Beef Meatball in Tomato Sauce Recipe
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03/15/2007
This was absolutly the most wonderful spaghetti. This was my first time making homemade spaghetti. I work long hours and don't have time at night to make a 2 hour meal, so what I did was use my slow cooker. In the morning i sauteed my onion and garlic, combined it with all the ingredience including half a can of tomato sauce for extra liquid since it tends to lose some in a slow cooker. Had my husband turn the cooker on low at his lunch, so the sauce cooked about 6 1/2 hours. one hour before the sauce was done, he put the meat balls in. We did end up adding the extra half a can of sauce just for liquid, but the flavor was amazing. By using the slow cooker for us working cooks, it was nice to come home to a ready made meal and good as this.
09/22/2006
For Celeste, who found the meatballs too dry, may I suggest adding 1/2 cup of water, or milk, or tomato sauce to the meatballs? The eggs will bind them, but not make them moister - adding liquid makes them exquisitely tender and juicy. Also, if you want a lighter meatball, substitute oatmeal for the breadcrumbs - measure it first, then run it briefly in the blender so you won't have any big bits in the meatballs. I added 1.5 tsp oregano and 3 tsp basil; added 1 tsp seasoned salt, 1 medium green pepper. I was very, very happy with the sauce. Put it into a 250 degree oven while I cooked other stuff, for about 2 hours,it was wonderful. :D
10/30/2002
Oh wow! These meatballs were phenomenal. I coated them in flour and sauteed them in olive oil first to seal in juices. I rolled them about the size of a silver dollar. This will be something I make often.
09/09/2008
This recipe shouldn't be "made over" but put together as written, the meatballs and the sauce are just wonderful, unlike the mass produced, thick jarred stuff. I've read some comments that things were added/deleted, come on, it changes the whole recipe when you do that! Try it as written and you will not be disappointed, it is the only one we use now.
03/15/2002
This is a great recipe - although I did alter it a bit from the beginning. Do brown the meat balls first, before adding them to sauce. I think this adds a little flavor. I also spiced up the meatballs with some stand-by italian spices (basic, oregano, etc.) and I upped the garlic (to taste). Also, I used crackers (pounded or processed to crumbs) in place of bread crumbs, and used a little less than called for. This made a very solid and yummy meatball - for those who have "spongey" meatballs. For those who used store-bought sauce with the meatballs - nothing compares with this sauce!
06/07/2002
I simply loved this recipe as it resembled on of my own. In the meatballs, I used only 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb ground sausage; 1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers i.e. Ritz; 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder toi taste, 2 Tbsp chopped onion, 1 Tbsp Bell pepper, 1 Tbsp chopped celery and 1/2 pkg hamburger or meatloaf seasoning mix. I prepared my meatballs and cooked them in the oven on a sheet pan for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Then added them to my sauce. My Sauce included 1/2 stalk chopped celery, 1/4 chopped bell pepper 1 Tbsp sugar and rather than 2 28 ounce cans whole tomatoes, I used 1 ea. 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes and 1 ea. 28 ounce can Tomato Puree. This eliminated the lumpy tomato chunks. I eliminated the tomato paste altogether. I reduced my cooking time to 30 minutes and then 30 minutes after adding the meatballs.
02/26/2007
Delicious spaghetti and meatballs! I like cooking the meatballs in the sauce as directed because it gives the sauce a rich flavor. Be sure to use fresh bread crumbs to keep the meatballs moist.
04/30/2008
Very good!! I didn't have bread crumbs, so I just used croutons that I crushed up. I used Garlic Herb ones and didn't add anything else besides the egg. Worked out great!!
12/27/2008
If you use veal and pork with your ground beef (you can buy meatloaf mix) your meatballs will be so moist and soft. I know from years of cooking with my grandmother and mother - trust me. My grandmother was from Naples, Italy (right off that boat!) and taught my mother (who was German) everything about Italian cooking - she wanted my father to eat like he was still at home with her!! Plus, brown your meatballs before you add them to your sauce. And, make sure to cook that sauce (on low - simmer it) for at least 2 hours or until that "raw" smell goes away. All of a sudden, your kitchen will smell like an Italian restaurant - that's when you are sure that sauce is cooked - we call it gravy - that's one way to tell a genuine Italian! Enjoy - your recipe just needs these few small changes/additions - you are on the right track!!
