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This super-simple Italian sausage meatballs recipe is served in a delicious homemade tomato sauce, and it’s easy to whip up for a weeknight meal.
Serve with my Garlic Bread for an easy midweek meal.
Easy Sausage Meatballs
This recipe is based on one that I saw on a cooking show when I was living in England, but I can’t remember who it was that made it for the life of me. Whoever it was, I’d like to thank them because this meal has saved me on many busy nights when I needed a quick meal.
This recipe is also the first-ever recipe I posted on Erren’s kitchen, so it has a special place in my heart, and I hope you will love it too.
Why This Recipe Works
- Using Italian Sausage to create mini meatballs gives this dish a punch of flavor.
- Adding a stock cube to the sauce adds flavor and cuts the acidity of the tomatoes.
- A pinch of cyan pepper adds a little zing that elevates the dish.
Step By Step Instructions
Start a pot of water for your pasta.
If your sausage meat is still in its casing, remove the sausage meat and form it into small clumps so that they look like little meatballs.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the sausage meatballs, and brown the sausage until there is no pink left drain the fat from the pan.
Transfer to paper towels and set aside.
Add more oil to the pan if necessary. Add the chopped onion and cook until they are soft. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
Add the sausage meat back into the pan with the tomatoes, herbs, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and if using.
Crumble the stock cube into the mixture. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
When the sauce has about 10 minutes to go, cook the pasta until just underdone and reserve some water before draining.
Drain and add to the sauce to finish cooking (if the sauce has gotten too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to help loosen it). Serve hot.
For More Traditional Meatballs
If you want a more traditional meatball consistency, mix the sausage meat with a half cup of moistened breadcrumbs, an egg, and a half cup of parmesan cheese. Then pan fry before adding to the sauce.
Recipe Tips
- For an extra depth of flavor, allow the onions to brown in the pan and scrape any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan when you add the tomatoes.
- Stir often to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Use ready-made tomato sauce for an even speedier dish.
Rate This Recipe
Recipe
Italian Sausage Meatballs
Ingredients
- 6 Italian Sausages
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 28 oz crushed or chopped tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 Chicken stock cube (optional)
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 handful fresh parsley (chopped)
- salt and pepper
- 1 pound dried pasta
Instructions
Stovetop
- Boil a pot of water for your pasta.
- To start, remove the sausage meat from the casings in small clumps so that they look like little meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the sausage clumps and brown the sausage until there is no pink left drain the fat from the pan. Transfer to paper towels and set aside.
- Add more oil to the pan if necessary. Add the chopped onion and the and cook until they are soft and the sausage balls are a golden brown. Add the garlic and fry for another minute.
- Add the sausage meat, tomatoes, herbs, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and if using, crumble the stock into the mixture. Bring to a boil.
- As soon as the sauce comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer covered over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
- When the sauce has about 10 minutes to go, cook the pasta until just underdone and reserve some water before draining. Drain and add to the sauce to finish cooking (if the sauce has gotten too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to help loosen it). Serve hot.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Follow the stovetop instructions through step 5. Then transfer to a slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
Tips
- For an extra depth of flavor, allow the onions to brown in the pan and scrape any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan when you add the tomatoes.
- Stir often to keep the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Use ready-made tomato sauce for an even speedier dish.
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