Meatballs in tomato sauce

Ingredients

• For the meatballs
• 500 g ground veal, thawed in the fridge
• 1 small onion, grated and lightly drained
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• For the sauce
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 800 g crushed tomatoes (1 can)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• ½ tsp salt
• ½–1 cup water, as needed

Method

1. In a bowl, gently mix all the meatball ingredients just until even – overmixing makes the meatballs tough.
2. With wet hands, roll about 16 balls of about 4 cm (about 30 g each). You can chill them for 15 minutes to help them hold their shape.
3. In a wide pot (26–28 cm), heat the oil over medium heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, paprika, salt and ½ cup water, and bring to a boil.
5. Lower the heat and add the meatballs to the sauce in a single layer. The sauce should almost cover them; if not, add a little more water.
6. Cover and simmer gently for 30–35 minutes. After 15 minutes, shake the pot or turn the meatballs gently with a spoon so they don't stick to the bottom.
7. Check doneness: at least 71°C (160°F) in the centre of a meatball on a food thermometer, as recommended for ground meat. You can also cut one open – the centre should be evenly coloured, with no pink.