12/27/2008
This is one of an almost infinite number of very good "Italian" spaghetti tomato-sauce recipes. I am always intrigued when the recipe calls for "Parmesan" cheese ("Parmigiano Reggiano" cheese)- the supposed ultimate in Italian grating cheeses. Occasionally, because of almost status-symbolism, it has been referred to as the "Yuppie" cheese. In reality, a significant percentage (perhaps a majority) of Americans of Italian descent use imported Pecorino Romano cheese (I prefer the Locatelli brand)in their pasta sauces. This very tasty and usually much more reasonably priced cheese has been described as somewhat salty, spicy, sharp, and tangy. It is a sheep cheese that becomes increasingly robust with age. Try it when a pasta tomato-sauce recipe calls for Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese. You may be pleasantly surprised - certainly, your wallet will be.
12/28/2008
This truly is delicious although, since my ground beef wasn't terribly lean, I browned the meatballs a bit before adding them to the sauce (after draining the fat). My thanks to the person who gave us this recipe; it's great, and makes a delicious spaghetti supper! Also, using small zip-loc bags, I put a bit of sauce and three meatballs in each to use in the future for meatball-subs on Hoagie rolls. Wonderful to have in the freezer.
05/31/2008
I have NEVER liked spaghetti & meatballs but one night my boyfriend asked me to make it for him and thanks to your DELICIOUS recipe, I am now a spaghetti & meatballs LOVER! I follow this recipe exactly except I use Panko bread-crumbs in the meatballs, which are the bread-crumbs I prefer for everything. This recipe does take a long time but if you plan ahead and follow it exactly- its SOOO WORTH IT!!! Plan at least 2 hours of cook time and get the sauce going first- instead of doing the meatballs first like the recipe suggests. You have to cook the sauce for 90 minutes so you might as well do the meatballs while the sauce is cooking rather than doing them before you even start the sauce, taking on another 15-20 minutes to your entire cook time. This recipe tastes SOOO FRESH and authentic, thank you again!! I wish I could give you more than 5 stars!
12/27/2008
I have a suggestion: with regards to the dried parsley....I always use about 1/4 bunch of large sprigs of parsley(stems and all) of fresh parsley...this is a tip I got from my mother in law who got it from a lovely Italian neighbor of hers years ago. Not sure of the exact difference, but her sauce recipe is to die for. Simmer the parsley in the sauce until ready to serve, then scoop the pieces out of the sauce. They claim it is essential to the sauce!!! Dry parsley has no taste in their (and mine) opinions!
01/25/2011
The best spaghetti and meatballs I have ever had! I used fresh parsley and basil and fresh-grated parm. And I used italian seasoned bread crumbs. Other than those changes I followed the recipe and it was wonderful. I had all day to cook the sauce so it ended up cooking 3 hours before adding the meatballs and I think that made the sauce even better. Next time I will cut the olive oil at least in half so I won't have to get the oil off the top when it's done. This is one of my all time favorites from this site!
12/24/2008
I made this for my family during the holidays - I received rave reviews. I however improvised on a few things. I added 1 lb. ground pork (along with 2 lbs ground beef), used more cheese and a seasoned breadcrumb mix. I also added real garlic instead of powder, and used Italian seasoning with a dash extra of basil. I also added a little milk. After I rolled them, I put them in casserole dishes in one layer and baked them uncovered at 350°F for about 20 min. - until browned. Meanwhile I had the sauce simmering for about an hour (I started the sauce first on the stove top). In addition to the whole tomatoes, I added 2 cans of tomato sauce and 1 can tomato paste. I didn't use bay leaf but added the Italian seasoning again. I poured the sauce over the meatballs, covered and returned back to the oven for about 20 -30 minutes. Turned out fabulous and everyone said they were wonderful - even the kids. Thanks for the recipe.
01/31/2011
This was good. I didn't read the recipe correct because was in a hurry and didn't saute the onion but put them with the olive oil right into the tomato sauce and it turned out just fine. Not a problem at all and saved effort if you are in a hurry to get it mixed up. I actually simmered it for about 3 hours. My husband said he liked but thought Prego was just as good... Prego does have a good sauce! So may not put this much effort for awhile to sauce since my family liked prego equally as much. THe meatballs were very good... I have made them like this but used soda cracers instead and liked that alot too.
12/29/2010
Best tomato sauce I've ever made, really flavoursome and tasty. I think 2 tsps of salt is too much, I had to add another can of tomatoes to make it edible! I used cracker crumbs instead of breadcrumbs because that is what I had on hand and it was great. I was sceptical about putting the meatballs straight into the sauce without browning, but they turned out great! Brilliant recipe.
