Love fall for so many reasons but the main reason is all the hearty meals. Last weekend, my girl friend came over to bing watch scary movies (our Halloween tradition), eat and relax! I made her her faves including these juicy meatballs with red sauce. This dish has incredible flavor and can be made with spaghetti or made into a meatball sub. The way I like to enjoy this dish is with garlic bread to soak up all the juices. I have to say, this is one of my favorite recipes. The meatballs are super light and fluffy and the sauce is oozing flavor from all the herbs and red wine.

Here is the step by step in how I made it:

To make the meatballs, add ripped pieces of bread in a small bowl and pour in beef broth and let sit for 5 minutes. Then mash everything together with a fork. Grate the onion in a food process.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, egg, grated onion (my secret ingredient), soaked bread, garlic, parsley, parmesan, salt & pepper and mix everything together and form into medium balls. Do not over mix or the meatballs will become dense.

Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a cast iron over medium-high heat and place 6-8 meatballs at a time for 2 mins per side until seared.

Transfer the seared meatballs onto a baking sheet with parchment paper and repeat until all meatballs are seared. Place the baking sheet into the oven for 10 minutes.

In a dutch oven, over medium heat, sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil until browned but not burned. Once done, add wine and reduce by half. Add garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil and dried oregano, salt and pepper and combine. Mix in beef broth and then add marinara. Mix together until simmering. Add wrapped twine of rosemary and thyme to the sauce. Cover and let simmer for 10-15 min stirring occasionally. Stir in parmesan and cover. Remove the meatballs from the oven and transfer into the sauce and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the garlic bread. Pour olive oil and minced garlic along with salt + pepper into a small bowl and combine together. Brush the garlic mixture onto the slices of bread and toast for 4 minutes until golden.

Place 3-4 meatballs into individual size cast irons with sauce and sprinkle on with grated Parmesan and place in the oven for 2 minutes for the parmesan to melt. Remove from the oven, sprinkle on fresh basil and enjoy hot with garlic bread!

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JUICY ITALIAN MEATBALLS WITH GARLIC BREAD

Yield: 6

Author: Yasmine Wahab

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Ingredients

For the Sauce

1/3 cup shallot chopped
3 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano.
28 oz Rao's marinara
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup parmesan
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 sprigs rosemary and 2 3 sprigs thyme wrapped in twine

For the Meatballs

1 1/2 slices of sourdough bread, ripped and crusts removed
1/3 cup beef broth
1/2 lb organic ground beef (80/20)
1/2 lb organic ground pork
1/2 onion, grated
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp parsley, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
2 tbsp olive oil, to sautée

For the Garlic Bread

2 slices sourdough bread
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt & pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven 400F.
To make the meatballs, add ripped pieces of bread in a small bowl and pour in beef broth and let sit for 5 minutes. Then mash everything together with a fork. Grate the onion in a food process.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, egg, grated onion, soaked bread, garlic, parsley, parmesan, salt & pepper and mix everything together and form into medium balls. Do not over mix or the meatballs will become dense. Pour 1 tbsp olive oil into a cast iron over medium-high heat and place 6-8 meatballs at a time for 2 mins per side until seared. Transfer the seared meatballs onto a baking sheet with parchment paper and repeat until all meatballs are seared. Place the baking sheet into the oven for 10 minutes.
In a dutch oven, over medium heat, sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil until browned but not burned. Once done, add wine and reduce by half. Add garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil and dried oregano, salt and pepper and combine. Mix in beef broth and then add marinara. Mix together until simmering. Add wrapped twine of rosemary and thyme to the sauce. Cover and let simmer for 10-15 min stirring occasionally. Stir in parmesan and cover. Remove the meatballs from the oven and transfer into the sauce and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the garlic bread. Pour olive oil and minced garlic along with salt + pepper into a small bowl and combine together. Brush the garlic mixture onto the slices of bread and toast for 4 minutes until golden.
Place 3-4 meatballs into individual size cast irons with sauce and sprinkle on with grated Parmesan and place in the oven for 2 minutes for the parmesan to melt. Remove from the oven, sprinkle on fresh basil and enjoy hot with garlic bread!