Italian Pork Meatballs
I have said it before and I will say it again. Meatballs are so easy to prepare and they can be served in many different ways. This recipe is for Italian Pork Meatballs made with ground pork, onion, olive oil and spices cooked in a delicious homemade red sauce with just a little spice.
Italian Pork Meatballs
Italian Pork Meatballs in a Delicous Red Sauce
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 Pounds Ground Pork
- 2 tsp. Onion Powder
- 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- 1 T. Olive Oil
- 2 Slices of Fresh Milled Sourdough Bread, cut into small pieces*
Sauce
- 5 Cups Tomatoes, Peeled and Diced
- 1 Small Onion, Diced
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/8 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1 T. Olive Oil
Instructions
- To make meatballs, mix together ground pork, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, olive oil and bread pieces. Mix well and set aside to allow seasonings to incorporate into the meat.
- To make the sauce, place 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil into a 4 Quart Dutch Oven and warm on medium heat. Add diced onion, salt and garlic powder. Sauté until tender.
- Once the onion is tender, add the tomatoes, honey and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer sauce on low heat uncovered while meatballs cook.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with foil then parchment paper. I like to do a layer of both so that my food is not directly cooking on foil. The added layer of foil also makes for easy cleanup especially when cooking something that produces grease.
- Form Italian Pork Meatballs using and medium cookie scoop and evenly space on baking sheet.
- Bake meatballs approx. 35 minutes or until lightly golden on top and cooked.
- Remove meatballs from the oven and place meatballs one by one into tomato sauce.
- Simmer meatballs and sauce uncovered on medium low to allow sauce to reduce and thicken.
- Serve immediately over rice or noodles. Enjoy!
Notes
*The bread in the meatballs will help to thicken the sauce
Why our family loves this recipe…
These Italian Pork Meatballs are adapted from a recipe we received from an old friend. She was a farmers wife who knew how to cook delicious meals that fill up your belly! We love this recipe because it is packed with amazing flavor. The perfectly seasoned meatballs are tender and flavorful after simmering in the sauce. The sauce is so unique too. Unlike other Italian dishes loaded with herbs, the focus of this sauce is the tomato. The acidity of the tomato pairs perfectly with the honey and red pepper flakes making this recipe sweet with a slight heat at the end. It’s one of our favorite recipes to smell simmering on our stove!
Ingredients needed to this recipe:
- Plain ground pork
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Ground black pepper,
- Olive oil
- Bread pieces
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Step-by-Step instructions to make Italian Pork Meatballs:
In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the meatball mixture together and set aside to allow all of the seasonings to incorporate into the meat.
Meanwhile, make the sauce using:
Warm 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil in a 4 quart Dutch oven on medium heat. Add the diced onion, salt and garlic powder then reduce heat and simmer on low until the onion is tender.
Once the onion is tender: Add the tomatoes, honey and red pepper flakes. Simmer sauce on low heat uncovered while meatballs cook in the oven.
Cook meatballs in the oven –
It’s time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil then parchment paper. (I use the foil to catch the grease and the parchment paper creates a barrier so I am not baking directly on foil) Form Italian Pork Meatballs using and medium cookie scoop and evenly place on cookie sheet.
Bake the meatballs approx. 35 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Remove from the oven then place the meatballs one by one into the tomato sauce. Simmer uncovered on medium low heat. The meatballs will add amazing flavor to the sauce and the bread in the meatballs will help to thicken the sauce as it simmers and reduces. This is a beautiful process of allowing all of the flavors to fuse together.
Serving Italian Pork Meatballs to your family is sure to please everyone!
We hope you find this Italian Pork Meatball recipe a satisfying Italian dish with just a little added spice. Feel free to make it spicier by adding more red pepper flakes. If you decide to serve this on a warm crusty roll, be sure to top with some shredded mozzarella cheese, then melt in the broiler or toaster oven for a few minutes. Enjoy!
