March Meatball Madness with Quick Tomato Sauce

By mamacasma

Ingredients

• 6 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1 pound ground veal
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• Quick Tomato Sauce
• 4 Tablespoons salted butter
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 bay leaf
• Leaves from 1 sprig rosemary, minced
• 2 cups canned whole Italian tomatoes, crushed
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Details

Servings 100
Adapted from food.usaweekend.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and lots of nutmeg. Remove from heat and let cool. Put the eggs and half-and-half into a large bowl and beat together until well mixed.

Add the bread crumbs and the cooled onions and mix together. Add the veal, beef and pork and mix well. Roll into 1-ounce balls — the size of a golf ball. (They’ll be soft, but will hold their shape when cooked.) Arrange on 4 large baking pans. Bake until just cooked, about 20 minutes. Serve with sauce (recipe below).


Melt the butter in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Add the bay leaf and rosemary. Add the tomatoes, reduce the heat, and gently simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the parsley and adjust the seasonings. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Yield: 2-3 cups