Meatballs & Roasted Tomato Sauce

These Meatballs in homemade Roasted Tomato Sauce is the definition of comfort food at its finest.

Succulent seasoned meatballs, seasoned to perfection, nestled in a bed of vibrant, roasted tomato goodness. What really sets this recipe apart is the process of roasting fresh tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic to intensify the flavour.

While the meatballs are served over pasta, they can also be nestled in a warm sub, or savoured on their own. Let's dive into the kitchen and create something absolutely delicious!

Meatballs & Roasted Tomato Sauce

Serves: 5-6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Roasted Tomato Sauce

• 4 roma tomatoes

• 1 red bell pepper

• 1 yellow onion

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 1 ½ teaspoons salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons dried basil (or a handful of fresh basil)

• 4-5 sun-dried tomatoes

Meatballs

• 2 pounds lean ground beef

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil

• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano

• 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat to 400°F.

2. Chop the pepper, tomatoes, and onion in roughly 1-inch cubes and put on the baking sheet. Drizzle the oil over the vegetables and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Slice the top of the head of garlic off, leaving the root intact. Drizzle about half a teaspoon of oil over the newly-sliced garlic cloves. Wrap in tin foil, keeping the top facing up and set it in the middle of the baking sheet with the vegetables. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender and softened.

4. While the vegetables roast, assemble the meatballs by combining the ground beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, parsley, and basil in a medium bowl. Shape the meat into 20 medium-sized balls and place on a plate. Tip: mix with your hands or with a potato masher to distribute the seasoning throughout the meat!

5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 ½ tablespoons of oil. When the oil is shimmering and the pan is hot, add the meatballs and sear on all sides until done, about 2-3 minutes per side.

6. While the meatballs cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil with salt. Add a long-cut pasta like linguini or fettucini to the pot and boil until cooked al dente.

7. When the vegetables are done roasting, place them in a blender, along with the roasted garlic cloves (be careful - the garlic will be hot!). Then, add 4-5 sun-dried tomatoes, 1 ½ tablespoons of dried basil or a handful of fresh basil, and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

8. Once the meatballs are cooked through, pour the tomato sauce over and coat the meatballs. Simmer for 5 minutes.

9. To serve, top the pasta with the meatballs and sauce and serve with parmesan and parsley. Enjoy!