If choosing turkey mince, go for one with a good mix of dark and light meat rather than minced turkey breast – the additional fat will to help make the meatballs extra juicy.
If you don’t have fresh herbs handy, use 1 heaped teaspoon dried mixed herbs, or dried oregano instead. Check they haven’t been in the cupboard too long as they lose their flavour over time. Use within six months of opening if you can. Add a pinch of dried chilli flakes for a little extra spice.
If you are finding it difficult to form the meatballs, try wetting your hands or dusting in a little plain flour. Make sure to turn them regularly as you fry them to help keep their shape.
Ideally choose good quality tinned tomatoes for the sauce. You can save time by using ready chopped tomatoes as there isn’t usually a price difference. If using value tomatoes, add a couple of heaped tablespoons of tomato purée to enrich the flavour of the sauce. A splash of red wine is also good.
Cook the tomato sauce for at least 30 minutes, but longer if you can, so the flavour really develops. Stir regularly so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan. If you have time, add the browned meatballs to the pan with the sauce and cook together for 10–20 minutes before transferring to the ovenproof dish.
Mozzarella sold for cooking rather than eating in salads is perfect for this dish. It’s known as mozzarella cucina and has a firmer texture. Sold in blocks, or ready grated, it contains a lot less moisture. You’ll find it in the cheese section of the supermarket.
You can assemble the meatballs and sauce a day or two ahead if you like. Leave to cool, cover and chill until 20-30 minutes before serving. Reheat in a large, shallow casserole or saute pan over a low heat until piping hot throughout, then sprinkle with mozzarella and pop under the grill as above.
Leftover meatballs and sauce can be frozen for up to three months. Decant into a lidded container, cover, label and freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge the reheat thoroughly in a large shallow casserole or saute pan.
You can also freeze the meatballs and sauce in individual portions. Use toughened glass dishes, such as Pyrex, for the best results. Reheat from frozen in the microwave for around 10 minutes on HIGH (full power), stirring regularly, or until hot throughout. If in doubt, test meatballs with a food thermometer. They should be at least 75C in the centre.
Instead of serving with pasta, try using the meatballs and sauce as a filling for warmed ciabatta bread, topped with the grated mozzarella and fresh basil.