01/23/2011
Delicious! I doubled the recipe and used 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground pork, which makes all the difference in my opinion. I used 2-28oz cans of whole San Marzano tomatoes, and 2-28oz cans of crushed tomatoes. I sauteed the onion and garlic then transferred to my crock pot with the other ingredients and set on low for 7 hours. I also used 3/4 cup of Progresso Italian seasoned bread crumbs instead of the fresh bread crumbs. I never follow a recipe to make sauce and meatballs, but this is great, and my changes are because of personal preference. Instead of the basil, an Italian seasoning blend would work just great. Wonderful, classic meatball and sauce recipe! Thanks for sharing :)
10/23/2007
Rating based on the following changes: SAUCE: BLENDED the whole tomatoes for a smoother sauce. Added 1 stalk chopped celery, 1 tsp italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp basil, 1 tsp garlic powder. Doubled the tomato paste (13 oz can). MEATBALLS: Used ground steak instead of store bought ground beef. Added 1/2 cup milk, 3/4 cup minced onion, 1 tsp of onion powder, 1 1/2 tsp of italian seasoning. Doubled the garlic powder (1/4 tsp) and eggs (2 eggs). Omitted the parmasan cheese. Simmer meatballs for at least 1 hour (they were still pink after 30 min). Meatballs were mushy, so I would recommend browning or cooking in the oven for a firmer meatball. A GREAT recipe if you make these changes. It was my first homemade sauce attempt and tastes better the next day. Even after freezing, it tasted great. Just add some of the pasta water to it and some salt, and it's perfect. After making a different sauce recipe, I am definitely returning to this one. Just make sure to blend the whole tomatoes if you prefer a smooth but thick sauce.
12/27/2008
The sauce was way too sweet. It was also a bit bland. I tried it again without the onion and sugar, and added some oregano and a bay leaf and it was much better.
12/04/2006
Fantastic! Who needs pre-made meatballs or jarred sauce anymore? I did add 1 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning and doubled the garlic for the meatballs. To moisten them, I added 1/2 cup of milk to the meat before mixing in the seasonings. It really makes them tender and moist! I added 1/2 cup of red wine to the simmering sauce.
12/28/2008
This is a wonderful recipe, and easy as well. I like to add a little red wine in the sauce for an extra kick. And Diane, please refrain from correcting everyone's spelling. Reading your posts, your grammar isn't exactly book-worthy, either. This is supposed to be a recipe exchange site, not an English test.
01/30/2011
Awesome! I have never made a sauce completely from scratch that I liked so I have always doctored up bottled sauce. Not anymore! I am salivating just thinking about this recipe. I love not having to brown meatballs first. Cooking the meatballs in the sauce really does add to the flavor. I made this as written the first time but the second time I put sauce in blender before the last additions to make the sauce smoother. Excellent both ways!
10/08/2007
I have made this twice & yum, yum, yum!! It is pretty easy to make & it tastes like it takes a lot longer. I use a lot more garlic cloves & onion only because we love them both! I also use a 28 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes instead of the whole ones & use a big 28 oz of tomato sauce. I put extra garlic & pepper in the meatballs too, along with 1/2 c milk. I do let the sauce simmer longer than 30 min with the meatballs, just to be safe! But my two teen stepsons who are picky as picky can come, LOVED it & said they had never eaten any spaghetti & meatballs so good! My husband raved over it also which is rare because normally he just says, "oh that was good, thank you" I made it again last night & my brother was over for dinner & he cleaned his plate & took some home after saying yum it was! Great recipe with few modifications.
08/18/2010
I had never made home-made spaghetti sauce before and am I glad I chose this one as my first! I followed the recipe almost exact, made a huge pot for family and company. It was all eaten! Our family loves italian sausage so I added some to the meatballs. Very, very good recipe! Thanks so much.
01/23/2011
I only make the meatballs, but they were perfect. I will definitely make them again.
12/29/2006
I won't give 5 stars for any recipe because there's always room for improvement, but this recipe is da bomb! As some suggested I added 2 eggs and italian seasoning to the meat mixture and used half pork and half chuck as well as some dried CRUSHED RED PEPPER. Now that is a-one-a-spicy-a-meat-a-ball-a! The mild sauce with this meat mix is good harmony. My husband's a tough spaghetti critic but loved this one.
12/26/2005
I have never had the best luck at Spaghetti....but this was easy and delicious. Thank you for the post.
