Meatballs Recipe

Soak breadcrumbs

In a small bowl, combine the fresh breadcrumbs and whole milk. Stir and let sit 5 minutes until the milk is absorbed and mixture is moist.

Mix meatball ingredients

In a large bowl, place the ground beef, soaked breadcrumbs, beaten egg, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Using clean hands, gently mix until just combined — avoid overworking which makes meatballs dense. Taste a tiny bit of mixture cooked in a skillet and adjust salt/pepper if needed.

Shape meatballs

Form the mixture into evenly sized meatballs, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches (yielding ~18-20 meatballs). Roll gently between your palms to make smooth spheres.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown meatballs on all sides (about 2-3 minutes per side) until a golden crust forms. They do not need to be fully cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels.

Sauté aromatics

In a heavy 4- to 5‑quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the sliced or minced garlic and cook 30-60 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown it.

Deglaze and build sauce

If using, pour in 1/2 cup dry red wine and simmer 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly and deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and passata, stirring to combine.

Season and simmer

Add dried basil, dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional), and the bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

Finish in sauce

Carefully nestle the browned meatballs into the simmering sauce. Reduce heat to low so the sauce barely bubbles. Cover partially and simmer gently for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning meatballs so they cook evenly. The sauce will deepen in color and the meatballs will cook through. If sauce becomes too thick, add 1/4 cup water or more as needed.

Adjust seasoning and add fresh basil

Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf and stir in torn fresh basil leaves during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving a little pasta water.

Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked pasta, spooning extra sauce on top. Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves and a generous sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan. If the sauce needs loosening, add a splash of reserved pasta water.