Recipe: Meatballs and Spicy Tomato Sauce

This is my take on the recipe my mother used to make when I was growing up. Easy to make, slightly spicy, and with a smokey sweetness from the roasted red peppers – giving it a familiar characteristic on a dish that I have enjoyed many times over.

Adding pasta to these tasty meatballs is an option, but enjoying them on their own and using a crostino (grilled bread) to wipe up the sauce on the plate is a great way to enjoy this recipe.

Yield: Serves 4-6 people.

Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1½ kg ground beef/ ground pork/ ground pork belly
• ¾ cups breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• ½ cup parsley chopped
• ¼ cup chives, chopped
• ¼ cup oregano, chopped
• ½ cup roasted red peppers, puréed
• ½ cup parmigiano cheese, finely grated
• ½ tbsp salt
• ½ tbsp black pepper

Procedure

• Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl making sure everything is mixed together.
• Use standard ice cream scoop to portion the meatballs.
• Roll the meat in the hand to give it a tight circular shape and place on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
• Bake in the oven at 375 C for 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and set aside.

Enjoying these tasty meatballs on their own and using a crostino (grilled bread) to wipe up the sauce on the plate is a great way to enjoy this recipe.

Tomato sauce for spicy meatballs

Ingredients

• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ large onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp garlic (2 cloves), finely chopped
• 1 litre canned San Marzano tomato, puréed
• ¼ basil, chopped
• ¼ cup bomba (Italian spicy condiment found at most grocery stores)
• ½ tbsp salt
• 6 slices of crostini from a baguette, index finger thick
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup parmigiano cheese, coarsely grated

Procedure

• Add ¼ cup of olive oil to a large enough pot that the meatballs will fit.
• Sauté the onions over medium heat till translucent.
• Add chopped garlic and sauté for another minute
• Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer – for 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped basil, bomba, salt and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Add meatballs and drippings left in the tray and simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes.
• While meatballs simmer, lightly brush crostini with olive oil and bake in a 375 C oven until light golden in colour. Remove from oven and set aside.
• In a bowl, place 3 meatballs and pour a spoon of sauce over top of each meatball.
• Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the grated parmigiano cheese over top, and add a crostino to each of the plates.