09/30/2010
As a born and raised Sicilian - I have to say this gravy recipe rivals my grandma's! For those cooks who had their recipes turn out badly, surely you didn't read or follow the recipe correctly as it is a fairly easy and perfectly porportioned dish. I do like the idea of using 1/2 sausage to 1/2 ground beef ratio and will try this. The somewhat negative comments received here were due to preparer error.
02/19/2008
After reading all the great reviews on this recipe; I was very anxious to make this sauce/meatball recipe. VERY disappointing. Meatballs were tasteless and sauce had only a tomato flavor. Even with adding spices as others advised this is not a keeper. I really do not understand why this got such high ratings.
02/06/2011
This is a great recipe!! I added some more garlic in the sauce and added some italian seasonings into the meatballs and it was so delicious! I rolled my meatballs a little big so I had to cook them for a little over 45 minutes. I served it with thin spaghetti, homemade garlic bread and a cesar salad! 5 stars!
05/14/2003
This recipe got rave reviews from my family. I used fresh herbs rather than dried, and cooked the sauce in the slow cooker all day. I then browned the meatballs and added them for the last 45 minutes or so before serving. We will definitely have this again!
01/07/2002
The meatballs were very moist and tasty, probably because they don't need to be browned. There were visible pieces of white bread in them - don't know if I should have broken them up smaller or actually toasted the crumbs. The sauce was nice and thick, very good, but I added a lot more sugar and some red cooking wine. Found this quite easy to make and one of the better sauces I've found.
01/25/2010
The meatballs and the sauce is BLAND.
06/20/2005
This recipe was amazing and easy & quick enough to make for dinner after work. My husband and I loved it! I only made a few changes to the recipe. I used two 6-ounce cans of tomato paste and I used crushed tomatoes instead of whole. I also added 1 tsp. of oregano and 1/4 cup of red wine (merlot) to the sauce half an hour before it was finished. As the recipe says, the meatballs do not need to be fried or baked prior to being added to the sauce. They cooked thoroughly, retained their shape and were moist and delicious. I'll never try another sauce or meatball recipe again. Thank you, Jeremy!
01/12/2009
Very good recipe--my husband wanted a spaghetti dinner for his birthday and everyone enjoyed it. 1/2009 Update--the meatballs turn out tastier when 1 tsp of both basil & oregano are added. Also, I roll them smaller, about 1-1/2 inches and cook them in the sauce for about 45 minutes. Use 93/7 lean ground beef and you won't have any worries about excess grease ; ).
08/10/2008
I made my sauce in the crock pot. It is great on hectic days. Cook the onions and garlic in a small sauce pan, Add to crock pot when done. Place meatballs in botton of crock pot add your ingredients. I added an extra 28 oz can diced tomatoes. Cook on high for 5 hours. I removed the meatballs, and took a sub. blender to the sauce to create a smooth sauce added the meatballs back and cooked another 30 minutes. YUM Makes alot so I will try freezing the rest to enjoy later.
03/14/2011
I absolutely love this recipe for spaghetti sauce and have made it several times now. Very flavorful and easy to make. I followed the suggestions of many other reviewers. For the meatballs: 1. I used seasoned vs plain breadcrumbs and I let the breadcrumbs soak in about 3/4c of milk BEFORE adding them to the meat. This makes the meatballs tender and moist. 2. I doubled the amount of parmesan cheese. For the sauce: 1. I didn't have whole peeled tomatoes on hand, so I used crushed tomatoes instead. 2. I added to small cans of tomato sauce which gave the sauce a very thick, rich body. 3. Instead of seasoning with just the basil, I used italian seasoning which made the taste PERFECT. Everyone loved the recipe, will make again and again.
12/10/2001
Sorry, I'll eat just about anything but I think this is really bad. I'm not sure what all the raves were about. It's partly my fault though for using ground turkey. Even with beef, I think it would be too "doughy" as 1 cup of breadcrumbs is way too much! Also, it was almost tasteless, except for the breadcrumb taste. Fortunately my reliable Prego spaghetti sauce savaged the meal.
12/27/2008
This is a good recipe. There are different Italians as they come from different parts of Italy so things are made differently. With that in mind, I will add my two cents in on this recipe. First, I NEVER use sugar or Bay Leaf. I also use CRUSHED TOMATO using more GARLIC and more BASIL. With the meatballs I add 1/2 lb. GROUND PORK to the 1 lb. GROUND BEEF. I do not use the "cheap" meats ever. If one buys cheap, end results will be cheap. I bake my meatballs in the oven to cook them. Some people prefer meatballs on the side. Add Parmesan cheese to the meatballs also. Maybe 1/4 cup to above meat amounts. With that in mind, enjoy!
