Veal Meatballs in Spicy Tomato Sauce

This is one of my staple recipes, which I always make in big batches. You can freeze them perfectly in vacuum or ziplock bags and they can be served on their own, with bread or pasta. The options are endless and it will only take about an hour of your time to prep 70 meatballs in a spicy tomato sauce. 

Sometimes people think meatballs made from veal or beef tend to get dry, but I have the perfect trick to prevent getting dry balls. In Italy, they soak stale bread in milk and add this to the meat mixture. In this recipe, we will also use milk-soaked bread and we are going to add eggs and cheese to make sure we get a firm, but juicy meatball. 

This recipe is quite large and will provide you with approximately 70 meatballs in tomato sauce. Of course, you can also adjust the recipe to the amount of meat you want to use. I am also using a mix of fresh herbs because my grocery store sells them mixed, but these meatballs will also be great with only one fresh herb (basil, sage, oregano, etc.). So feel free to experiment with the spices and herbs, but make sure to keep the ratio of meat to milk-soaked bread, eggs, and cheese. I prefer these meatballs as a snack, but you can serve them with bread or pasta to turn them into a complete meal. Let us know what you think!

Step 1
Let’s start with finely chopping the onions and the garlic, keep them separate, and set aside. Sautee the onions in a small pan until translucent and set aside. Then cut your bread slices into cubes, put them in a bowl, and cover them with milk. Prepare your herbs so you can cut them finely; If you are using thyme and rosemary for example; strip the leaves from the stem. Now chop your herbs finely and set aside. 

‍Step 2
Get yourself a large mixing bowl and add the minced meat, freshly cut herbs, sauteed onions, about 50% of the garlic, eggs, parmesan, 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, salt and pepper, and the soaked bread cubes (push out the excess milk with your hands and add it to the bowl). Mix everything vigorously until very well combined. 

‍Step 3
Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celcius and line your baking tray with a sheet of parchment paper and start making same-sized meatballs. I use an ice scoop with a spring handle to be consistent and fast. Make sure to oil your hands and roll all the meatballs to create a smooth surface. Now bake your meatballs for about 20 minutes and golden brown. You might need to do this step in batches, depending on the size of your oven and baking tray. 

‍Step 4
Add a big saucepan on medium heat and add 100 ml of olive oil. add the rest of the garlic and saute for about 2 minutes, but make sure it doesn't brown! After two minutes add a teaspoon of chili flakes and two tablespoons of tomato paste and saute for about two more minutes. Then add in your canned tomatoes and let this simmer for about 30 minutes. In the end taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar to taste. add your meatballs to the sauce and let them sit for about ten minutes. Now you can put them in zip-lock bags or Tupperware for your fridge or freezer. Or you can eat them all with family and friends. Enjoy!