Presto Meatballs And Marinara Recipes

ITALIAN MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Make Meatballs: In a large bowl mix all the meatball ingredients together so that everything is well incorporated. Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls. Use a small cookie scoop to make this easier. Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
• Make Sauce: In the meantime melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium, add chopped onion and saute until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the tomato sauce including the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir. Add the meatballs to the saucepan and make sure to toss them around a bit they are fully covered in sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Serve: Serve with mashed potatoes, spaghetti or your favorite side dish.

MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA

Steps:

• For the marinara sauce: Coat a large saucepot with olive oil and add the pancetta. Bring the pot to a medium-high heat and cook the pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, season generously with salt and stir to coat with olive oil. Cook the onions for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. The onions should become very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Pulse to combine the tomatoes in a food processor. Add the tomatoes to the pot and rinse out 1 of the empty tomato cans with water and add that water to the pot (about 2 to 3 cups). Season generously with salt and TASTE IT!!!! Tomatoes take a lot of salt. Season in baby steps and taste every step of the way. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and tasting frequently.
• Use the sauce right away on pasta or for any other tomato sauce need. This sauce can also be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for a few days and freezes really well.
• For the meatballs: Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and bring to a medium-high heat. Season the onions generously with salt and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes. The onions should be very soft and aromatic but have no color. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
• In a large bowl combine the meats, eggs, Parmigiano, parsley and breadcrumbs. It works well to squish the mixture with your hands. Add the onion mixture and season generously with salt and squish some more. Add 1/2 cup water and do 1 final really good squish. The mixture should be quite wet. Test the seasoning of the mix by making a mini hamburger size patty and cooking it. The mixture should taste really good! If it doesn't it is probably missing salt. Add more. Add more anyway.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Shape the meat into desired size. Some people like 'em big and some people like 'em small. I prefer meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball. Place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through. If using right away, add them to your big pot of marinara sauce. If not using right away, they can be frozen for later use. Serve with pasta and sauce or just eat them straight out of the pot! Top with fresh ricotta cheese, garnish with chopped pickles and chives and serve with grilled garlic bread. YUM!

PASTA WITH MEATBALLS AND HERB SAUCE

Steps:

• Mix together the basil, parsley and chives. Soak the bread in the milk for 5 minutes, then gently squeeze any excess milk from the bread; discard the milk. Combine the bread with the meat, 1 cup of the herbs and some salt and pepper; shape the mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs in a single layer (work in batches if necessary). Cook, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Cook the pasta in the boiling water until tender but not mushy. While the pasta is cooking, purée 11/2 cups of the herbs with 4 tablespoons oil, the garlic and some salt and pepper in a mini food processor or blender; leave the sauce rough or add a little water if you want it smoother. Drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of its cooking liquid. Toss the pasta with the herb sauce and most of the remaining herbs, adding the reserved liquid if the mixture seems dry. Top with the meatballs, garnish with Parmesan and the last of the herbs and serve.

CHICKEN PESTO MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain., In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, pesto, cheese and garlic powder. Add chicken; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-in. balls., In a large skillet, brown meatballs over medium heat, turning occasionally. Add sauce and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until meatballs are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Serve with spaghetti. If desired, top with basil and additional cheese. Freeze option: Freeze cooled meatball mixture in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a covered saucepan over low heat, stirring gently; add water if necessary.

MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare meatballs according to package directions. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine marinara and olives; heat through. Add meatballs and basil; heat through.

PRESTO MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Transfer the tomatoes and liquid to a bowl and gently crush the tomatoes with your hands.
• Heat the oil in a saucepan, set over moderate heat until hot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and liquid, tomato sauce, basil, salt, and red pepper flakes, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add sauce and toss to coat. Top with cheese. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread.
• Variations: Mushroom Marinara Sauce: After onion and garlic have softened, add 1/2 pound fresh sliced mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Continue with recipe as above.
• Tuna Marinara Sauce: Add 1 can Italian tuna, packed in oil, including oil, after sauce has simmered 10 minutes, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
• Sausage Marinara Sauce: After onion and garlic have been softened, add 1/2 pound crumbled Italian (sweet or hot) sausage and cook, stirring, until no longer pink. Add tomatoes and continue with recipe as above.

GIANT MEATBALLS AND MARINARA

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment and brush with oil.
• Combine the parsley, garlic, carrot, celery and onions in a food processor and pulse to make an almost-smooth vegetable paste. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the eggs to the milk and whisk together, then add to the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, beef and pork. Mix well with your hands. Form into 6 large meatballs and place, without touching, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the meatballs are just cooked through, about 40 minutes.
• For the marinara: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the oil and onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle but doesn't color, about 1 minute. Add the oregano, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water and smash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and flavorful, about 20 minutes. Toss with the meatballs, then top with Parmesan and basil to serve.

RAO'S MEATBALLS WITH MARINARA SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the salt pork. Sauté until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard salt pork. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté just until softened. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Add the basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute more.
• Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, veal and pork. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley and minced garlic, then salt and pepper as desired. Add the bread crumbs and mix well. Slowly add up to 2 cups water, 1/2 cup at a time, until the mixture is moist; all the water may not be needed. Shape into 1 1/2 -inch meatballs.
• Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and sauté until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then discard the garlic. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, add meatballs and fry until undersides are brown and slightly crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain, then add to the marinara sauce. Mix gently and serve.