Baked Italian Meatballs
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C. Finely chop half of 1 onion and grate the rest. Mince 4 garlic cloves.
- Spread the chopped onion, half the garlic and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10 × 12in / 25 × 30cm roasting pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
- Mix 1 lightly packed cup of torn crustless white bread with the grated onion and juices. Leave for 3 minutes, then mash; add a splash of water if dry.
- Mix in 400g of ground beef, 100g of ground pork, 1 egg, ¼ cup of chopped parsley, the remaining garlic, ¼ cup of grated Parmesan, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Roll into generous heaping-tablespoon balls.
- Stir 800g of crushed tomatoes, ¾ cup of chicken broth, 2 teaspoons of dried Italian herbs, and 1 teaspoon of salt into the roasting pan. Set an oven-safe wire rack above it.
- Increase the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Space the meatballs on the rack directly over the sauce and spray with oil. Bake for about 20 minutes, until centers reach 160°F / 71°C. Stir the meatballs into the sauce.