Cooking meatballs right in the sauce keeps them super moist, tender, and juicy. Pair these homemade meatballs in tomato sauce with your favorite pasta, use them to make meatballs subs, or enjoy them on their own with a simple side salad.
I can’t think of Italian meatballs without conjuring images of red and white checkered-clad tables and drippy candles, with accordion music playing in the background (a la Lady and the Tramp).
This is the epitome of what I imagine when I think of the ultimate Italian meatballs in red sauce.
It comes from blogger friend and author, Andie Mitchell, and is in her book Eating In the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook. This is a low-maintenance recipe with no pan frying or baking — the meatballs cook directly in the simmering tomato sauce! They’re perfectly tender, too.
I love serving these up with my favorite garlic bread, Caesar salad, or this simple Italian salad for the perfect, quintessential Italian-American dinner.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
- Don’t sleep on the fresh mint. Similar to flavors of Middle Eastern-style meatballs, I love the subtle minty flavor of these meatballs. It gives them that extra something-something that will have you making this recipe over and over again.
- The tomato sauce is sweeter than most thanks to the whole can of tomato paste, plus a dose of extra sugar. Personally, I loved the sweetness of the sauce and think that it brings out the flavor of the tomatoes. My husband thought it could use a touch less. This is a spot to taste for yourself and use your own judgment.
- If pairing the meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta, use a short tube pasta. Tube pasta holds the sauce and makes it easy to get a forkful of noodles with each bite of meatball. If you wanted to serve this with spaghetti or fettuccine, you could, but I highly recommend rigatoni or ziti.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef — I recommend a fat-to-leanness ratio of 80/20. You could use ground turkey instead of beef, just be sure to use a grind of meat that has a bit of fat in it or the Italian meatballs will be really dry no matter what you do. Also, be sure not to overcook them or they will be dry. You could also try a mix of ground beef and ground pork if you wanted.
- Egg — Helps bind the meatballs together and lends moisture.
- Italian breadcrumbs — These also serve as a binder (and the Italian variety has more flavor since there are dried herbs). Panko breadcrumbs would also work fine if you’re in a pinch.
- Dried mint — Lends a unique herbaceous flavor to the meatballs that really makes them special!
- Dried oregano — For more herby flavor.
- Tomato sauce — The base of the sauce is canned crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, with dried mint and oregano adding herby flavor. Onion and garlic add even more flavor, and a pinch of sugar adds sweetness.
How to Make Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
- Make the tomato sauce. The tomato sauce needs to simmer for 30 minutes before the homemade meatballs can be nestled into the pan and cooked. Cooking the tomato sauce first gives the flavors time to meld and for some of the excess moisture to cook off.
- Make the meatballs. Gently work the meatball mixture with your hands, taking care not to overwork it or the meatballs will be tough. You should get around 12 1.5-inch meatballs from this recipe (use a cookie scoop for easier shaping).
- Cook the meatballs in the sauce. Gently simmer them for about 45 minutes, stirring only occasionally. Make sure the pan is covered with a lid at all times so the meatballs cook evenly all over.
- Serve it all up. If serving with pasta, I like to remove the meatballs from the pan so I can more easily coat the noodles in the sauce. Then, I return the meatballs to the pan and top everything with a hearty sprinkle of Parm. (Or ditch the pasta entirely and serve the meatballs and sauce over a bed of creamy polenta.)
FAQs
I have several recipes where I bake meatballs, but in Andie’s recipe, they actually aren’t baked or fried—they simmer directly in the sauce.
First of all, you need a binding ingredient and an ingredient that will help keep the meatballs moist.
In this case, the egg doubles as both, and the breadcrumbs work as an additional binder.
You also need to have a certain amount of fat in the meatballs so they have sufficient flavor and moisture, which is why we’re using ground chuck (80/20 is an ideal fat and leanness ratio).
Finally, you want to take care not to overcook the meatballs.
Yes! Let them cool completely, then seal in freezer-safe bags or containers. Freeze just the meatballs in their sauce (i.e. not with any pasta thrown in), then reheat from frozen and stir in freshly cooked pasta.
