Italian Meat Balls In Tomato Sauce Recipe

Meat Balls:

  • 2 eggs
  • 3 slices white bread, crumbled
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 pounds ground beef (or 1 1/2 pounds ground beef and 1/2 pound ground pork)
  • 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) oil or fat

Sauce:

  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • 2 cans (4 ozs each) tomato paste
  • 1 can (1 lb) tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 bay leaf, crushed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups water

To make meat balls:

Beat eggs; add bread, onion, salt, pepper, and meat; mix. (Use hands if necessary.) Form into one-inch balls (about 48). Brown a few at a time in hot oil in a skillet. As they brown, transfer them to a 3-quart casserole.

To make sauce:
To fat remaining in skillet add all ingredients for sauce. Simmer 5 minutes. Pour over meat balls. Bake in a moderate oven (350F) 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve hot.

Yield: 12 to 15 servings.