Go Back
–+ servings
Serving Baked Italian Meatballs
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Baked Italian Meatballs

I bought hot Italian sausage for these Baked Italian Meatballs, but you could definitely mix spices into ground pork if you'd like to make your own - directions in blog post.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 people
Author: Marissa Stevens

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 shallots finely chopped
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground hot Italian sausage
  • 1 pound lean ground beef

Garlicky Tomato Sauce

  • 1 clove garlic smashed and peeled
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Toppings

  • 4 ounces shredded mozzarella
  • fresh basil leaves optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Add first seven ingredients (bread crumbs through parsley) to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add sausage and ground beef, mixing well with your hands - but don't overmix, you don't want your meatballs to be tough.
  • Scoop mixture out onto prepared baking sheet in similarly sized ragged mounds with a 3-tablespoon scoop or heaped onto a standard tablespoon (these meatballs are extra large, about 3 bites each). Gently roll one mound into a ball between your palms. Repeat with remaining mounds, arranging the meatballs very close together, but not touching.
  • Bake 20 minutes until nearly cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, make the Garlicky Tomato Sauce: Add garlic and tomatoes with juice to a blender pitcher; blend until smooth. Add olive oil and blend again. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. When meatballs are nearly done, heat sauce in a saucepan to simmer.
  • Remove meatballs from oven once they're cooked through, leave oven on.
  • Spread about 1/3 of tomato sauce into a large, oven-safe baking dish. Carefully transfer cooked meatballs to dish and pour remaining sauce over.
  • Sprinkle cheese evenly over meatballs and bake until cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes more.
  • Serve garnished with fresh basil leaves if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 677mg | Potassium: 411mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 3mg

QR code

Scan this QR code with your phone's camera to view this recipe on your mobile device.

qr code