11/03/2010
Great recipe!!!!! Not sure what happened to my initial review. I made this dish last week and it was delicious. I felt so domestic in the kitchen as I have been using jarred sauce all my life....NO MORE!! I've been so inspired by this site to experiment with cooking and trying new things. I'm looking to create traditions and solid staple recipes for my son and I. Wishing my grandmother was here to taste...
04/17/2004
These were easy to make, but absolutely tasteless. I would have cut down on breadcrumbs and increased the spices had I taken the time to think about the combination of ingredients. I had to add water to the mixture to make it moist enough to work with. I'm certain there are recipes for better tasting meatballs out there. Don't bother with this one.
06/23/2004
A teaspoon of oregano makes this dish even better than it already is. :D Thanks for a great recipe! The leftover meatballs are wonderful stuffed into a hoagie bun, topped with warmed sauce, pizza cheese and placed under the broiler until the cheese melts. YUM!!!
01/16/2011
I have been making this exact sauce for about 5 years now and it never fails to turn out great. I do substitute Italian seasoning for the basil and I do sometimes add any additional ingredients such as ground beef, ground sausage, peppers, mushrooms, celery, zucchini, carrots and squash instead of the meatballs for a chunkier sauce. I usually add about a teaspoon of crushed red pepper too for that bit of bite. As far as the meatballs go, to get the best flavor from them; mix up the meat mixture the night before you plan on eating them and let the mixture sit in the fridge overnight, you will be amazed the difference it makes! I do have my own recipe for meatballs but mixing it up the night before is a MUST. If your sauce turned out sour tasting, it was probably from not letting the sauce cook long enough after you added the tomato paste.
11/21/2010
This was the first time I'd ever made meatballs and despite reading so many differing opinions on cooking them, I decided to make them in the sauce without cooking first, so I chose this recipe. Simple, delicious...we loved them. There was no "extra" grease in my sauce, which I'd read often happens and I even added Italian sausage to the beef! I doubled the recipe and sent half to my in-laws and froze half our our remaining half. There's plenty! Will definitely make again.
12/27/2008
good starting recipe. we use romano cheese in the meatballs, and fresh garlic and bread soaked in milk for moist meatballs. for sauce, fresh garlic, onions, EVOO, puree and paste, s&p, sugar, dried basil and oregano, red wine and pinch of baking soda to ease the acid from the tomatoes. this sauce cooks for about 5-6 hours on low and stirring often or it will stick and burn, even in nonstick pot. and reseason about 2 hours before done. s&p, basil, oregano, and top off with EVOO and more "homemade red wine" if you have it. this comes from mom and grandmom, from naples, and grandpop from scilly. all excellent cooks. can't give recipies, we never measure, cook to taste only.
03/12/2011
I've made this recipe at least 3 times and have been asked for the recipe by so many people. The only changes I made were to use Italian sausage in place of the ground beef and I always soak my bread crumbs in milk and squeeze the milk out before I put them in the meatball mixture; this step will guaranty very moist meatballs. The total 2 hour simmer time is essential; it is what makes this sauce so rich and intense with basic ingredients.
02/16/2011
I expected more and was unimpressed. It's good, not great.
06/23/2003
I only made the meatballs. Nice texture, but BLAND, BLAND, BLAND! Next time I will try the sauce recipe, but find a different meatball recipe.
09/24/2006
I found this recipe terrible. I followed the instructions exactly. Left a bad after taste in our mouth. I went back over the recipe to see if I had missed anything and as far as I can tell I didn't. Had to add a bunch of spices just so we could eat it.
11/12/2008
i thought this was just ok
07/16/2008
I'm giving this two stars because the meatballs were pretty good. The sauce, however, was awful! Two cans of tomatoes was way too much, and they were too large. The whole thing turned out bland, boring, and incredibly oily. It wasn't any better than a jar of Ragu (which I would never use). Will definitely not make this again!
