Meatballs with Marinara Recipe
Meatballs with Marinara is the ultimate comfort food. This recipe combines baked Italian meatballs with the best homemade marinara sauce, and then served over spaghetti noodles or sautéed veggies. So good!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 461kcal
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef - 85% lean
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/3 cup yellow onion - minced
- 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese - freshly shredded
- 2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 1/2 cup cold water
For the marinara sauce:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large yellow onion - chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 30 oz. fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Preheat oven. Set your oven to 375 degrees for starters. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mince veggies. Mince your onion and garlic very finely. Your picky eaters won't notice them, but WILL notice the amazing flavor they provide.
- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine meatball ingredients. Use your hands to gently mix everything together.1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground pork, 2 large eggs, 3 cloves garlic, 1/3 cup yellow onion, 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 2/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 cup cold water
- Form meatballs. Then form meatballs. Use your hands and try not to over handle. Over-handling results in tough meatballs. Lay meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.
- Brown meatballs. Use a large cast iron skillet to brown the meatballs on all sides. Add a little bit of neutral oil (like avocado oil or canola oil) to the pan and brown on medium-high heat. You will need to brown these in batches to avoid over-crowding the pan.
- Bake. Transfer meatballs to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake meatballs for approximately 10 minutes or until done to your liking.
For the marinara sauce:
- Sauté veggies. In a medium stock pot (or Dutch Oven), sauté the onions in a little olive oil over medium heat. When the onions are soft and translucent, add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds or so.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 large yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add remaining ingredients. Then add all the tomatoes (crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste), the chicken broth, sugar, and spices. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer.28 oz. crushed tomatoes, 30 oz. fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 4 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Cook. Continue cooking the sauce for about 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce cooks down slightly. Taste the marinara sauce, and add more seasonings, if desired.
To serve:
- Serve homemade spaghetti and meatballs over pasta and/or sauteed veggies, along with some extra freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- I recommend prepping the easy meatballs and the marinara sauce recipe ahead of time. Then the next day, make the pasta and fresh vegetables and reheat the meatballs and sauce. Combine and enjoy!
- Try making meatball subs! Make some homemade hoagie rolls, add the tender meatballs and sauce, and top with mozzarella cheese. So good!
- Both the meatballs and marinara sauce freeze well. Let them cool before transferring to airtight containers or freezer bags.
Nutrition
Calories: 461kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 809mg | Potassium: 806mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 958IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 5mg