Italian Baked Meatballs Recipe – Italian Special
These baked meatballs are both tender and flavorful. I often freeze them and thaw as many servings as needed for each meal.
- Prep Time35 min
- Cook Time1 hr 45 min
- Total Time2 hr 20 min
Italian Baked Meatballs Ingredients:
- 3 onions, diced
- olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 bay leaves
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 600ml passata
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 500g pack beef mince
- 125g fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 egg
- 250g grated mozzarella, buy a large block
- 100g mascarpone
How to Make Italian Baked Meatballs
Place diced onions and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Cook over gentle heat until softened. Add crushed garlic, increase heat, and sauté for a few minutes. Transfer half of the softened onions to a large mixing bowl.
To the frying pan, add bay leaves, chopped tomatoes, passata, tomato purée, brown sugar, and red wine vinegar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the sauce reduces and thickens, with a glossy surface. Season to taste.
Once the reserved onions cool, combine them in the mixing bowl with beef mince, breadcrumbs, fennel seeds, dried oregano, and egg. Season generously, then mix thoroughly by hand and shape into 20 meatballs. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a non-stick frying pan and brown the meatballs in batches until almost cooked through. Allow to cool. Combine 200g of grated mozzarella with mascarpone and a pinch of salt.
Once cooled to room temperature, combine the meatballs and tomato sauce in a large baking dish. Spoon dollops of the cheesy mascarpone mixture over the top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Freeze at this stage if desired.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C, gas mark 4). Cover the baking dish tightly with an extra layer of foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes until the meatballs are thoroughly heated through, the cheesy topping is golden and bubbling. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before drizzling with olive oil and garnishing with fresh oregano, if desired. Serve directly from the dish with crusty bread, pasta, or rice.
Recipe Notes:
Open-freeze the dish in the baking dish until solid, but ensure not to leave it for an extended period. Next, cover it first with a layer of foil and then with clingfilm to maintain an airtight seal (using clingfilm alone may disturb the cheesy topping when removed). Alternatively, freeze in individual baking dishes following the same method. The day before baking, move the frozen dish to the refrigerator. Once defrosted, proceed with finishing the dish as described earlier.
