Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients :
Meatballs:
1 lb ground meat a mixture of beef and pork
2 garlic cloves
1 egg
2 ½ tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon hot paprika
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
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Tomato sauce:
1 medium onion
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves
2 cans chopped tomatoes each weighing 400 g/ 14 oz
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper
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Instructions:
Meatballs:
Make meatballs: Place the ground meat, grated garlic cloves, lightly beaten egg, dried breadcrumbs, parsley, sweet, smoked, hot paprika, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well with your hand. Form between 30 and 35 small meatballs, about the size of a walnut.
Fry meatballs: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Fry the meatballs (in two batches if necessary) until brown on all sides. This will take about 5 minutes. Take the meatballs out of the pan and set them aside.
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Tomato sauce:
Chop the onion very finely.
Saute: Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same skillet. Add the onion and cook it until translucent. Add the finely chopped garlic cloves and stir for another minute.
Simmer: Add the tomatoes from the can, fennel seeds, oregano, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and chopped parsley. Add some salt and pepper as well. Stir well and bring to a boil. Simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Add the meatballs to the pan and heat them in the sauce for about 5 minutes or cooked through. Serve as suggested above.