Dutch Oven Meatballs & Sauce
Tender meatballs simmered in a homemade Italian tomato sauce - all done in under an hour. These Dutch Oven Meatballs & Sauce are so delicious - your family will think you've been slaving away in the kitchen for hours!
Ingredients
Meatballs
Tomato Sauce
- 56 oz Whole Peeled San Marzano tomatoes 2 - 28 oz cans
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic crushed & chopped
- 8 leaves fresh basil
- 3 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
For Meatballs
- Coat Dutch oven with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Add touch of salt and cook until soft. Add garlic and crushed red pepper flakes and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, basil, parsley, egg, Parmesan, salt & pepper. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add cooled onion to the mixture.1 lb ground beef, 2 tbsp fresh basil, 2 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
- In a medium bowl, tear bread into 5-6 small pieces and soak in milk until saturated and soft. Remove bread from milk, squeezing to drain off extra milk, tear apart drained pieces and add to meat mixture. Mix well with hands just until combined.6 slices Wonder Bread, 3/4 cup milk
- Form 2-2.5” meatballs using large cookie scoop. Wet hands and delicately roll meatballs into more round shape. Don't overwork the meatballs - it makes them tougher.
- Dredge meatballs lightly in with flour and set aside on a baking sheet.1/3 cup flour
- Place Dutch oven back on stove over medium high heat and add 2-3 additional tbsp olive oil. Add meatballs 5-6 at a time (3 batches) to the pot in a single layer and brown on all sides. Transfer cooked meatballs to a paper towel. You’re not cooking them through - just searing the outside so they hold together.
For the Sauce
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the San Marzano tomatoes & their juices in a food processor or blender. (2 cans FILLED my blender) Pulse to chop the tomatoes but don’t liquify. I used lowest setting for just 5-10 seconds.56 oz Whole Peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- Scrape browned bits off bottom of Dutch oven and add the olive oil & garlic over medium-low heat. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often until the garlic is golden but not brown.1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 4 cloves garlic
- Add tomatoes from blender to the pan, along with the fresh basil leaves, sugar, salt & ground black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer.8 leaves fresh basil, 3 tsp granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Add meatballs back to Dutch oven in sauce and place covered in oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove Dutch oven from oven and serve over pasta. Sprinkle with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
**We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Serving: 3meatballs & sauceCalories: 541kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 24gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 1023mgPotassium: 860mgFiber: 4gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 680IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 260mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!