Go Back
–+ servings
A bowl of Italian meatballs, over some pasta

Italian Meatballs

5 from 2 votes
Italian inspired meatballs can be cooked to enjoy on their own or in a creamy tomato passata sauce, perfect to serve with pasta or on a sub.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:40 minutes
Servings: 4 - 5

Ingredients

Meatballs-Using a food processor - check notes for food processor substitution

  • 500 grams beef mince Note 1
  • 1/2 brown onion chopped into 4 large pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves peel and core removed
  • 75 grams parmesan cheese
  • 20 grams parsley preferably fresh, leaves with the stems removed
  • 2 regular slices of white bread sub for 80 grams of bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Sauce for the Meatballs

  • 700 gram bottle of passata
  • 1/2 cup beef stock
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled, core removed, minced
  • 1 tbsp Italian herbs Note 2
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp chilli powder optional - Note 3
  • 2 tbsp white sugar Note 4
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp vegemite sub available - Note 5
  • 100 ml thickened cream optional - Note 6

Instructions

  • In a food processor, add in the onion, garlic cloves, parmesan cheese, parsley and bread and turn it on until everything has been shredded into small bits. If you don't have a food processor, check notes for substitution.
  • In a large bowl, add the beef mince, salt, pepper, egg and the bread mixture from the food processor and use your hands to mix everything together until combined.
  • Shape the meat mixture into medium sized balls, I use an ice cream scooper to make them all the same size but using your hands are absolutely fine. Make sure to roll them into smooth balls.
  • In a medium to large fry pan, on medium heat, heat up the olive oil.
  • Cook the meatballs in batches, if your pan is big enough, you may be able to do it in two batches. Cook until the meatballs are seared brown on most sides, don't worry if it's not cooked all the way through, they'll cook through in the sauce, just wait to eat them at the end. Don't worry about any stuck bits or colour on the pan, they add flavour to the sauce. Once cooked on the outside, remove from the pan. Note 7
  • Turn the heat down to medium low, there should be some fat left in the pan from cooking the meatballs, if it's a bit dry, add some olive oil. Add the diced onion to the pan and cook until the onions are soft and start developing colour, 3-5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add in the bottle of tomato passata to the pan; pour the beef stock into the bottle of passata and shake it until the leftover tomato passata has mixed with the beef stock and pour it into the pan. Stir to combine.
  • Add in the Italian herbs, bay leaves, salt, pepper, chilli powder, sugar, tomato paste and vegemite to the sauce and stir to combine. Add the meatballs back into the pan.
  • Leave the sauce to simmer until it thickens to your liking, I usually do it for around 15 minutes.
  • Once you have your desired consistency, add in the thickened cream. If it makes your sauce too runny, leave it to simmer a few minutes longer to get it back to your desired consistency.
  • This would be the time to test how the sauce tastes and make any adjustments. Maybe you'd like it sweeter or saltier or creamier.
  • Serve with your favourite pasta or in a sub with cheese.

Video

Notes

Note 1
Meat - sub for pork, veal, lamb or a mixture. I plan to release a recipe for chicken meatballs. I use 4 star beef mince, it's mince with 10% fat. You may choose to get a leaner or less lean mince.
Note 2
Italian Herbs - I use a dried Italian herb mix: thyme, rosemary, basil, sage, oregano, marjoram and parsley.
Note 3
Chilli Powder - I like spicy food, that includes my meatball sauce. If you don't like spicy, leave it out.
Note 4
Sugar - while I think Mutti tomato products are some of best on the market, I still find passatas and tinned tomatoes acidic so some sugar helps cut down on some of that acidity. I know 2 tablespoons seems like a lot but I like my sauce on the sweeter side, so start off with 1 teaspoon and keep tasting and adding to see how you like it.
Note 5
Vegemite - sub with 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce. This gives the sauce good umami and depth of flavour.
Note 6
Cream - don't swap for milk, I've tried it and it's not the same. I do say it's optional but I really think the cream takes it up a notch. I use full fat cream, I've not tried light cream. If you do use light cream, I'd love to know how creamy it ends up being.
Note 7
Stop at this step if you don't want to cook the meatballs in the sauce. Just make sure to cook them for longer and on most sides until it's got a good sear. Please note - If you're using a pan that isn't non-stick and you find the meatballs are sticking, they will unstick when they're ready. If you use gas to cook with, the middle of the pan, closer to the source of the heat, the meatballs will sear faster than those on the outside of the pan. Minced meat needs to be cooked through. If you're not sure the centre of the meatballs will be done and all sides of the meatballs are well seared, place them in an oven safe dish and put them into the oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes to finish them off.