Grandma's Italian Meatball

Grandma’s Italian meatball recipe is the ultimate comfort food to share with the family! Tender and juicy meatballs simmered in a simple yet rich tomato sauce and placed over spaghetti noodles or the pasta of your liking.

Three large beef meatballs on a bed of spaghetti noodles and topped with parmesan cheese

On our wedding day, I made a very special vow to my husband… “I promise to nurture, listen, comfort, and feed you, making sure to cook your grandmother’s famous meatballs at least once a month.”

It may seem like a silly promise. However, my husband Jason’s love for his Grandma’s Italian meatball recipe always brings him a sense of comfort and happiness. For me to be able to recreate a dish that he loves is important. His big smile is priceless when he walks through the door at the end of a long day and smells fresh tomato sauce simmering on the stove and meatballs broiling in the oven.

Like most Italian recipes there were no specific measurements. Grandma Rose just had a simple list of ingredients and method for the sauce and meatballs, the rest was intuition. I’ve made beef and pork meatballs many times over the years. Some turned out good, some not so much, I never actually wrote a recipe down myself, so it was different every time. I was on a mission to get as close to Grandma’s Italian meatball recipe with a tough critic to please, the hubby.

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 2 hrs

Total Time 2 hrs 30 mins

Servings: 14 meatballs

Calories: 216kcal

Author: Jessica Gavin

INGREDIENTS

Tomato Sauce-

• 1/4 cup olive oil, (60ml)
• 1/2 cup yellow onions, (66g) minced
• 4 garlic cloves, (2 teaspoons, 6 g) minced
• 7 cups crushed canned tomatoes, (56 ounces) Cento Brand or San Marzano tomatoes
• 6 ounces tomato paste, use less if a thinner consistency is desired
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, add more to taste

Grandma’s Meatballs-

• 2 pounds ground beef, (908g) 80% lean meat to 20% fat
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cloves garlic, (1 teaspoon, 3g) finely minced
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, (72g) finely minced
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, (16g)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, (20g) freshly grated
• 1 cup breadcrumbs, (127g) grandma recommends Italian style, but plain okay
• fresh basil, (for garnish if desired)

INSTRUCTION

Tomato Sauce-

1. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat and sauté onion and garlic until onions are translucent, 3 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste and stir well.

Full read at https://www.jessicagavin.com/grandmas-italian-meatball-recipe/