These homemade meatballs are made with hot Italian sausage, beef, veal, and aromatics for the most tender juicy meatball. Swimming in a red sauce made from scratch.
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Instructions
In a dutch oven, over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and sauté onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add all the meatball ingredients (minus the olive oil). Using your hands mix the meatballs until ingredients are all combined (see note #2 and #3). Form balls with your hands (I usually form mine into 1 1/2in balls) and place aside.
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in dutch oven on med/high heat. Add the meatballs and pan sear sides for about 1 minute on each side or until browned. You will have to do this in batches. Set aside on a pan and start the sauce once all the meatballs have been pan seared.
Leaving the oil in the dutch oven, lower the heat to medium and add the anchovies. Once they are dissolved, add the onions and sauté until they begin to soften about 3-4 minutes. Next, add the grated garlic and carrots to the sauce, let cook another minute. Pour in the red wine and allow the liquid to reduce by half (about 4 minutes).
Open 2 cans of San Marzano tomatoes and add to the sauce. Mix in the red pepper flakes, oregano, and fresh ground black pepper.
Using your cooking utensil break up the tomatoes in the sauce and bring to a boil. Once it begins to bubble lower the heat to simmer. If you do not want a chunky sauce you can use an immersion blender or laddle into a heat safe blender. Add the fresh basil, stir the sauce, and add the meatballs.
Cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Let the sauce and meatballs simmer for 30 minutes. The meatballs should reach an internal temperature of 160F degrees.
Serve alone, over pasta, as a meatball sub, or with my homemade garlic bread
Top with additional parmesan cheese, basil, and red pepper flakes
Notes
You can use whatever combo of meat so long as it equals 1.5lbs. (Sirloin/lamb, lamb/pork, all 3, etc.)
When making the meatballs, put some olive oil on your hands, so the mixture doesn't stick to your hands
Do not over-mix or overwork the meat when rolling the meatballs. This will result in tough and dense meatballs.