Meatball Marinara Bombs Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
• In a medium-size bowl mix together the beef, pork, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, eggs, salt, and pepper until just combined.
• Take a walnut size of the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining meat and transfer to an oiled rack on a sheet tray.
• Bake meatballs for 15 minutes, until golden brown. Set aside.
• Add a little oil to a pan on medium-high heat and cook the onions and garlic until they are deeply caramelized.
• Add in the oregano, parsley, basil, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce.
• Stir the mixture and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the meatballs and coat them with the sauce.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, poke with toothpicks, and serve!
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• For the marinara sauce: Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Pulse to combine the tomatoes in a food processor. Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
• Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
• For the meatballs: Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and breadcrumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add 1/2 cup water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big and some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! Top with fresh ricotta cheese, garnish with chopped pickles and chives and serve with grilled garlic bread. YUM!

Steps:

• Marinara sauce: In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes, until translucent.
• Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper, and basil. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove basil sprigs and set sauce aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together breadcrumbs and milk and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together egg, parmesan, salt and pepper.
• Stir in ground beef, onions, and wet breadcrumbs. Combine well, but do not over-mix.
• With oiled hands, roll the meat into golf-sized balls.
• Heat a skillet with a drizzle of olive oil. Brown meatballs on all sides, then remove from pan.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF (180º C).
• Lay out a lasagna noodle horizontally on a cutting board. Spread a tablespoon of ricotta onto the noodle. Lay a mozzarella slice on one end of the noodle and place a meatball on top of the cheese.
• Roll up the noodle with the meatball and cheese inside. Place meatball bomb into the baking dish, with the meatball showing. Repeat with the rest of the meatballs and noodles.
• Ladle approximately ⅔rds of the marinara sauce into a 9x13-inch (23x33-cm) baking dish. Place the meatball rolls on top of the marinara sauce.
• Bake dish for 25 minutes, until top is lightly browned and meatballs are cooked through completely.
• Remove from oven, garnish with parsley and serve with reserved marinara on the side.
• Enjoy!