Meatballs in thick tomato sauce
3 servings
35 minutes
Meatballs in thick tomato sauce embody traditional Italian cuisine, where the passion for aromas and rich flavors merges in one dish. Their origin traces back to family dinners, where each hostess perfected the recipe, passing it down through generations. Juicy meatballs infused with spices are fried to a golden crust and then slowly simmered in a velvety sauce made of tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper. A hint of vinegar adds depth to the dish while nutmeg's aroma brings sophistication. These meatballs pair perfectly with pasta, bread, or creamy mashed potatoes, creating a truly cozy and warming meal that offers the taste of home warmth and traditions.
1
Chop half of the garlic by pressing it flat with a knife (and don't forget to remove the heart from each clove for easier aroma), then pour half of the olive oil into a pan, turn on medium heat, and add the chopped garlic along with red pepper to the heated oil. Sauté until the garlic aroma appears! Now add tomato paste (stirring for about 5 minutes) and vinegar.
- Garlic: 4 cloves
- Olive oil: 50 ml
- Ground red pepper: 1 g
- Tomato paste: 300 g
- Vinegar: 15 ml
2
Now let's finely chop the onion and the remaining garlic, and together they go into another heated pan with one tablespoon of olive oil, frying until a nice golden color, and then we place it in a deep bowl to collect our filling. We add the onion last; don't let this confuse you, it's safer to add it to the cooled onion mixture to prevent the egg white from curdling. We add the minced meat (it can be replaced with turkey mince, for example, it cooks faster and is just as tasty), spices, salt, chopped parsley or dill, an egg, and breadcrumbs (instead of breadcrumbs, we use rye bran). You know it's healthier.
- Onion: 1 head
- Garlic: 4 cloves
- Olive oil: 50 ml
- Ground beef: 500 g
- Parsley: 30 g
- Chicken egg: 1 piece
- Breadcrumbs: 50 g
3
Now we shape balls from the obtained mass; we made them larger than a chicken egg, resulting in 9. You can change the size. After this stage, the ideal action is to cover with food film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes; this will make the meatballs juicy, but it's not critical if we're in a hurry. Repeat the full process on weekends.
- Ground beef: 500 g
4
We will fry the cooled or just formed meatballs in the remaining heated olive oil. The pan should not be crowded. This is an important condition for getting an appetizing crust. Fry them a few at a time. Each meatball for 6-8 minutes to form a firm crust!
- Olive oil: 50 ml
5
Transfer the fried meatballs to a pan with sauce and let them simmer for a few minutes, covered.
- Tomato paste: 300 g