Storage Tips
These homemade meatballs and red sauce will keep stored in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
What to Serve with Meatballs in Sauce
- Italian Chopped Salad with Marinated Chickpeas
- Roasted Asparagus
- Antipasto Salad
- Roasted Tomato Crostini
- Panzanella (Bread Salad)
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Meatballs in Tomato Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
For the Tomato Sauce
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion , finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
- 4 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
- 1 28- ounce can crushed or puréed tomatoes
- 1 6- ounce can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chuck beef
- 1 large egg , lightly beaten
- ⅓ cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried mint
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 ounces tube pasta , (such as penne or ziti)
- Parmesan cheese , for serving
- Chopped parsley , for garnish
Instructions
For the sauce:
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook to deepen the color for more flavor.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well. Add the sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and cook for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn't burn and the flavors develop.
For the meatballs:
- Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs. Break the beef apart in a large bowl. Add the beaten egg, bread crumbs, oregano, mint, salt and pepper. Gently mix with your hands until blended. Don't overwork the beef or the meatballs will be tough.
- Shape the mixture into about 12 1 ½-inch meatballs. Drop them into the sauce and stir gently to cover in the sauce. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions. Drain.
- Remove the meatballs from the sauce and add the pasta. Gently stir to coat the pasta then add the meatballs back to the pan. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Meatball Recipes to Master
- Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs
- French Onion Orzo with Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Meatball Subs
- Meatball Mac and Cheese
- Skillet BBQ Meatballs
- Thai Red Curry Meatballs
- Creamy Swedish Meatballs
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Shirley
Excellent! I add fennel seeds and crushed red pepper to the sauce. V, as well as some wine and a bay leaf.to the sauce and meat. I also add fennel seeds to the meatballs. It’s much appreciated in my house!
Hayley
We’re so glad you enjoyed it Shirley! Love the additions you made—sounds delicious! :)
Angus Campbell
Give yourself enough time to make this, it’s worth it. Tasty! It’s always important to offset the tomato acid with the sugar. I served it with linguini. Perfect, especially when paired with a lovely wine. Enjoy!
Glad you enjoyed Angus!
Liz
I found the sauce too spicey with 1 teaspoon of pepper.
Cindy
Hi! I have never used mint in anything. How pungent is it in these meatballs? Do es it just meld it or does it stand out? I have a MAJORLY PICKY husband and if this jumps out, it will be all over! Any help and information will be very appreciated! Sounds so good to me but don’t want to make the whole thing and be the only one to eat. That is not much fun and I always feel bad. Smiles!
Sue
I’m generally not a meatball fan because they usually seem dry and tasteless to me, but my husband loves them so I made these for him. They are great! I’ve never had meatballs so tender. I told him he no longer has a monopoly on the meatballs and will have to share with me from now on. The sauce is great, too. Like others have suggested, i reduced the sugar to 1 tablespoon, and it was perfect. A very easy family meal. This one’s a keeper.
Lisa Evanoff
Made this tonight and the whole family loved it!!
Ana
Made this recipe today and I think these are the best meatball’s that I have ever made. I already shared this recipe with my mom. My husband is also a big fan of the sauce. Based on the information you provided, I halved the sugar. Thanks for the recipe!
Ami@NaiveCookCooks
Omg these meatballs look so flavorful & so perfect for a cozy weeknight meal!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
Comfort food has never looked so good… pasta night needs to happen, pronto!
Jenny Flake
These are some fantastic looking meatballs and tomato sauce! We love pasta night, trying this for sure!
Jenn
Do you think the ground beef could be swapped for ground turkey? I’m thinking since they’re in the sauce the turkey would stay moist. Have you or would you try this?
I think you could totally swap it Jenn. Just be sure to use a grind of meat that has a bit of fat in it or they’ll be really dry no matter what you do. Be sure not to overcook them or they will be more dry. Let me know how it goes!
jokoerner
i find the sugar in the sauce can be cut in half and not affect the taste…
I think that’s what my husband would do the next time he makes it. When I make it, I’ll keep it just the same as the original recipe :)
gerry@ foodness gracious
I met Andie recently at Indulge and she couldn’t have been nicer! My kids go bonkers for meatballs so this might happen :)
Sandy @ ReluctantEntertainer
I made this recipe and our family loved it. Love the sweet story of PJ, too. :)