An Italian dish: how to make meatballs with the best tomato sauceBy: Katherine Phelps
Since I was a little girl, my nona, who immigrated from Italy in 1954, has always made sure to educate me and my siblings on Italian cuisine and culture. Although my family eats the seven fishes dinner on Christmas Eve, we don’t eat too many stereotypical Italian dishes, other than meatballs with sauce. My Nona loved to cook these meatballs for family dinners and holidays, and I’m proud to say that I can now cook these meatballs for my family and future generations.
Preparing Meatballs:
-1 lb ground beef
-2 eggs
-½ cup italian breadcrumbs
-⅓ cup milk
-3 tablespoons garlic powder
Tomato Sauce:
-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-1 tablespoon of butter
-½ medium onion (finely chopped)
-1 stick of celery (finely chopped)
-1 small carrot (finely chopped)
-1-2 cloves of minced garlic
-3 tablespoons fresh basil (chopped)
-1 can of tomatoes
-1 ½ tablespoons of parsley
-1 teaspoon tomato paste
-1 teaspoon onion powder
-1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
-Black pepper and salt
-parmesan cheese (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the meantime, add one pound ground beef to a bowl. Add in one beaten egg, ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs and ¼ cup milk to a bowl. Begin mashing these ingredients with a large fork. Once well combined, add the remaining beaten egg and remaining milk if the mixture is too dry. Finally, add three tablespoons of garlic powder for more flavor. Mix the meat by hand to guarantee that the breadcrumbs and garlic powder coat everything.
Now that the meat is prepared, it’s time to roll them into balls. By shaping the meatballs by hand, the meat will stick together better when cooking. Place the meatballs on a metal baking pan with a sheet of tin foil and non-stick cooking spray at least an inch apart. Then, bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until brown on the inside.
To give meatballs the ultimate flavor, tomato sauce is a staple. So, add one can of tomatoes to a bowl and crush them with your fingers. Then, add one teaspoon of tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of fresh basil to the tomato juice substance.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil and one tablespoon of butter in a pan on medium high heat until butter is completely melted. Chop up ½ of an onion, one small carrot and one stick of celery. Add this mixture to the pot of oil and butter and reduce the heat to low.
Stir the ingredients to coat and allow the vegetables to sit for approximately 10 minutes. After the time is up, add about 1-2 tablespoons of minced garlic and 1 ½ tablespoons of parsley and let that cook on medium high heat for two minutes, stirring constantly.
Finally, add the tomato and tomato paste concoction from earlier, and reduce the heat to low. Then add in salt, pepper, onion powder and red pepper flakes for a deeper flavor. Let this cook for 10-15 minutes.
To get a smoother sauce and to make sure everything is blended together, an emulsifier can be used. This breaks up the larger pieces of food like the onion and carrot.
This sauce can also be enjoyed with your choice of pasta or bread for a very typical yet simple Italian meal. Garnish the meatballs or pasta with cheese and enjoy.