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a saucepan full of pork meatballs in tomato sauce.
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4.43 from 7 votes

Pork Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

This is an easy recipe for pork meatballs in tomato sauce made from scratch. For a quicker version, you can use leftover meatballs and jarred marinara sauce.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Course: Meat Recipes
Cuisine: Romanian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 595kcal
Author: Adina

Equipment

Ingredients

Quick version:

  • leftover meatballs
  • marinara sauce from a jar Note 1

Recipe from scratch

Marinara sauce:

  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb passata or 1 can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leave
  • 1 pinch of sugar
  • fine sea salt and pepper

Pork meatballs:

  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 thick slice white bread crusts removed, about 1.7 oz/ 50 g
  • 2 large garlic cloves grated
  • 1 lb ground pork Note 2
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • fine sea salt and black pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley to serve
US - EU

Instructions

Quick version:

  • Heat the meatballs in the sauce, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
    leftover meatballs + marinara sauce from a jar

Pork meatballs:

  • Preheat the oven: If you want to bake the meatballs, preheat the oven to 360°F/ 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can cook the meatballs in a frying pan, on the stovetop.
  • Saute onions: Chop the onion finely. Heat the oil and cook the onions until softer and golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to the mixing bowl and let them cool slightly.
    1 tablespoon oil + 1 onion
  • Soak the bread: Remove the crust from the bread and soak the bread in a little cold water. Squeeze it lightly and add it to the bowl.
    1 thick slice white bread
  • Meatball mixture: Add the garlic, ground pork, egg, parsley, thyme, about ½ teaspoon salt (to taste), and pepper. Mix well with your hand, and form small meatballs. Wet your hands from time to time; it works better.
    2 large garlic cloves + 1 lb ground pork + 1 egg + 1 tablespoon parsley + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + fine sea salt and black pepper
  • Flour pork meatballs: Place the flour in a large, shallow bowl, add the meatballs 2-3 at a time, and toss them gently to coat them with flour. Pat them carefully to remove the excess flour. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
    1-2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Bake the meatballs in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked through. Cut one in the middle to check that it's cooked through.
  • Alternatively, you can fry the meatballs in a large frying pan. Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil and cook the meatballs in two batches, turning them regularly for 5–6 minutes, or until nicely browned and cooked through. Cut one open to check for doneness.
    1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Tomato sauce:

  • Saute onions: Chop the onion and the garlic very finely. Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and the garlic until translucent.
    1 onion + 2 garlic cloves + 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Simmer tomato sauce: Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan, leaving a crack open, and cook on a medium-low heat for about 30 minutes; the sauce should thicken slightly. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and another small pinch of sugar, if necessary.
    1 lb passata + 1 tablespoon tomato paste + 1 teaspoon dried thyme + 1 bay leave + 1 pinch of sugar + fine sea salt and pepper
  • Heat the meatballs: If you are using leftover meatballs, add them to the sauce during the last 10 minutes or so and heat them through. If the meatballs are freshly cooked and still hot, add them to the sauce and toss well. Sprinkle the dish with parsley and serve immediately or reheated.
    1-2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Notes

  1. Quick version: Use as much sauce as needed; it depends on how many leftover meatballs you have.
  2. Ground meat: You can also make the recipe with ground beef, a mixture of ground pork and ground beef, or with ground turkey.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 595kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 712mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g