Meatball Marinara

Whether you put it on spaghetti or a sub, this meatball marinara is sure going to be a family favorite.

Let's skip the boring back-story of how my sister's dog's husband inspired me to make this recipe in order to bond our family over shared Italian traditions and Lady & the Tramp movie cuisine.

Ingredients:

For the Meatballs -

• 1 lb. ground pork or Italian sausage

• 1 egg

• 1/2 c. bread crumbs (I use panko)

• 2 tsp. basil

• 1 tsp. oregano

• 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated

• 2 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. pepper

For the Marinara -

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced finely

• 1 c. mushrooms, quartered (optional)

• 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced

• 1/4 c. tomato paste

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 1/2 tsp. oregano

• 1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes

• 1 c. beef broth

• salt

Recipe:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Knead together with your hands until it is thoroughly mixed. Then take about 1/4 cup of the meat mix and roll it into a ball in your hands. Continue doing this until all the meat is made into meatballs.

2. In a large sauté pan/skillet (I use one that is oven safe) heat a drizzle of olive oil to medium high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the meatballs to the pan. After 1-2 minutes, periodically rotate the meatballs so that every side gets seared golden brown. Once the meatballs are seared, set them on a plate off to the side.

3. In the pan used to cook the meatballs, add the diced onion and mushrooms. Sweat the onion until it starts to become translucent. Add garlic to pan and cook until you can start to smell it.

4. Add tomato paste and mix. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add bay leaf, oregano, tomatoes, and broth and bring to a boil. Salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and add the meatballs back in. Place fresh basil on top of the sauce.*

5. Place pan in the oven at 375 degrees for 13 minutes or until meatballs are cooked all the way through.** (See note below.)

6. Serve on pasta or bread.

Notes:

* Fresh basil can be substituted with 2 teaspoons of dried basil mixed in when the oregano is added.

** If your pan is not oven safe, add sauce and meatballs to a casserole dish to continue cooking.

Tip: I like to add a little bit of pasta water to the sauce before tossing my pasta in it. The starchy water helps bind the sauce to the pasta and create a delicious coating on the noodles.