Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

An authentic Italian meatball recipe from Nonna is so moist you’ll never buy frozen again.

What should you cook with homemade Italian meatballs?

There’s nothing better than meatballs and pasta sauce for comfort food.

Well, you’ve been waiting for it, Nonna’s Meatballs and Pasta Sauce recipe.

Italian Meatballs So Moist You’ll Never Buy Frozen Again

You can also create this easy pasta sauce and meatballs in a crock pot or instant pot if you want to skip the stove-top method.

If you like pasta sauce pre-made in a jar, then you have no idea what you are missing with homemade sauce.

I’ll warn you: this sauce is loaded with fresh garlic and basil, and it tastes like nothing you’ve ever tasted before in a sauce.

Unless, of course, you have an Italian nonna or have her secret recipe.

I think every family who makes their pasta sauce, no matter what culture, has the magic that they put into the pot.

Meatballs vs. Bolognese Sauce

Making an easy Italian pasta sauce takes no effort at all.

If you don’t like meatballs and would prefer a meat sauce for your pasta, you can still make a huge pot of sauce that will taste better than anything you will ever buy in a can.

All you need to do is sautee ground beef and pork meat and add them into the tomato sauce.

If you don’t like the meat, make it a meatless pasta sauce.

The choices are endless.

I’m sure they are convenient to open and pour, but there’s no reason you can create freezer meals out of this sauce and do the same thing.

If you grow a garden from seed or buy tomatoes from the grocery store, you can use them for this pasta sauce.

We like to always keep cans of whole or crushed tomatoes in the house all year long.

Crock-Pot Italian Meatballs and Sauce

I like to let it simmer in the crockpot for 8 hours to ensure the meatballs are cooked and soft.

I like to make this authentic Italian pasta sauce on a weekend morning and let it simmer all day.

You can store leftovers in containers for the freezer, especially the sauce, which always comes in handy in our house.

I didn’t make my pasta for this recipe, but if you want to make homemade pasta, there are loads of Italian pasta recipes all over the internet.

If you look on YouTube, I’m sure you will find a video on how to make Italian pasta.

Pasta is not difficult to make at all; plan and give yourself some time.

You can whip it up faster than you think.

How To Make Nonna’s Italian Meatballs And Sauce

• Time: 1 hour to prep make sauce and meatballs
• Cooking Time: 8 hours on a low simmer

Pasta Sauce Ingredients

• 2 large cans of 796ml crushed tomatoes or jarred tomatoes from your garden
• 1 small can 156ml of tomato paste
• 1 head of garlic peeled and chopped
• 2  medium-sized onions peeled and minced
• 1 carrot peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 3 stalks of celery chopped into small pieces
• 2 tbsp dry oregano
• 2 bay Leaves
• 2 tbsp dry basil
• 1 cup of chopped fresh basil or two homemade basil cubes
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 chicken bouillon cube mixed with 1 cup of hot water
• 1/2 cup red dry Italian wine or a dry wine
• 1tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups of cold water

How To Make Pasta Sauce

 Prep Time: 30 minutes

• Turn the stove on medium heat (6) and pull out a large pot.
• Put the olive oil in the bottom to heat up.
• Add the minced garlic and onion to sauté for one minute.
• When the onion and garlic feel soft, add the chopped carrots and celery and sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add the paprika, salt, pepper, dry Basil, oregano, and bay leaf, then stir gently for 2 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup of red wine until it reduces by 1 minute.
• Add two large cans or jars of crushed tomatoes, sugar, and one small can of tomato paste, then stir to combine.
• Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth and 2 cups of cold water.
• I test the sauce for flavor once it comes to a boil and add spices as needed.
• Once the sauce boils, reduce the heat to low (3) or for about 8 hours.
• Let the flavors come together and reduce.
• Stir every hour or put it in the crockpot on low for 8 hours.
• Remove bay leaf before serving.

Other Variations

• One cup of chopped prosciutto and fry that with the garlic and onions.
• Use  2 lbs of ground beef for a meat Bolognese sauce.
• Use chicken breast pieces with garlic, prosciutto, and onions.

How To Make Italian Meatballs

You can make these meatballs in advance and freeze them until you’re ready to drop them in the sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1lb pork mince
• 1lb lean beef or veal mince
• 1 med onion minced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tsp of onion powder
• 1 c of fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (Not the stuff in the jars or pre-grated)
• 1 c of freshly grated Romano Cheese
• 2 tablespoons of dry parsley flakes
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups of Italian breadcrumbs (I prefer the ones seasoned with cheese and parsley)
• 1 tsp of cold water

Making Italian Meatballs

Prep Time: 30 mins

• In a large bowl, add the following ingredients:
• Minced beef, grated cheese, garlic, onion, egg, spices, breadcrumbs, and water.
• Mix gently with clean hands until combined. (do not overmix)
• Once you mix everything, I like to take a bit, fry it up and taste it.
• If it needs more flavor, now is the time to add it to the bowl and gently mix.
• Remember, you can always add but can’t take away.
• Once seasoned, I roll it into small uniform meatballs (60), or you can make large ones.
• Drop the raw meatballs in the sauce or crockpot.
• Always stir gently so you don’t break the meatballs.

When the sauce and meatballs are done, I make a big bowl of pasta for the family.

Top your pasta and meatballs with Parmigiano cheese.

Costs To Make Italian Meatballs and Sauce

Pasta Cost- I typically pay $0.99 to $3.00

The sauce lasts five meals for two adults or will feed ten people with six meatballs each.

I make my homemade Kalamata Olive bread for our meatballs and pasta dinners.

Total Cost- $5.00+$8.50+$0.99 +$0.99= $0.99 =$16.47 to feed ten people is $1.65 each for the freshest pasta sauce and meatballs!

Prices will vary depending on where you live, date and, if you use coupons or find great deals on your meat and produce.

I hope you enjoy this Italian meatball recipe.

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