The EASIEST Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

there's no one RIGHT way to make meatballs.

When you’re Italian and you grow up in New Jersey you’re going to hear a lot of rhetoric about what’s the RIGHT way to make chicken cutlets or sauce or meatballs. There are some really egregious things I see on the internet like putting cream in carbonara or parmigiano on seafood pasta, but for the most part I’m here to tell you there’s no “right way” to make anything. Do what makes you happy!

These are great. They are delicious, fast and you can use them as a jumping off point to so many dinners. I’ve posted about them before when I made them topped with melty mozzarella and a big hunk of homemade focaccia to sop up the sauce. But here are some other combos that I love:

• Straight up with pasta, maybe a dollop of ricotta and showered with basil.

• Nestled next to sautéed broccoli rabe for a lower carb option.

• Spooned onto soft rolls, topped with mozzarella and broiled for the best meatball sub ever.

Make it ahead

There are many steps of this recipe that you can do ahead, making it even easier.

• You could make the meatball mix 1 day ahead.

• You could make the mix AND form the meatballs 1 day ahead.

• You could freeze the raw meatballs. Freeze them on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Once frozen, pop them into a bag or glass container. When you want to cooke them: Make the tomato sauce, put the meatballs in from frozen. They will take more like 35 - 40 minutes to cook.

• You can make the whole dish in the morning and serve in the evening.

Weeknight Meatballs

Serves 4 people (makes about 20 golf-ball sized meatballs)

• 1 pound ground meat (any combo of beef, veal or pork)

• ½ cup plain breadcrumbs

• ⅓ cup milk

• ¼ cup grated parmesan

• ¾ teaspoon onion powder

• 1 large garlic clove, grated or minced

• Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Sauce & Garnish:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• Pinch of crushed red pepper

• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed or pureed tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• Chopped parsley or basil, for serving

• Grated parmesan, for serving

1. In a large bowl combine ground meat, breadcrumbs, milk, parmesan, onion powder, garlic, parsley, eggs, salt and black pepper. Begin by using a fork to break everything up, and then switch to your hands to blend the mixture. Form mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and arrange on a plate or sheet pan. Refrigerate while you prep the sauce. These can also be formed, covered and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance. 

2. In a large pot or high sided skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute, stirring often for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned. Carefully add the tomatoes and season with salt.

3. Gently add the meatballs, one at a time, and cover with a lid. Turn the heat down to lowest setting and let simmer, without touching them, for 20 minutes. Uncover, gently turn the meatballs and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with grated parmesan and chopped parsley or basil.