Meatballs in Tomato Sauce with Basil
I started making these meatballs after a long time of preparing any marinated meatball recipe by eye. I usually fried them in plenty of oil and then simmered them in a simple tomato sauce. I only began adding basil recently, after trying various recipes I found online. It makes a difference compared to what I used to make, especially in the final taste of the sauce – the basil adds a fresh aroma, and the onion is used more sparingly. The ingredients are not overly processed, and everything goes quite quickly if you organize your steps a bit.
Quick Info
Total time: about 1 hour and 10 minutes
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Cooking/baking time: 45-50 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium
Family recipe, suitable for lunch or dinner
Ingredients
400-500 g minced beef and pork
1 slice of bread
1 egg
4-5 cloves of garlic for the sauce
1 clove of garlic for the meatballs
1/2 bunch of parsley
A pinch of grated nutmeg
5 tablespoons of oil (for frying)
2 small shallots (or half a small onion)
4-5 large sprigs of fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons of dried basil)
1 can of whole tomatoes in juice (or 5 well-ripened tomatoes, blanched and peeled + 150 ml tomato juice)
1-2 tablespoons of sugar (optional, depending on the acidity of the tomatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1 small red chili pepper
Preparation Method
1. For the sauce, start with the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, bring water to a boil, turn off the heat, and blanch them for 1 minute. Carefully peel them after they have cooled slightly.
2. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the finely chopped shallots and 4-5 sliced garlic cloves. Sauté over low to medium heat, stirring, until they turn slightly golden without burning.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes (or the canned ones), pour in the tomato juice, and add 3-4 sprigs of fresh basil (or dried basil). Pour in about 300 ml of warm water.
4. Let the sauce simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes, until the tomatoes can be crushed with a fork and the garlic is soft.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C.
6. For the meatballs, soak the slice of bread in cold water for a few minutes, then squeeze it well between your palms or in a sieve.
7. Finely chop the parsley.
8. Crush 1 clove of garlic with the flat side of a knife, then chop it and set it aside.
9. Place the minced meat in a bowl. Add the squeezed bread, egg, nutmeg, chopped garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper (about a teaspoon of each, but taste as you go).
10. Mix everything by hand until you get a uniform mixture.
11. Wet your palms and form meatballs about the size of a ping-pong ball.
12. In a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium to high heat. Add all the meatballs at once and fry them quickly for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan to prevent sticking. They don’t need to be fully cooked, just browned.
13. Remove the meatballs to absorbent paper, then transfer them to an ovenproof dish. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
14. While they are in the oven, blend the sauce with an immersion blender or food processor. You can add finely chopped chili pepper if desired. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, or sugar (sugar is optional, especially if the tomatoes are tart).
15. Remove the meatballs from the oven and pour the sauce over them. Return the dish to the oven for another 10-12 minutes. In the end, the sauce should be slightly thickened on top.
16. If you want to serve them with pasta, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for about 7 minutes. Reserve a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce in the pan used earlier, drain the pasta, and add it to the pan with the sauce. Also, add 100 ml of the pasta cooking water and cook for another 2 minutes.
17. The meatballs also pair well with mashed potatoes or simply with toasted or fresh bread.
18. When serving, sprinkle a few fresh basil leaves for added flavor.
Why I Make This Recipe Often
These meatballs turn out tender, and the basil sauce is quick and goes well with many sides. They can be prepared in advance and easily reheated. It also works with any kind of meat, as I have tested several times.
Tips and Variations
Tips
If fresh tomatoes aren’t ripe (especially in winter), it’s better to use canned tomatoes.
If you have an oil that doesn’t burn quickly (like palm oil), use it for frying, but any oil with a high smoke point works.
Substitutions
You can replace the beef-pork mixture with chicken or turkey.
If you don’t have shallots, use regular onion, but less to avoid overpowering the flavor.
The bread can be substituted with 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs if you don’t have any on hand.
Variations
Add chili pepper to the sauce if you prefer a bit of heat.
Instead of fresh basil, dried basil can be used (2 teaspoons).
Serving Ideas
Long pasta is the classic choice – spaghetti, tagliatelle, or linguine.
It also goes well with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
Leftover sauce can be used for other dishes if stored separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use only pork or only beef?
Yes, but the beef-pork mixture helps with texture and flavor. Using only pork results in a more tender texture, while only beef makes them firmer.
How much basil should I use if I’m using dried?
Two teaspoons of dried basil are enough for a pronounced flavor in the sauce.
Can it be made without a blender?
Yes, but the sauce will remain more rustic, with chunks of tomatoes and onion. I prefer to blend it.
Can the meatballs be baked directly without frying?
I briefly fried them to get a crust and maintain their shape, but they can be baked directly; however, they will have a different texture.
Can I freeze the meatballs in sauce?
Yes, you can freeze them after they have completely cooled. You can easily thaw and reheat them later.
Nutritional Values
(Estimation for one serving of four, without pasta or mashed potatoes)
Calories: approximately 340-400 kcal
Protein: 24-28 g
Carbohydrates: 10-14 g (depends if served with pasta/bread)
Fats: 20-23 g
Values vary depending on the type of meat and how much oil remains in the dish.
Storage and Reheating
The meatballs with sauce can be stored in the fridge, covered, for 2-3 days. They can be reheated on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave. The sauce becomes even more flavorful the next day.
I do not recommend freezing if the sauce contains cooked pasta; only the meatballs with plain sauce.
