| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 40 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 slice bread
- Milk, for soaking the bread
- 1/3 cup grated Romano cheese, plus more for serving
- Handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- Big pinch of kosher salt
- Big pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1/2 pound ground chuck
- 1/4 pound ground veal
- 1/4 pound ground pork
- Olive oil, for frying
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup red wine, for deglazing
- Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound bucatini
- Fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
- For the meatballs: Put the bread in a small bowl and add just enough milk to cover. Let soak for 5 minutes.
- Add the cheese, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, egg and soaked bread to a large bowl and mix lightly with your hands. Add the meat and gently mix; do not overwork. Form the mixture into balls and place on a baking sheet.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Working in batches, fry the meatballs in the skillet until all sides are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set aside.
- For the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the Italian seasoning and onions and sweat the onions until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the wine to the pan to degalze. Then add the tomatoes and meatballs, bring to a simmer and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the bucatini according to the package directions, reserving 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- If your sauce gets too thick, add some of the starchy pasta water to thin it out. Remove the sauce from the heat, season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh basil. Finish with grated cheese over the top and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 757 |
| Total Fat | 54 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 51 mg |
| Sodium | 774 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 757 |
| Total Fat | 54 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 51 mg |
| Sodium | 774 mg |
Reviews
Made the meatballs with beef and veal and the sauce was amazing ! I always tweak recipes I call it adding a little bit of me!
I didn’t enjoy. Too bland.
Very good! I made my meatballs with 50% pork and 50% beef. These have a nice texture and the Romano cheese gives this a nice flavor. I added one tsp of each onion and garlic powder. Tender nice meatball. I doubled the recipe and made 18 normal-sized meatballs, then used the remaining meat mixture to make my small meatball for Italian wedding soup.
I made the sauce and it is a good, basic recipe that tastes very fresh. I added 1.5 Tbsp. of sugar and that made mine just a bit better for me.
I grew up on Italian cooking and I will always love the simplicity of Italian food and how the ingredients shine very authentically. This recipe let the ingredients shine. Thank you!
You go melissathechef! People this is a tried & true recipe based on Jeff’s family roots made by his Nana & his Mama. If you watched the show Jeff & Geoffrey whipped it up in no time at all, hence the name “Presto Meatballs & Marinara!” If it’s bland, add your own spice blend & make it your own. I think it’s the idea that whatever is in your pantry you can make this simple family recipe to please yourself and/or your family. Why does everything have to come down to criticism? Let’s be open-minded about food & the joy it gives us when we cook…I love watching The Kitchen & love their easy going style of cooking….after all, it isn’t rocket science!
Very good!
Excellent!
This was also a huge hit, though I made the meatballs with ground turkey and lean ground pork and they were nice and moist. This marinara sauce was the best and I will definitely make it instead of buying bottled marinara. It was super easy.
This is a huge hit in our household. I’ve made it four times already! We prefer it with just ground beef as opposed to
This was a huge hit! This will be my go to recipe from now on .
I found it bland as well. The crushed tomatoes even with lots of seasonings didn’t deliver on flavor . Don’t think I liked the blend of meats either. I’ll stick to ground beef.