Easy Baked Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
by Jay Wadams
Baked meatballs are the best meatballs! Cooking my Juicy Baked Meatballs and tomato sauce the oven means they are super delicious and never dry. Serve with pasta and plenty of grated cheese. Leftovers make amazing meatball subs. Yum!
Ingredients
for the tomato sauce:
- 700 g jar tomato passata
- 125 ml red wine
- 1 red onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp mild chilli flakes or red pepper flakes
for the meatballs:
- 1-2 slices white bread cubed
- 1-2 Tbsp bread crumbs optional
- 125 ml milk heated
- 500 g pork mince ground pork
- 1 red onion very finely diced
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 clove fresh garlic crushed
- small bunch of fresh parsley finely diced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp fennel seeds crushed
- a few grinds of black pepper
to serve:
- 500 g dried spaghetti or tagliatelle cooked
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste
- grated mozzarella cheese optional
Scan the QR Code to view the online recipe with detailed instructions, photos, hints, tips and more at daysofjay.com
Instructions
- PREPARE: Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F / Gas 7. Mix all sauce ingredients until well combined and pour into a rimmed baking sheet or very large casserole dish (see notes).
- MAKE MEATBALLS: Place the cubed bread in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the hot milk, stir to combine, then allow the milk to absorb for 10 minutes. Add all remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl and head well with your hands until the meat mixture comes together and is slightly sticky. If very wet, add 1-2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs.
- ROLL MEATBALLS: Roll the meatball mixture into balls slightly smaller than golf balls, then place them directly into the sauce on the tray in a single layer. You should get around 20 meatballs from this mixture. Drizzle or spray with a little extra oil, then bake in the top third of the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and the sauce has reduced slightly.
- COOK PASTA: Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling water until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of cooking water.
- TOSS MEATBALLS: When the meatballs have cooked, toss them together with the sauce and the reserved cooking water, I find it easiest to transfer them to a saucepan and mix them in there (this is also good for keeping them warm).
- SERVE: Divide the pasta between serving plates, top with meatballs and sauce and grate over plenty of Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese if you like it extra cheesy!
Notes
It is essential to use a baking dish or tray that is the size of your oven. The large surface area of the tray is what allows the sauce to cook down and reduce.
Nutrition
Serving: 5meatballs + spaghetti | Calories: 999kcal | Carbohydrates: 120g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 1.569mg | Potassium: 1.362mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 499IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 6mg