Spicy Italian Meatballs in Homemade Marinara Sauce
Tender, juicy spicy Italian meatballs made with ground beef, pork, Parmesan, and Italian herbs, browned and simmered in homemade marinara sauce. Serve over spaghetti, tuck into toasted meatball subs, or enjoy with garlic bread.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 15 meatballs (4-6 servings) 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: STOVETOP
- Cuisine: ITALIAN | AMERICAN
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or less to taste
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for browning
For the Marinara Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cans (28 ounces each) tomato sauce
- 1 can (15–16 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- Up to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, to taste
- 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, or less to taste
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed and torn
Optional, for Serving
- Cooked spaghetti or your favorite pasta
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Mix the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, egg, panko, Parmesan, dried basil, oregano, garlic powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently just until combined; avoid overworking the meat.
- Shape. Divide the mixture into approximately 15 evenly sized meatballs. Roll gently between your palms without packing tightly.
- Brown the meatballs. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs in batches, turning carefully, for about 6–8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate. They will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Cook the onion and garlic. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Make the marinara. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with their juices, red pepper flakes, and salt and black pepper to taste. Start with a small amount of sugar, adding more only if needed to balance the tomatoes.
- Simmer. Carefully add the browned meatballs and any accumulated juices to the sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low, and partially cover. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes, stirring carefully occasionally, until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Finish. Stir in the fresh basil and taste the sauce. Adjust the salt, pepper, sugar, or red pepper flakes as needed.
- Serve. Spoon the meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti, or gently toss cooked pasta with some of the sauce before adding the meatballs. Finish with Parmesan and additional basil, if desired.
Notes
- Heat level: The full amounts of cayenne and red pepper flakes make this recipe very spicy. For moderate heat, start with ¼ teaspoon each cayenne and red pepper flakes in the meatballs and ½–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes in the sauce.
- Generous sauce yield: This recipe makes plenty of marinara. Use as much as needed for serving and freeze extra sauce separately.
- Meat substitution: Replace the pork with an equal amount of ground beef if preferred.
- Tender meatballs: Mix gently, shape loosely, and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.
- Storage: Refrigerate in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours of cooking. Store for up to 3–4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze meatballs with sauce for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop until the meatballs reach 165°F, adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick.
- Timing: Cooking time may increase if the meatballs require multiple browning batches.
Find it online: https://www.firsthomelovelife.com/spicy-meatballs-marinara/