one pot pork meatballs + creamy tomato sauce
Giving consideration to events so far this year, I took a really long time thinking on opening lines/thoughts for what will be the first thing we have done for ourselves in almost 6 months. "Digging in" "What's in a name" "Comfort food" "paths" "true to self", were all things that kept swirling around in my head. However, when it comes down to it, these are meatballs, and none of those things are really appropriate. I mean, seriously, they are simple, and delicious. That's really all you need to know. Sometimes, you really don't need to know the story, you just have to trust that the right ingredients will get you what you want.
one pot pork meatballs + creamy tomato sauce
for meatballs:
- 1 1/2# ground pork
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup parmesan
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tb fresh sage. chopped
- 1 tsp fresh oregano
- 3 Tb flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
- 1 egg
- 1 onion, chopped, sauteed, divided
Combine all ingredients (1/2 of each, garlic & onion) together in a large mixing bowl. Form into 2" balls. Place in large baking dish. Add tomato sauce. Bake in 350° oven for 45-60 minutes, or until done. When finished, remove meatballs from sauce and add cream a little at a time, until desired sauce thickness is achieved. Serve with your favorite pasta or alone.
for sauce:
- 1 large (28oz) can crushed tomato
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- salt to taste
- onion, chopped
- garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- heavy whipping cream
Combine all ingredients (minus the cream) and pour over meatballs.
crispy fried sage:
- small to medium sized fresh sage leaves
- olive oil
Fill the bottom of a small saute pan with olive oil. Heat oil over medium heat until hot. Fry sage leaves 6-8 at a time, until crisp, about 20-30 seconds. Transfer to a paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt.