Bobby Flay’s homemade meatball and marinara sauce recipe is easy to make ahead of time and can be prepared on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. It’s perfect for pasta, subs, or as a side dish!
Prep Time: 15 MINS
Cook Time: 40 MINS
Total Time: 55 MINS
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground pork *see notes
- 1/2 pound ground veal *see notes
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped and sautéed
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup olive oil* See notes
Homemade Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 56 oz. canned plum tomatoes and their juice pureed in a blender
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 6 basil leaves sliced into strips
Instructions
Meatballs
- Combine all ingredients, (except the oil), in a large bowl until well-combined. Roll into 1+1/2 inch balls.
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan or dutch oven over medium heat and add the meatballs. Let them fry, cooking on each side until lightly browned, but not cooked all the way through. About 10-15 minutes.
- Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and let them simmer on medium-low heat for about 45 minutes.
Homemade Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and garlic until they’re softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the pureed tomatoes and juice, the bay leaf, parsley, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat back down to a light simmer, and add the meatballs.
- Cover the pot and let them simmer for 40 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and parsley prior to serving and mix in the basil. Serve, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- *Use enough oil to cover about 1/3 of the meatball. You can use less than the cup that is indicated in the recipe.
- You can substitute the veal and/or pork with ground beef or ground turkey if preferred.
- To serve with pasta, combined with 1 lb. of spaghetti. This is also great with a side of garlic bread!
Make-Ahead Meatballs/Slow Cooker Method.
- I like to prepare these meatballs 1-2 days ahead of time. After assembling them, I like to sear them in a cast-iron skillet to brown the outside and firm up the edges so that they hold up well in the slow cooker.
- Let them cool and refrigerate them in an airtight freezer bag until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, place them in a slow cooker and cover them with marinara sauce. Heat them on low for two hours or more prior to serving.
- If the sauce begins to bubble, decrease the heat to warm.
*Picture credit to thecozycook