Italian Meatball Sunday Sauce with Homemade Meatballs
This Italian Meatball Sunday Sauce is a comforting family-style meal made with tender homemade meatballs simmered in a rich, flavorful tomato sauce. My easy version brings the taste and tradition of an Italian Sunday meal to the table without spending all day in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup day-old bread crust removed (or 1 cup plain breadcrumbs)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan
- 2 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
- 1 Tbsp. finely minced garlic + 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion + 1 Tbsp. onion powder
- 1 Lb. lean ground beef
- Salt and pepper to taste
INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAUCE
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion
- 1 handful
- Italian parsley
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 San Manzano 14 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1 San Manzano 14 oz. can tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp. oregano
- 1 cup water from rinsing out the tomato cans
- A few fresh basil leaves
- 1 Tbsp. butter
Instructions
- Start by making the sauce. Chop the onion, garlic and Italian parsley into almost a paste. Then in 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium high heat saute the paste until soft and fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes rinse out the cans with a little water and add to the stock pot. Bring to a slow simmer. cover and simmer for 1 hour. In the meantime make the meatballs: Preheat your oven to 375- degrees In a bowl add the eggs, milk, cheese and bread. Let sit for 10 minutes. Then add the rest of the meatball ingredients except for the ground beef and mix until well combined. Then add the ground beef, and mix just until well mixed. With wet hands form the meat into golf size balls. You should have 10 meatballs with this amount of ingredients.
- Bake the meatballs on a parchment lined cookie sheet for 10 -12 minutes or until just beginning to brown.
- After the sauce has been simmering for 1 hour. Add the baked meatballs and simmer the Sunday sauce for 1 hour longer. Add 1 Tbsp. of butter for a rich finish, and fresh basil.
Notes
Don’t rush the simmer. The longer the meatballs gently cook in the tomato sauce, the more flavor they add to the sauce. Keep the heat low and let everything simmer gently rather than boiling.