03/20/2012
Instead of sauteing the meat balls try rolling them in breadcrumbs and baking 'til nice and brown...gets rid of the grease Some diced eggplant and sliced mushrooms added to the saute is good to
10/18/2001
AWESOME!! Oh, this is so good! I cannot say enough good things about this recipe. I did use ground turkey in place of the hambuger and Ritz cracker crumbs instead of the bread crumbs...easily the BEST meatballs I have ever eaten. For the sauce I follwed very closely..after the first 90 minutes, I did use a potato masher on the chunks of tomato (I was afraid my 5 year old won't like it with *lumps*!) I was also a bit leary of adding the meatballs raw, but they cook up moist and just perfect in the 30 minutes of simmering. This is WELL worth the prep time!!!
03/10/2002
This is the best meatball recipe I have found yet! My family loves it...I have experimented with this recipe a lot. I cooked the meatballs in regular store bought spagetti sauce, which was good... and I have even tried making the meatballs with ground turkey and cooked them in a cranberry sauce, which was also delicious.
06/29/2011
This was very good. I followed the recipe just like it was and really did not need any changing. I do think the meatballs are what make this meal. The sauce is average and I prefer some of my other sauce recipes over this one. However, I would definitely make it again. Also, making the meatballs is a fun thing to make with the family/kids :) Edit: Have made this a couple of more times since the first review, and now the sauce kind of grew on me ;) Yummy.
02/14/2008
These are great meatballs! I have a big family so I tripled the recipe put fresh garlic in place of the powder, added a little onion powder to the mixture. They held their shape and was nice and firm with a little chew to them. The sauce is super easy and the longer it simmered the better it tasted. I didn't have the best pot for the job so I had to stir it alot to keep it from scortching on the bottom. We are also big mushroom eaters so I added that to the sauce didn't change the taste. My family loved it and we plan to use the few leftovers for dinner tonight and make grinders. I can't wait. Oh yeah I too was nervous about the meat not being precooked but they cooked up very well I simmered mine for 45 mins just because I had so many and they were all done. Thanks for a great recipe.
03/20/2011
Only okay for me and I would not make it again. I found the meatballs okay but bland when made as per directions. Just needed something more. The sauce needed more flavour and some spice. I used fresh basil and still needed zip. I did not find it overly sweet but did add only 1 tsp of salt as it just seemed like too much. Probably just my taste but if you are looking for a really tasty spaghetti sauce with meatballs, I would not make this.
01/07/2012
I just started canning my own tomatoes last year and wanted to make my own sauce. This worked out great I will use it again, and again.
10/28/2010
This was AWESOME! We had a pound of ground hot italian sausage so we used that instead of the beef and also used the whole tomatoes with basil and it was PERFECT! This is definitely going in our rotation.
12/21/2008
We all loved this one! I used a slow cooker so I tripled the cooking time and double the sauce recipe.
05/17/2008
I tried this recipe because of the rave reviews but I was so disappointed because the meatballs were too bread-y and I couldn't taste the meat at all. I made this dish for my friends and they were not impressed at all. This dish tastes below average, like cafeteria meatballs. I am not cooking this again.
05/13/2012
very bland. Needs more spices.
11/25/2007
Long story short, I thought I had spaghetti sauce in the cupboard. I didn't. I had to make sauce, so I chose this recipe because I had all ingredients on hand and it looked easy enough. Fast forward to now. The only reason my husband has stopped raving about this meal is that he went to bed. He said that this ranks in the Top 5 meals I've ever made..... He also asked me to make additional batches to put in the freezer so we always have some on-hand. I've never gotten this kind of reaction from him before. Who knew it was this easy? Anyhow, I made the recipe almost as written. I only had crushed tomatoes, so I used those instead of whole. Also, I did have to add about 1/3 cup of water toward the end of the final 30 minutes, but that was it. Obviously I'll be making this again. Thanks for a great recipe, Jeremy!
03/05/2011
I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but this was too awesome not to not leave feedback. Like others, I was a little hesitant to cook the meatballs without browning them first but I've always hated the process of browning the first because it takes constant attention and usually has to be in several batches. I don't regret not browning them one bit: they were tender and moist but still held together really well. That said about the delicious meatballs, the true star of the show is the sauce. It has such a fresh, bright flavor and nice chunky texture: I could eat it with a spoon like soup! AND, as a matter of fact, I've added it to soups, used it for lasagna, on homemade pizza and on top of ravioli. I'll never buy commercially prepared sauce again! I've made this at least six time since I originally made the spaghetti and meatballs two months ago. The ONLY change I made (and this is just personal preference) was to add a little oregano and a few flakes of red pepper for some kick. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!
