There’s little better than a pot simmering on a stove to make a house smell like autumn. Almost every culture has their own one pot wonder. Americans have chili, Italians have risotto, the Spanish have paella and the French coq au vin and cassoulet to name just a few.
Some dishes benefit from an all-day simmer on the stove, but others can be made as a delicious, quick mid-week meal. Our meatballs in tomato sauce takes less than an hour to make, but if you want to intensify the flavours, let it simmer for hours.
Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
6 Servings
Prep Time:
Less than 30 minutes
Total Time:
Less than 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 slices rustic bread, crust removed
1/4 cup cream
1 egg, whisked
2 tbsp parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb pork, ground
1/2 lb beef, ground
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper
Flour
4 cups tomato sauce*
Directions:
Soak bread in cream for 10 minutes. Mash into a paste. Place paste, egg, parsley and garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth. In a bowl combine the pork, beef, paste, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form the mixture into balls. Place in refrigerator for at least an hour. Dust meatballs with light coating of flour. Fry in batches until browned on all sides. Return meatballs to pan, cover with tomato sauce and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through. Serve warm. If you want to increase the heat, use our recipe for spicy tomato sauce.
*Use a good quality pre-prepared tomato sauce for a mid-week meal, but if you want add a little heat to the occasion, try making a spicy tomato sauce. Sauté a medium onion (chopped) in a few tablespoons of olive oil in large pan set over medium heat. When the onion is soft and translucent, add a diced Anaheim pepper (or other hot pepper). Sauté for a couple minutes. Next add a clove minced garlic. After 30 seconds (or when the garlic is fragrant but not burnt), add a 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes and a heaping teaspoon of paprika. Simmer for 2 hours. Pour through a sieve to remove large pieces of tomato. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
