Tomato Sauce and Meatballs

Bold. Sophisticated. Meaty. It's tomato sauce and meatballs.

Hands on: 35 min

Hands off: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Meatballs

1 1/2 lbs ground beef/pork

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp rosemary

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp thyme

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup milk

3 tbsp red wine

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs

3/4 cup bread crumbs/fine dry stuffing

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup grated parmesan/hard cheese

1/4 cup gouda/soft cheese

Sauce

3 cups diced tomatoes

2 tbsp oregano

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp thyme

1 small or 1/2 large bay leaf

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

4 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1 cup red wine

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp flour

Cooking:

Meatballs - Combine ingredients except meat in bowl and mix well. Add meat and mix loosely (don’t overmix after adding meat or meatballs will be tough). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hr. Meanwhile, make sauce.

Sauce - Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and spices and sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 min.

Add tomatoes, salt, sugar, pepper and stir. Continue cooking for 10 min, stirring, until sauce is warm to hot. Stir in red wine and turn heat to low. Cook for 25 min.

Mix milk and flour in a bowl. Add to sauce, stir and simmer 15 min until slightly thickened.

Baking: Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line rimmed cookie sheet with tin foil and rub a bit of oil on with fingers to lightly coat surface. Make meatballs from meat mixture, shaping tightly into 1” balls. Arrange on cookie sheet 2” apart and add 1/4 cup broth (will be absorbed by the meatballs and evaporated in the oven while baking.) Bake for 20 minutes, flip and cook an additional 20 minutes until meatballs are cooked through and browning.

Before serving: Add meatballs to pot of sauce on low heat and let sit for 10-20 min to blend flavors