06/17/2007
I USED CANNED SAN MARZANO TOMATOES (ANY ITALIAN STORE), THEY COST ALOT MORE BUT I ASSURE YOU THAT YOU WILL DIFINETLY TASTE THE DIFFERENCE IF YOU USE THESE IN ANY SPAGETTI SAUCE. ALSO ADDED SOME ITALIAN SAUSAGE SEASONING. THIS WS AN VERY EASY RECIPIE TO MAKE. YOU WILL FIND IT VERY HARD TO USE SAUCE FROM A JAR AGAIN!
12/30/2010
only used this recipe for the sauce...it was good, but I thought it was a bit acidic. Otherwise a good base.
07/19/2011
I was looking for a nice Spaghetti and Meatball recipe and by golly....I FOUND IT! Not very much prep and very tasty.
02/04/2008
I used my own sauce and followed just the meatball recipe. Made no changes. The flavor of the meatballs was BLAND, and the texture way too MUSHY for my taste. Will keep looking...
12/26/2010
This was beautiful. I loved both the meatballs and the sauce separately, but together, so very good! I made them gluten free because of a wheat allergy by making my own breadcrumbs with GF bread but other than that I kept everything else the same. Served it over rice noodles. Made meatball sandwiches the next day for my sister and her family and she asked for the recipe after her picky 4 year old gave it a thumbs up!
12/26/2008
Five stars on this one - I didn't change a thing and it was awesome!
01/02/2009
Great recipe!! It tasted better than most spaghetti and meatballs I've gotten at some nice Italian restaurants! I pretty much followed the directions, except I added about 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the meatballs and a tad more garlic powder than called for... they turned out amazing! The meatballs went really fast, but I still had a lot of sauce left over. Next time I make this, I will increase the meatball recipe to 1.5 to 2 pounds of meat, or half the sauce recipe.
08/20/2010
This was amazing. The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is because it came out pretty oily. Next time I think I will reduce the olive oil to about 2 tablespoons. But other than that, this was delicious. I made this without the tomato paste and it still came out great! I'm never buying bottled sauce ever again!
08/18/2014
Everyone thinks I'm a true Italian!! THE MOST DELICIOUS/Easy Spaghetti&Meatballs recipe BAR NONE! This will be on my meal "rotation" from now on!! Thanks!!
01/11/2009
After reading reviews, I gave this recipe a shot even though I, like other reviewers, was skeptical about not pre-cooking the meatballs. Dont be!! Fantastic Recipe. My reason for giving 4 stars? First, I hate whole tomates, and even though I used them this time, I will definately use diced the next. And also the Directions. Make the Sauce first, then the meatballs. To me, it was just bad time management to not have the sauce simmering while making the meatballs. Great tasting recipe and I look foreward to making this again. **Update** I made this again with turkey, because it's always good to have a healthier option. It was terrible. The meatballs turned out extremely dry and tasteless. Even the sauce tasted different. From now on, I'll only use extra lean ground beef.
01/27/2010
This is how I have always done it! Put the seasons in first though to flavor the sauce and while it's cooking prepare the meatballs. Try tons of fresh parsley (1/2 cup) chopped up for the meatballs, as well as Italian seasoned bread crumbs! Who needs to fry-Throw em in for healthy and they are more moist from the sauce. Just make sure to NEVER PUT THE MEATBALLS IN UNLESS THE is BUBBLING Hot! They will fall apart if not.
07/03/2011
Delicious! The meatballs came out perfectly tender. The key is the fresh breadcrumbs, they soak up sauce and become "moisture blobs" in the meatballs. lol. I added more garlic to them and threw in a little salt and a small amount of red pepper flakes to avoid the bland tasting meatballs that some other reviewers mentioned. I will definitely make this again. As with all recipes that call for basil, I implore you to use fresh basil (Use 3X the amount when using fresh!), it's so much better than dry basil.
07/02/2010
I'm not sure why this recipe got a high rating. The sauce wasn't that great. The meat balls were stiff and weren't juciy at all. I follwed the recipe to the tee. Just didn't like it.
08/12/2014
This came out great. I used ground chicken, and put a little milk into the meat mix and it was moist and delicious. I ended up just throwing the ground meat right into the sauce without forming the meatballs. Mixed into spaghetti, this meal was delicious!
02/22/2014
Love this. Spoiled my husband he now asks that I make it this way instead of from the jar.
02/13/2007
I didn't make the sauce, just used jars of sauce. But I used the meatball recipe with some ground venison and it was a BIG hit! My kids loved it, and my husband (who has not been a big fan of venison) even ate a good share of it. I made this in the crock pot and let it simmer all day. Yum!
