Meatballs in Sweet and Spicy Tomato Sauce

My boys love meatballs -- and not only when they're rolling off a mound of spaghetti. Sometimes we'll just have meatballs for dinner (no pasta, no rice); I often add a chunk of crusty sourdough or French bread to soak up my sauce or gravy concoction.

When I make meatballs, I like to blend meats - sometimes beef, pork and veal, sometimes beef and turkey. In this recipes, I did the latter. The beef adds tremendous flavor and the turkey slims things down a bit. I add plenty of other goodies to the meat mixture before a quick bake in the oven. I find that baking meatballs on a baking sheet first (before settling them in a baking dish), trims away some of the fat (I don't particularly like greasy-looking sauce). You can also brown the meatballs in a pan before baking them in the sauce.

For the sauce, I add the traditional onions and garlic, but I also add carrots for sweetness (to balance out the acidity from the tomatoes), and hot sauce for kick (the hot sauce is optional). My kids also like extra hot sauce or red pepper flakes at the table.

If you want to plan for a future meal, double this recipe and freeze the second whole baking dish full of meatballs for up to 3 months.

Meatballs in Sweet and Spicy Tomato Sauce

Meatballs: 
3/4 pound lean ground beef
3/4 pound ground turkey
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 large egg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
2 bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
To make the meatballs, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Shape the mixture into 9 to 12 meatballs (depending on the size you prefer). Arrange the meatballs on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the sauce, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until soft. Add the tomatoes, carrots, sundried tomato paste, hot sauce (if using), and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meatballs are ready.
Spoon the sauce into the bottom of a shallow baking dish (discard the bay leaves when you find them). Arrange the meatballs in the sauce.
Return the meatballs to the oven and cook for 15 more minutes, until cooked through.

Serves 6


Photo: Apolonia