Slow-Cooker Meatballs with Tomato Ragu
Here you have two recipes in one, a tomato sauce infused with basil and oregano and succulent meatballs made even more tender with a long stint in a slow cooker. Give this recipe a modern twist by serving the meatballs and sauce over sautéed greens, or go old-school and serve them atop a pile of spaghetti.
Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
- 2 lb. (1 kg) mixed ground beef, pork and veal
- 1 egg
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 oz./30 g) fresh bread crumbs or panko
- 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) grated Parmesan or pecorino romano cheese
- 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh oregano
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
For the ragù:
- 2 cans (each 28 oz./875 g) crushed tomatoes with juices
- 1 can (15 oz./475 g) tomato sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh oregano
- 1 sprig fresh basil
- 3 Tbs. small fresh basil leaves
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 450°F (230°C).
To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the ground meats, egg, onion, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Using your hands, gently but thoroughly blend the ingredients. Form the mixture into meatballs about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter, placing them well apart on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. (You should have about 24 meatballs.) Bake the meatballs until browned, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a slow cooker, combine the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, and basil sprig, and stir until combined.
When the meatballs are ready, transfer them to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on the low setting for 3 hours. The meatballs should be tender and cooked through in the center and the sauce should be slightly thickened. Remove the basil sprig.
Divide the meatballs and sauce among individual shallow bowls, garnish with the basil leaves, and serve. Serves 6 to 8.
Adapted from Williams Sonoma Everyday Slow Cooking (Weldon Owen 2018)
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