Creamy Meatballs Cooked in Tomato Sauce

I’m going to be really honest with you: these meatballs cooked in tomato sauce are no 30-minute meal — they take about two hours to make, but the end result is a hearty dish and flavorful sauce.

Make these meatballs cooked in tomato sauce for a comfy, home-cooked Sunday night dinner or as a meal-prepped item to have throughout the week. Serve them over pasta, roasted veggies, or even some freshly made garlic bread. The meatballs are versatile, but you can also save and freeze any leftover sauce to use on pizza, chicken Parmesan, or to make a delicious vodka sauce later.

Oh, and another bonus, your kitchen will smell amazing with these simmering on the stove for hours.

Creamy Meatballs Cooked in Tomato Sauce

Gretel Shaw

This recipe for creamy meatballs cooked in tomato sauce is a must-try. I love how the flavours combine to create this full-bodied dish.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 567 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Meatball Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef (minced beef)
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon oregano - dried
• ¼ teaspoon basil - dried
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper - cracked
• 1 dash salt

Sauce Ingredients

• 15 ounces ketchup (tomato sauce Australia and UK)
• 28 ounces passata or crushed tomatoes (tomato puree with seeds removed)
• ½ cup red wine
• ½ medium sweet onion - sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon oregano - dried
• ¼ teaspoon basil - dried
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper - cracked
• 2 dashes salt

Instructions

 

• Add all meatball ingredients to a mixing bowl.
• Stir everything together until the ingredients are combined.
• Begin making meatballs by dividing the mixture evenly and forming balls with the mixture. You want to try to ensure that they are roughly the same size; if you need to, you can use a measuring cup — about 1/4 cup should do.
• Place meatballs on a clean plate while you begin preparing the sauce.
• Add onion and olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or pot.
• Sauté onion until it begins to turn translucent (about 5 minutes).
• Move onion to the sides, leaving space in the middle for the meatballs.
• Add meatballs to the pan with enough space between them, so they are not touching each other.
• Cook meatballs on one side for about 5 minutes
• Gently turn the meatballs to the other side and cook for 5 more minutes — at this point, you must be able to gently move the meatballs without them breaking apart or sticking to the bottom of the pan (you want to make sure they do not stick).
• Add sauce, crushed tomatoes, red wine, dried oregano, dried basil, salt, and pepper to the pan.
• Stir meatballs (gently so they don’t break) and sauce to combine ingredients.
• Cook the meatballs uncovered on medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Stir again before reducing heat to a simmer, covering the pan, and cooking for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
• Check back occasionally to stir (I waited an hour before checking on them, but my meatballs weren’t sticking to the bottom of the pan, and my sauce was at a good simmer — I’ve burnt sauce onto the bottom of the pan, so if this is your first time making these you might want to check back every half hour).
• Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 29gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 1255mgPotassium: 1357mgFiber: 7gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 968IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 237mgIron: 7mg

How did this recipe turn out for you?We’re eager to hear your thoughts!