Who doesn’t love meatballs?!  I also love any excuse for tomato sauce.  I could eat pasta everyday but I don’t think any of my clothes would fit if I did.  This recipe caught my eye b/c they are big delicious meatball without the pasta!

The meatballs were super hearty and the quick tomato sauce was very tasty!  1 to 2 meatballs per person depending on your sides should suffice.  I served the meatballs with sauteed spinach.  So delicious!

Sicilian Meatballs with Fresh Basil Marinara
Fine Cooking

• 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, more for sprinkling
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbs. chopped parsley
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• Sugar, as needed
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh basil

Put a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F. Line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment or a nonstick liner and set aside.

Put the breadcrumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl, stir to blend, and set aside for 5 minutes. With your hands, squeeze and mash the breadcrumbs so that they make a smooth paste. Add the egg and whisk, then add the Parmigiano, ketchup, parsley, oregano, thyme, half the onion, half the garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir to blend.

With your hands, break the beef into small chunks and add to the bowl. Mix gently but thoroughly; overmixing will make the meatballs tough and dry. When all the ingredients are evenly combined, shape the mixture into 6 balls and arrange on the baking sheet.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F at the center of a meatball, 40 to 45 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining half onion and 1 teaspoon salt and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining half garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, and lower the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick sauce, 
10 to 15 minutes. Taste the sauce and add a pinch or two of sugar if it seems too tangy, and season with more salt if necessary. Stir in the basil and keep warm until the meatballs come out of the oven.

Spoon the sauce generously over the meatballs and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Garnish with a sprinkling of Parmigiano.

Here is a tasty weeknight meal inspired by Vietnamese cooking.  The beef has a great sweet-savory flavor with a nice kick from lots of black pepper.

The sauce is comprised of fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and light brown sugar.  If you are not familiar with fish sauce, it is a staple in Southeast Asian cooking, especially Thai and Vietnamese.  It is made from fermented fish which sounds disgusting but lends a great salty flavor to recipes.  You can buy it at an Asian grocery or a gourmet food store.  Fish sauce keeps for two years in a dark cabinet.

I actually made the recipe using some leftover ground beef I had defrosted as well as some pre-cut “stir-fry” beef.  I preferred the ground beef but Tim liked the strips of beef better.  You can’t go wrong with either.

I served the beef with the chopped peanuts, scallions and shredded carrots.  We used Boston lettuce leaves as wraps but the beef would be delicious over rice.

If you are a bit lighter with the black pepper, I think kids would find this dish quite tasty as well!

Vietnamese-Style Beef with Garlic, Black Pepper, and Lime
Fine Cooking

• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 Tbs. light brown sugar
• 1 Tbs. fish sauce
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbs. peanut or canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 lb. beef tri-tip steak or tenderloin,cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
• 3 Tbs. chopped salted peanuts, preferably toasted
• 2 scallions, both green and white parts, thinly sliced 5 cloves garlic, minced

In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, and fish sauce; stir until the sugar dissolves. In another small bowl, stir the garlic, 1-1/2 tsp. of the oil, and 1-1/2 tsp. pepper.

Season the beef with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1-1/2 tsp.of the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Swirl to coat the skillet. Add half of the beef in a single layer and cook, without stirring, until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs, turn the pieces over and brown on the other side, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add 1-1/2 tsp. oil to the skillet and repeat with the remaining beef, adding it to the bowl with the first batch when done.

Put the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. oil in the skillet and heat until shimmering hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pan and stir to combine. Add the soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the beef and onions are coated and the sauce thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve sprinkled with the peanuts and scallions.