I started making these meatballs after a long time of preparing any marinated meatball recipe by eye. I usually fried them in plenty of oil and then simmered them in a simple tomato sauce. I only began adding basil recently, after trying various recipes I found online. It makes a difference compared to what I used to make, especially in the final taste of the sauce – the basil adds a fresh aroma, and the onion is used more sparingly. The ingredients are not overly processed, and everything goes quite quickly if you organize your steps a bit.
Quick Info
Total time: about 1 hour and 10 minutes
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes
Cooking/baking time: 45-50 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium
Family recipe, suitable for lunch or dinner
Ingredients
400-500 g minced beef and pork
1 slice of bread
1 egg
4-5 cloves of garlic for the sauce
1 clove of garlic for the meatballs
1/2 bunch of parsley
A pinch of grated nutmeg
5 tablespoons of oil (for frying)
2 small shallots (or half a small onion)
4-5 large sprigs of fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons of dried basil)
1 can of whole tomatoes in juice (or 5 well-ripened tomatoes, blanched and peeled + 150 ml tomato juice)
1-2 tablespoons of sugar (optional, depending on the acidity of the tomatoes)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1 small red chili pepper
Preparation Method
1. For the sauce, start with the tomatoes. If using fresh tomatoes, bring water to a boil, turn off the heat, and blanch them for 1 minute. Carefully peel them after they have cooled slightly.
2. In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the finely chopped shallots and 4-5 sliced garlic cloves. Sauté over low to medium heat, stirring, until they turn slightly golden without burning.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes (or the canned ones), pour in the tomato juice, and add 3-4 sprigs of fresh basil (or dried basil). Pour in about 300 ml of warm water.
4. Let the sauce simmer over medium heat, uncovered, for about 10-15 minutes, until the tomatoes can be crushed with a fork and the garlic is soft.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C.
6. For the meatballs, soak the slice of bread in cold water for a few minutes, then squeeze it well between your palms or in a sieve.
7. Finely chop the parsley.
8. Crush 1 clove of garlic with the flat side of a knife, then chop it and set it aside.
9. Place the minced meat in a bowl. Add the squeezed bread, egg, nutmeg, chopped garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper (about a teaspoon of each, but taste as you go).
10. Mix everything by hand until you get a uniform mixture.
11. Wet your palms and form meatballs about the size of a ping-pong ball.
12. In a large pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium to high heat. Add all the meatballs at once and fry them quickly for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan to prevent sticking. They don’t need to be fully cooked, just browned.
13. Remove the meatballs to absorbent paper, then transfer them to an ovenproof dish. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
14. While they are in the oven, blend the sauce with an immersion blender or food processor. You can add finely chopped chili pepper if desired. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, or sugar (sugar is optional, especially if the tomatoes are tart).
15. Remove the meatballs from the oven and pour the sauce over them. Return the dish to the oven for another 10-12 minutes. In the end, the sauce should be slightly thickened on top.
16. If you want to serve them with pasta, bring salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for about 7 minutes. Reserve a few tablespoons of the tomato sauce in the pan used earlier, drain the pasta, and add it to the pan with the sauce. Also, add 100 ml of the pasta cooking water and cook for another 2 minutes.
17. The meatballs also pair well with mashed potatoes or simply with toasted or fresh bread.
18. When serving, sprinkle a few fresh basil leaves for added flavor.
Why I Make This Recipe Often
These meatballs turn out tender, and the basil sauce is quick and goes well with many sides. They can be prepared in advance and easily reheated. It also works with any kind of meat, as I have tested several times.
Tips and Variations
Tips
If fresh tomatoes aren’t ripe (especially in winter), it’s better to use canned tomatoes.
If you have an oil that doesn’t burn quickly (like palm oil), use it for frying, but any oil with a high smoke point works.
Substitutions
You can replace the beef-pork mixture with chicken or turkey.
If you don’t have shallots, use regular onion, but less to avoid overpowering the flavor.
The bread can be substituted with 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs if you don’t have any on hand.
Variations
Add chili pepper to the sauce if you prefer a bit of heat.
Instead of fresh basil, dried basil can be used (2 teaspoons).
Serving Ideas
Long pasta is the classic choice – spaghetti, tagliatelle, or linguine.
It also goes well with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.
Leftover sauce can be used for other dishes if stored separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use only pork or only beef?
Yes, but the beef-pork mixture helps with texture and flavor. Using only pork results in a more tender texture, while only beef makes them firmer.
How much basil should I use if I’m using dried?
Two teaspoons of dried basil are enough for a pronounced flavor in the sauce.
Can it be made without a blender?
Yes, but the sauce will remain more rustic, with chunks of tomatoes and onion. I prefer to blend it.
Can the meatballs be baked directly without frying?
I briefly fried them to get a crust and maintain their shape, but they can be baked directly; however, they will have a different texture.
Can I freeze the meatballs in sauce?
Yes, you can freeze them after they have completely cooled. You can easily thaw and reheat them later.
Nutritional Values
(Estimation for one serving of four, without pasta or mashed potatoes)
Calories: approximately 340-400 kcal
Protein: 24-28 g
Carbohydrates: 10-14 g (depends if served with pasta/bread)
Fats: 20-23 g
Values vary depending on the type of meat and how much oil remains in the dish.
Storage and Reheating
The meatballs with sauce can be stored in the fridge, covered, for 2-3 days. They can be reheated on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave. The sauce becomes even more flavorful the next day.
I do not recommend freezing if the sauce contains cooked pasta; only the meatballs with plain sauce.