Do you likeItalian meatballs?
I’ve been experimenting with meatball recipes and have found an excellent one here.
Why Make Meatballs with Sausage?
Elise Bauer
We used half ground pork and half Italian sweet sausage with some minced prosciutto for these meatballs.
We use sausage because of the seasoning and the higher fat content which keeps the meatballs from drying out.
The ricotta helps as a binder and also helps smooth out the texture and enrich the flavor.
Elise Bauer
Alternatively, Muir Glen makes a canned tomato with basil in it which would also work.
Use your hands to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Pour into the bowl of the meat mixture.
Elise Bauer
Mix with your hands until just incorporated.
Again, do not overmix.
Keep the meat mixture in the refrigerator while doing this.
Elise Bauer
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Coat the bottom of a large roasting pan with olive oil.
Arrange in the pan so there is some space between them.
If they are too crowded, they will steam and not brown.
Remove the pan from oven.
Use a metal spatula to dislodge any meatballs that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan.
Carefully cover the pan with aluminum foil (the pan is still hot!).
Return the pan to the oven.
Lower the oven temperature to 300F.
Cook for an additional hour to 1 1/2 hours.
Sprinkle basil into the sauce and top with Parmesan before serving.
