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Homemade Marinara Sauce: Cook Meatballs Right In

This produces some of the best marinara sauce with meatballs I’ve ever tasted, because the sauce actually cooks the meatballs. That’s right, they’re not browned first,  just dropped into the simmering sauce and cooked until done.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 lbs. of lean ground Beef
  • 2 tbsp. Breadcrumbs
  • 2 Eggs well beaten
  • 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp. Marsala wine Cream Sherry can be substituted if Marsala isn’t available.
  • 1 large sautéed Onion
  • 2 Tbsp. freshly chopped Parsley
  • 1 tsp. Salt
  • Fresh ground Black Pepper
  • Makes approx. 15 to 20 meatballs depending on the size. After prepping put them into the refrigerator.
Marinara Sauce:
  • 1 large finely chopped Onion
  • 1 large finely chopped Carrot
  • 2 finely chopped stalks Celery
  • 4 cloves of Garlic finely chopped
  • 2- 28 oz. cans of crushed Tomatoes or whole tomatoes that are lightly chopped in the processor. San Marzano’s are the best
  • 1/2 cup of Marsala wine
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper

Equipment

  • Heavy Pot

Method
 

  1. Put enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the saucepan. The key to this sauce is to use a stainless steel or cast iron pan that will maintain heat. The cheap aluminum pans will not work, as they can’t maintain an even heat. My favorite is Le Creuset.
  2. Just heat the oil slightly, and then add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. You want to just sweat the mixture sweat gently. Don’t let it brown, as the flavor will become bitter.
  3. After the mixture has become soft, add the Marsala and cook until the alcohol is gone. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Now bring it back to a boil, and then reduce the heat down and just let it cook. The longer you cook it, the better it will be.
  4. After about 1 hour, you should add in the meatballs and cook for another 1-2 hours. Afterwards, you will have a beautiful, hearty marinara sauce with meatballs.
  5. Serve with your choice of pasta. I suggest spaghetti or penne if you prefer a heartier pasta.

Notes

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