About this recipe

Tender, juicy homemade meatballs simmered low and slow in a rich, garlicky marinara sauce. This classic Italian-American comfort dish is weeknight-easy, crowd-pleasing, and freezes beautifully — serve over spaghetti, stuffed into a hoagie roll, or straight from the pot with crusty bread.

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to ![400°F]. In a large mixing bowl, combine the Italian breadcrumb and milk; let sit for 2 minutes so the Italian breadcrumb absorb the milk. Add the lean ground beef, sweet Italian sausage, eggs, minced yellow onion, 3 cloves minced garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined — do not overwork the meat or the meatballs will be tough.

2. 2

   Roll the mixture into balls about 1½ inches in diameter (roughly the size of a golf ball) and place them on a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet, spacing them about 1 inch apart. You should get about 24 meatballs. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until browned on the outside and cooked through (%[internal temp 165°F]). They don't need to be flipped.

3. 3

   While the meatballs bake, heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over ^[medium heat]. Add the 3 cloves of minced garlic and fennel seeds (if using) and sauté for 60–90 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the tomatoes and tomato sauce, then add basil, white sugar (if using), and salt. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.

4. 4

   Reduce heat to ^[low] and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly and the flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed.

5. 5

   Gently nestle the baked meatballs into the simmering marinara sauce. Spoon sauce over the tops of the meatballs, cover the pan partially, and let everything simmer together over ^[low heat] for 10–15 minutes. This allows the meatballs to absorb the sauce and become even more tender and flavorful.

6. 6

   Serve the meatballs and marinara over spaghetti, in hoagie rolls, or on their own. Garnish with torn fresh basil and a generous shower of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy immediately.