Meatballs and Marinara Sauce – a Simple, Versatile Weeknight Dinner

We recently met our friends, Scott and Sheralyn, for Happy Hour at one of our favorite Italian restaurants, Rare. A dish called Polpette is on their Happy Hour menu, which is meatballs with arrabbiata sauce, crostini, and whipped ricotta. I ordered the Polpette, and it was so delicious, I had to re-create it at home.

Meatballs are so easy to prepare and make a perfect, simple weeknight dinner. You can serve them so many different ways—over spaghetti, polenta, mashed potatoes, or rice—or as Rare does with crostini and whipped ricotta cheese on the side. When I prepared my version, I made a marinara sauce rather than arrabbiata sauce, which is much spicier than marinara, and I served my meatballs with crostini, whipped ricotta, and a salad.

Rare bakes their meatballs in the oven. Meatball connoisseurs believe meatballs are best when they are fried and have a crispy outside and a tender, juicy interior. I must admit, I don’t make as many fried foods as I used to, so in making this at home, I baked them in the oven just like Rare. I put parchment paper on the baking sheet, and clean up was a breeze.

The trick to preparing good meatballs—do not overmix them or overcook them. Either of these sins will dry them out. Use a meat thermometer and cook meatballs to an internal temperature of no more than 160 degrees F.

My supermarket is now carrying Duroc pork, which I purchased for this recipe. Duroc is an heirloom line of pork, meaning its bloodlines go back hundreds of years. I think its flavor is superior. Other heirloom names to look for are Berkshire, Tamworth, and Gloucestershire. If you haven’t tried heirloom pork yet, see if your supermarket carries it. You won’t regret purchasing it.

The following recipe uses a half pound each of ground beef and ground pork. If you don’t have a use for the remaining meat, double the ingredients and make 16 meatballs. I have included instruction on how to freeze meatballs so you can pop them out of the freezer for another quick meal.

Carol Ann’s Meatballs with Marinara Sauce and Whipped Ricotta

Makes 8 balls

Serve with Salad, Crostini, and Whipped Ricotta

For the meatballs:

½ pound ground beef

½ pound ground pork

⅓ cup Panko breadcrumbs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon large grind black pepper

1 extra-large egg, beaten

In a medium bowl, place ground beef and pork, Panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and egg, Using your hands, mix lightly. (Do not overmix.) Also using your hands, shape the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 8 meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the meatballs on a baking sheet lined with

parchment paper. Bake until meatballs are browned and cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, about 15 to 20 minutes.

For the marinara sauce:

If you don’t want to make this, use your favorite store-bought brand.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

½ cup yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 can (28-ounces) crushed tomatoes

½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon large grind black pepper

In a large saucepan, place olive oil over a medium heat. Add onion and sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Add meatballs to the sauce and simmer until meatballs are heated through.

For the whipped ricotta cheese:

2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

In a food processor, place the ricotta, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and process until light and smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

To serve:

Meatballs

Marinara sauce

Fresh basil, chopped or slivered

Crostini

Whipped ricotta

Freshly ground black pepper

Place meatballs and sauce in a pasta or soup bowl. Garnish with fresh basil. Place whipped ricotta on crostini. Rare sprinkles their whipped ricotta with freshly ground black pepper. Place crostini, on the side, in the bowl with meatballs.

Tips on freezing meatballs: You can freeze meatballs either raw or cooked. Place them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place them in the freezer for a few hours, or until solid. Transfer them to heavy-duty freezer bags and mark the date on the bag. Frozen meatballs are best when used within 3 months.

If you freeze raw meatballs, be sure they are completely frozen before you transfer them to a freezer bag. If you freeze already cooked meatballs, be sure they are cooled to room temperature first. To thaw frozen meatballs, place them in the refrigerator overnight.

Tips on buying ground beef: Ground beef with higher fat content will yield juicier grilled burgers and meatballs. Leaner ground beef is good in recipes where the meat is crumbled—like spaghetti sauce or taco filling. Use 80/20 ground beef for meatballs.

Tips on storing ground beef: When exposed to oxygen, ground beef will become a rosy, red color. Sometimes you may find the center of a package of ground beef has darkened. This is not harmful. This is the result of lack of exposure to oxygen. If you have concerns about ground beef, check the smell. It should be fresh, not sour, and the meat should feel moist, not slimy.

Carol Ann

Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.

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