MEATBALL SHOP CLASSIC MEATBALLS

MEATBALL SHOP CLASSIC MEATBALLS image

Categories Beef

Yield 24 Meatballs

Number Of Ingredients 20

For the meatballs:
2 T olive oil
2 lbs 80% ground beef
1 cup ricotta
2 large eggs
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 T chopped fresh oregano or 1 t dried
2 t salt
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t ground fennel
4 cups classic tomato sauce
for the classic sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion finely diced
1 bay leaf
1 t chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 t dried
2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
2 T tomato paste
2 26 oz. Pomi chopped tomatoes or 2 28oz. Cans whole plum tomatoes chopped with their liquid

Steps:

For the meatballs: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in a 9 x 13 baking dish and use your hands to spread evenly. Set aside. Combine ground beef, ricotta, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and fennel in a large bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Roll mixture into golfball sized meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, making sure to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally. They should touch one another. Roast for 20 minutes or until meatballs are firm and cooked through. While the meatballs are roasting heat the sauce. When the meatballs are fully cooked, remove from oven, drain excess grease from pan and pour over sauce. Return to the oven and continue roasting for 20 minutes. For sauce: Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, bay leaf, oregano, garlic and cook, stirring often until onions are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir constantly until sauce begins to boil. Lower heat and simmer for one hour stirring every 5 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt if desired. Remove the bay leaf before serving.