Meatball Marinara is one of my all-time favorite Italian dishes. It’s simple, fast, and delicious. I love serving it with a nice plate of spaghetti tossed in some homemade marinara sauce and topped off with some Parmigiano-Reggiano. It just feels like a classic Italian meal that every family should have in their weeknight dinner repertoire. Enjoy it with a glass of wine and a side of garlic bread – you’re in heaven! In this blog post, I will show you just how simple it is to make my Meatball Marinara recipe. Let’s get it!
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Meatball Ingredients and Preparation
Meatballs are typically made out of ground beef, pork, or turkey. They’re mixed with bread crumbs, eggs, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. I like to add in some parsley and other spices for extra flavor. (See Ingredients section down below for more details). You can either fry them in a pan or bake them in the oven. This process of browning is called the Maillard Reaction. Browning the meatballs adds so many new & delicious flavor compounds/textures. In my opinion, it’s a very crucial step and should not be skipped.
I like to bake my meatballs in the oven for an easy and even cook all around. Simply preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the meatballs on the sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re cooked through (flipping them halfway). If you’re frying the meatballs in a pan, you can get a nice crispy exterior. Simply coat the meatballs with a little flour and heat up some oil in a large nonstick pan or dutch oven. Fry the meatballs for about 2 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through (internal temp 145-155 with sauce.. 160 without sauce).
Marinara Sauce Ingredients and Preparation
The marinara sauce is a classic tomato sauce that’s usually made with onions, garlic, and crushed tomatoes. I like to add in a little bit of tomato paste, crushed red pepper flakes and basil to add more heat and flavor to the sauce. You can either make your own marinara sauce or buy it jarred at the store.
If you’re making your own marinara sauce, start by sautéing some onions and garlic in a pan. Add in the tomato paste, the pepper flakes, and crushed tomatoes and let it simmer for at least 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and basil. And that’s it! So simple and delicious.
Check out my Marinara Sauce recipe.
Putting it all together – Meatball Marinara
Once you have your meatballs and marinara sauce ready, it’s time to assemble the dish. If you’re serving it with spaghetti, start by cooking the pasta according to the package instructions. Cook it until 2 minutes before al dente. After browning the meatballs, finish cooking them in the marinara sauce. Once fully cooked through (internal temp 160), add in the spaghetti and toss it all together. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley and enjoy!
Step-by-Step Video Tutorial
Tips & Tricks: A Quick Q&A
What is the secret to good meatballs?
The secret is in the binder. You need to add a certain starchy binder, like bread crumbs and/or flour, in order to keep the meatballs from falling apart as well as keeping them from drying out during the cooking process. If planning to fry the meatballs in a pan, I would suggest coating them with a nice layer of all-purpose flour. This will help prevent them from falling apart as you cook them. You can skip the flour if you plan to bake them in the oven, like me.
What to put in meatballs to keep them moist and juicy
Bread soaked in milk or water. Eggs will help to a certain extent but its role is mainly to bind the ingredients together in a meatball.
What makes a meatball fall apart?
Yet again, the binding agent is the problem here. Not enough breadcrumbs will be a factor in the meatballs falling apart.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many delicious ways to serve meatballs! You could serve them on a bed of spaghetti with a side of garlic bread and a glass of wine. You could also put them in a sub sandwich or wrap them up in a tortilla with some sauce and cheese. Meatballs are also great as appetizers! Serve them with toothpicks/chopsticks and your favorite dipping sauce. The possibilities are endless. Be creative and enjoy!
Variations on the recipe
There are so many delicious variations on the classic meatball recipe! You could use ground beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey or a combination of meats. You could also mix in some different spices and herbs like I did to change up the flavor profile. Some other great mix-ins include: shallots, Pecorino Romano cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, thyme, rosemary, cumin, coriander powder, fennel powder, buttermilk or yogurt. Get creative and experiment with different flavors to find your perfect meatball recipe!
Well, there you have it. My comprehensive guide to making the perfect meatballs. I’ve shared my top tips and tricks, plus a delicious recipe that is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. As with all recipes, feel free to trek off the recipe roadmap and experiment/add your own personal touch. Let me know how yours turned out in the comments below. And if you’re looking for more classic Italian or Fusion dishes, be sure to check out my other YangYummm favorites. Enjoy!
Here are some other YangYummm Italian dishes that you might enjoy:
INGREDIENTS:
Spaghetti – Spaghetti is the classic pasta shape served with Meatball Marinara
Marinara Sauce – You can either make it homemade or buy it from the store.
Ground Beef + Pork – Traditionally, Italians love to mix together ground beef, pork, and/or veal. You can even substitute with other meats like turkey or chicken. I found that beef and pork is the minimum requirement to make it taste as close to the classic meatball marinara as possible.
Extra virgin olive oil – For added fat and flavor
Garlic – Aromatic
Parmigiano-Reggiano – The main cheese used in a classic Meatball Marinara. Buy it from almost any local grocery store. They have good quality ones in Italian supermarkets, but you can find it in a regular nearby supermarket, like Food Emporium.
White Bread/Breadcrumbs – This is the binding agent for our meatballs (EXTREMELY important). Without this, the meatballs would most likely fall apart and become very dry/tough when cooked.
Whole Egg – I use organic eggs only (my favorite being Pete & Gerry’s)
Spices & Herbs Mix – For extra flavor and kick (I use combination of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and pepper)
Lemon Zest – (OPTIONAL) I like to add some zest for acidity to round out the flavor.
Fresh Parsley – extra flavor and garnish
Meatball Marinara
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 Large Saute Pan
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lb ground beef/pork combo (1:1 ratio)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 slices white bread, cubed and soaked in milk or water (may substitute with ¾ cup breadcrumbs)
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
- 1 egg
- 2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (plus more for garnish)
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp salt & pepper
- 1 24 oz jar of marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- Lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
- Cube and soak 3 slices of white bread (minus the crust) in milk or water and set it aside for 10 minutes. Mince the garlic, chop the parsley, and measure out all the other ingredients.
- Mix together the ground beef/ground pork, garlic powder, onion powder, smoke paprika, italian seasoning, chopped fresh parsley, grated parmigiano-reggiano, minced garlic, 1 egg, and soaked bread/breadcrumbs.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while you assemble the meatballs. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll up the meatballs (by hand) on the sheet one by one. You may use an ice cream scooper for this step to get similar-sized meatballs.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes (flipping them halfway). See NOTES if frying them in a pan. Cook meatballs to internal temp 145-155, as we will be finishing it in the sauce. Meanwhile, heat up some olive oil in a large sauté pan on med-high heat. Add in the marinara sauce and heat up for 2-3 minutes until simmering. Add the cooked meatballs into the sauce and let it simmer. Add in cooked pasta at this point (if serving with pasta) and cook for an additional 2 minutes until meatballs are fully cooked and pasta is al dente. Add a splash of pasta water if sauce is too thick.
- Plate it up, garnish with parsley, parmesan, lemon zest and enjoy. Yummmy!
Video
Notes
- If you’re frying the meatballs in a pan, simply coat the meatballs with a little flour and heat up some oil in a large nonstick pan or dutch oven. Fry the meatballs for about 2 minutes on each side or until fully cooked through (internal temp 145-155 with sauce, 160 without sauce)
- Try to shape and roll out the meatballs into the same sizes as much as possible to ensure an even cook in the oven.
