Italian Meat Balls

Tender Italian meatballs of ground beef with grated raw potato, egg, Parmesan and oregano, oven-baked on racks and then simmered in sauce for an hour.

Vegetarian with swapsNo added sugarFreezer-friendly

Contains: milk, egg, wheat. Based on the ingredients as written; check package labels, which can change.

From the recipe book of Sandra Mills, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained cook in our family.

Italian meatballs in tomato sauce in a skillet, sprinkled with Parmesan
  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 1 hr 30 min
  • Total 1 hr 50 min
  • Yield About 18 meatballs

Updated

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Print recipe

Sandra Mills's secret for tender meatballs is a grated raw potato, skin and all, mixed into the ground beef with an egg, Parmesan and oregano. The meatballs are flattened slightly and baked on racks so the fat drips away and the juices are sealed in.

Then they simmer in her Simple Sauce for Pasta for an hour. She doubles or triples the recipe and freezes them in sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
  • 1 small raw potato, unpeeled
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Simple Sauce for Pasta, for simmering

To make it vegetarian

  • For the ground meat, use a plant-based ground meat, or cooked lentils mixed with finely chopped mushrooms.

Meat substitutes change the flavor, texture and cooking time: cook plant-based meats to the package directions, and tofu and mushrooms only need to brown and heat through. See all our vegetarian recipes.

Instructions

  1. Mix. Place the ground beef in a bowl. Grate in the raw potato without peeling it. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix together with your hands.
  2. Shape. Form into meatballs and flatten them slightly.
  3. Bake. Place on baking racks over a drip pan. Bake at 350°F for 20 to 30 minutes.
  4. Simmer. Drop into sauce that has been cooking for 1 hour and cook for an additional hour. Serve over pasta of your choice.

Budget-friendlyVegetarian with swapsNo added sugar

Tips

  • To freeze: cool it quickly, pack it in airtight containers or freezer bags, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F.
  • Freeze extra meatballs right in the sauce.
  • Ground beef should reach 160°F; the long simmer guarantees it.

Printable: safe cooking temperatures chart (PDF).

Serve it with

Build the whole dinner: sides, sauce and dessert ›

Pairs with: Chianti or another Sangiovese. Wine pairing guide

More Italian recipes

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