RECIPE: A template for speedy, spice-packed meatballs in tomato sauce
Meatballs in tomato sauce is often thought of as an involved Sunday dinner kind of a dish. However, you can pull off a weeknight meal that tastes like it’s been simmering for hours by tweaking the cooking method and adding a few flavor-packed ingredients.
Most meatball recipes call for a two step-cooking process: brown the meatballs, either by frying or baking, and then slowly simmer them in a long-cooked tomato sauce. But here’s the thing — you don’t actually need that browning step. Yes, it does build in an additional layer of flavor, but you can make up for that with your mix-ins. If you start with a high-quality marinara sauce, such as Rao’s, it doesn’t need any additional cooking before the meatballs are added, so you’ll only need to allow about 15 minutes of total cooking time.
For the meatballs themselves, I like to use ground lamb (freshly ground meat will yield a more tender meatball than vacuum-packed ground meat) paired with spicy garam masala, tangy feta cheese and fresh mint to complement the meat’s grassy, gamy flavor. I also incorporate each of those mix-ins to the sauce to tie the flavors together. The garam masala is added while the sauce simmers; the feta and mint are sprinkled on top right before serving.
You can also easily take these flavors in a different direction. Ground beef would pair well with Parmesan, fresh oregano and Italian seasoning; or stick with lamb and add ras el hanout, raisins and cilantro. Whatever ingredients you choose for the dish, be sure to serve with plenty of bread for scooping up all of the sauce.
- 1 1/2 pounds ground lamb
- 1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala, divided
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint, divided
- Salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 (24-ounce) jar high-quality marinara sauce, such as Rao’s
- On the side: Crusty bread
- In a large bowl, use your hands to mix the lamb with 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1/2 cup feta, 1/4 cup mint and a couple pinches of salt. Form into 12 meatballs the size of golf balls and set on a plate.
- Coat the bottom of a high-sided skillet with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Set the meatballs in the sauce in an even layer. Cover the skillet and simmer the meatballs until they’re no longer pink in the middle and register 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. If the sauce begins to boil aggressively while the meatballs are cooking, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Remove from the heat and top with the remaining 1/2 cup feta and 1/4 cup mint. Serve directly from the skillet with crusty bread on the side for dipping. Serves 4.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving: 735 calories (percent of calories from fat, 71), 36 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 56 grams total fat (24 grams saturated), 161 milligrams cholesterol, 1,254 milligrams sodium.Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