06/13/2011
I absolutely cannot say enough good things about this recipe. I come from a Sicilian family and have scoured the internet looking for a sauce recipe that mimicked my mom's, what she calls "sugo"...well this is it. The meatballs are delicious and the sauce is perfect, this is the only sauce recipe I use now. Thank you so much!
09/20/2010
I'm giving this 4 stars because I made some minor adjustments. I used crushed tomatoes instead of whole and added dried oregano to the sauce. This is the BEST pasta sauce I've ever had. The meatballs were DELISH!!! Thanks for sharing.....
06/20/2011
This recipe was really good. It was so simple, that I had my doubts. But the flavors all came together beautifully. It was perfect on hoagie rolls for meatball grinders. Thanks for a great recipe!
10/04/2006
This was delicious! I made it for my daughter for her birthday. She wanted Spagetti and meatballs and so I looked it up and found this one. I browned my meatballs before adding to the sauce. We had it for two dinners and then I froze the rest. It tasted just as good after being frozen. I will make a double batch and freeze several portions the weekday dinners. Enjoy!
11/13/2005
We tried this recipe in a pinch because it looked quick and easy and the recipe rating inspired some confidence. Unfortunately, its not like mom's. If you're used to homemade sauce (as opposed to Ragu or Prego), you'll probably be disappointed. Also, I highly recommend a traditional mix of ground beef, veal and pork to anybody serious about making their own meatballs. Using only ground beef will leave you with dry meatballs, as evidenced by this recipe.
08/08/2011
I was not all that impressed with this recipe and I had such high hopes after reading all the reviews. The meatballs and the sauce were fairly bland. I am moving on to try and find a different, more authentic spaghetti recipe.
12/21/2008
Made this for the 2nd time tonight and still am not completely sold on it. However, once again, my fiancee loved it. The sauce just seems like it's missing something to me. I added a pound of mushrooms (sliced) when I added the meatballs. I also did give the meatballs a quick sizzle in a frypan to get a little of the fat off before putting them in the sauce. This is really good, just needs a little more spices I think. Thank you :)
06/12/2011
Very good, just a bit salty. Reduce salt to 1 teaspoon and adjust after that.
04/25/2009
Awesome sauce. Matches my own that I have used for years, but much easier. Found the m/balls to be a little 'bready', so may cut back on the crumbs a bit. But other than that, highly recommended !!
03/09/2009
This was really good & really easy! Who knew so few ingredients would make such a tasty sauce. I was nervous about putting raw meat into the sauce... but it turned out great. I thought the meatballs were very flavorful and not at all dry. I may try this next time in a slow cooker. Thank you for sharing!
02/18/2010
Very good meatballs! I cooked them in the oven though. 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, turning them once. Came out Crunchy and held together in the sauce.
11/27/2012
I only made the meatballs and they were excellent. Mixed half hamburg and half ground lean turkey.
09/10/2008
so yummy! just want it a tad thicker so next time i will add an extra can of tomato paste. i mashed the whole tomatoes with a potatoe masher, added fresh chopped parsley to the sauce and used basil flavored tomato paste. i also used the italian style bread crumbs. it was wonderful!
07/08/2007
AWESOME. EASY. PERFECT. That's nothing else to say. Made NO changes from original recipe. :)
02/27/2011
Pretty good, except I felt there was too much olive oil in it. If I make it again, I will definitely reduce the amount of oil.
01/04/2007
I've been using this recipe for about a year now. I use diced tomatoes rather than the whole. I've even made just the sauce and used it in other pasta dishes. This works VERY well with lasagna. True Italian flavor ... now, if only I could master the homemade pasta!
06/01/2011
I am a Italian food freak, especially when it comes to spaghetti. I really loved this recipe. I simmered the sauce all day which really helped to break up the whole tomatos. I may use diced in the future, but using whole makes it taste a little more authentic. I also baked the meatballs until they were half cooked. I just could not get myself to cook them in the sauce. Cooking them half in the oven and finishing them in the sauce worked great for me.
10/18/2002
I thought this was an outstanding recipe. My husband said that he could "drink" the sauce it is so good. Like another person, I added tons more garlic. I used a head of garlic. I disagree with the other person who claimed it was not as good as other marinaras. I have made many other marinaras and this one was not only easy, it had complex flavors due to the longer simmering time. Thanks Jeremy for this recipe. I will make no other spaghetti and meatballs but yours.
Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/21353/italian-spaghetti-sauce-with-meatballs/
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