It calls for TWO CUPS of water.

You’re not reading that wrong.

The key is in the texture.

cutout of a jar of Rao’s marinara on a yellow background next to a photo of meatballs in marinara sauce

Simply Recipes / Photo Illustration by Wanda Abraham / Getty Images

A tough, chewy meatball just wont do.

Ive made thousands of meatballs over the years.

Working for a mobile wood-fired pizza company, I was responsible for hand-rolling meatballs for catering events.

meatballs in marinara sauce

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No matter how many meatballs Ive made, I still have a fondness for them.

So, when I came across Raos meatball recipe, I knew I had to give it a try.

How To Make Raos Meatballs

Raos meatballs start with The Meats.

meatballs in marinara sauce

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I was shocked, but I plowed ahead with the recipe.

I was super curious how increasing those quantities would affect the final product.

So, I was surprised to see that these meatballs go through multiple mixing stages.

I wondered if theyd end up tough, but the opposite was true.

And next time, Ill worry less about over-mixing, since that doesnt seem to be a risk here.