An easy and healthy weeknight dinner that feeds a crowd! Perfect Italian meatballs made from ground pork and beef are simmered in a jazzed-up jarred pasta sauce! Simple and delicious!
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Well we are officially on week 4 of quarantine and WOW it is amazing how much food two people can go through when you are both eating every. single. meal at home.
But! It’s been a great time to spend in the kitchen, trying out new recipes, and fully embracing how comforting food is for the body and the soul.
And today I am sharing with you one of the most comforting meals…
THE BEST ITALIAN MEATBALLS
These Italian meatballs are perfect for:
- weeknight dinners – Yes, these meatballs are totally easy (thank you jarred marinara!) and manageable on a weeknight. If the time to roll out the meatballs and sear them is too much for a Wednesday, you can prep the meatballs and even sear them in advance. Then all you have to do is heat them through and finish them in the pasta sacuce.
- cozy at-home date nights – Is there anything more romantic than Italian food and a glass of wine while sitting in your jammies?! There are many times that I want a delicious Italian meal, but don’t want to get dressed up and head out to a restaurant. This recipe is perfect for those times.
- feeding a crowd – This recipes serves 8 people! Add a vegetable or salad on the side, maybe even some crusty bread, and you have a dinner party on your hands.
- meal prep – We are a two person household so I love making this recipe on a Sunday. That way we can enjoy it for dinner and have leftovers to take with us for lunch throughout the week.
Here is what you need to make this Italian meatball recipe:
- spicy Italian pork sausage and beef – I love the combination of pork and beef in this recipe! You can definitely swap meats if you prefer another, but these two add so much flavor.
- eggs – Eggs are needed to help bind our meatballs!
- almond flour – Again, the almond flour serves to keep the meatballs together.
- spices – Flavor, friends!
- mushrooms and marinara sauce – Nothing fancy here, just jazzing up my favorite jarred marinara with some sliced mushrooms.
- For serving: pasta, Parmesan cheese, parsley, red pepper flakes – duh!
How do you make these perfect Italian meatballs? Easy!
Make your meatballs. Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix well until fully combined. Roll into 24 equal sized meatballs.
Sear the meatballs. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil. Sear meatballs on all sides – about 2-3 minutes per side. They will not be fully cooked through and that is what we want. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. You will need to do this in batches. Feel free to add more oil to the pan if needed. Remove the meatballs when seared and set aside.
Jazz up our jarred pasta sauce! In the pan where you seared the meatballs, add sliced mushrooms to leftover oil. Saute the mushrooms until they break down and and get really juicy. Add the jarred pasta sauce and heat until simmering.
Finish the meatballs. Add the meatballs back into the pan with the pasta sauce and simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Serve over your favorite pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, parsley, and red pepper flakes!
If you love these perfect Italian meatballs, you’ll also love:
One Pan Coconut Curry Pork Meatballs (Whole30)
Gameday Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
But for now, let’s stick with the Best Italian Meatballs!
If you make these or any of my recipes, don’t forget to post a picture social media and use the hashtag #imhungrybynature so that I can see!
The Best Italian Meatballs
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
An easy and healthy weeknight dinner that feeds a crowd! Perfect Italian meatballs made from ground pork and beef are simmered in a jazzed-up jarred pasta sauce! Simple and delicious!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
1 pound ground spicy Italian pork sausage
1 pound ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup almond flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1–2 Tablespoons olive oil
For the pasta:
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 jar marinara sauce (I prefer Rao’s Homemade.)
For serving: pasta, Parmesan cheese, parsley, red pepper flakes
Instructions
Make your meatballs. Add all of the meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix well until fully combined. Roll into 24 equal sized meatballs.
Sear the meatballs. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil. Sear meatballs on all sides – about 2-3 minutes per side. They will not be fully cooked through and that is what we want. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. You will need to do this in batches. Feel free to add more oil to the pan if needed. Remove the meatballs when seared and set aside.
Jazz up our jarred pasta sauce! In the pan where you seared the meatballs, add sliced mushrooms to leftover oil. Saute the mushrooms until they break down and and get really juicy. Add the jarred pasta sauce and heat until simmering.
Finish the meatballs. Add the meatballs back into the pan with the pasta sauce and simmer until cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Serve over your favorite pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, parsley, and red pepper flakes!
Keywords: meatballs, pork, beef, Italian, pasta
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