The secret to perfect meatballs in tomato sauce? Adding sour cream and Parmesan to the beef, avoiding breadcrumbs, and handling the meatballs lightly.
When I made these meatballs in tomato sauce for the first time, my family immediately declared them as “your best meatballs ever!” and demanded that I only make these from now on. I took that as a compliment. 🙂
How to cook meatballs in tomato sauce
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. My method is simple. First, I bake the meatballs in the oven. While the meatballs are baking, I quickly make the tomato sauce. Then I add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer to allow the flavors to meld, about 20 minutes.
The secret to tasty meatballs
The reason these meatballs in tomato sauce are so flavorful is that I add a bit of sour cream and Parmesan to the ground beef. I avoid using bread crumbs (I believe they actually detract from the flavor). And I handle the meatballs lightly so that they remain light and fluffy and don’t turn out too dense.
The tomato sauce is excellent too and adds lots of flavor. Although the younger one said that it was a bit too spicy for her. So depending on your personal preferences in terms of heat, you might consider using just 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Is this a healthy recipe?
I believe it is. Fresh unprocessed red meat is very nutritious. Tomatoes, including canned tomatoes, are very healthy. Although I would try to find cans that are free of BPA. And cheese, for most healthy people, is harmless. Take a look at the nutritional profile of a serving of this recipe. I think it’s quite impressive!
How to serve meatballs in tomato sauce
I like to serve this saucy dish on top of cauliflower rice or microwave spaghetti squash. Obviously, you can use regular rice or pasta if you prefer.
What about leftovers?
Leftovers of these meatballs in tomato sauce keep very well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. I reheat them very gently in the microwave, covered, on 50% power.
More tasty meatballs recipes
I do have quite a few meatball recipes that I make often. I usually default to these easy baked meatballs, and I also like these cheese-stuffed meatballs.
Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- Olive oil spray
Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef, 85% lean
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (not fine table salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Tomato Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup canned tomato sauce, no salt or sugar added
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (not fine table salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly spray it with olive oil spray.
- In a large bowl, use your hands to mix the ground beef, sour cream, egg, Parmesan cheese, kosher salt and black pepper. Wet your hands and shape into 12 meatballs, each weighing about 2oz. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large, wide pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, about 1 minute, just until golden. Add the tomato sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, onion powder, oregano and cayenne and bring to a boil.
- Add the meatballs, spooning the sauce over them. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
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