We love Italian food and have made these meatballs with tomato sauce several times in our Thermomix. It's one of those dishes that we don't want to end! The meatballs are steamed and come out lovely and moist. I always make the full recipe and freeze half for another day.
If you don't have a Thermomix and would like to try making this recipe, please scroll down for the Non-Thermomix Instructions I have suggested.
Tips
- The meatballs and sauce freeze well together in an airtight container. Defrost and heat on the hob or in the microwave.
- Rub some olive oil on your hands to form the meatballs...the mixture won't stick to them!
- Serve with fresh or dried pasta of your choice - we like spaghetti or tagliatelle...and garnish with parsley and grated parmesan or mozzarella.
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How to make this Meatballs with Tomato Sauce with or without Thermomix
Recipe on Australia Cookidoo
If you don't have the Cookidoo app for your Thermomix, follow the recipe below:
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 40g bread, fresh or stale, cut in pieces
- 80g milk
- 6 to 12 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley, leaves only
- 1 clove garlic
- 400g beef mince, broken in pieces
- 2 eggs
- 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- olive oil, for greasing
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 clove garlic
- 50 to 80g onions, cut in halves (we like onions, so always put in the 80g)
- 20g extra virgin olive oil
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Place a small bowl on the mixing bowl lid then weigh in the bread and milk. Set the bowl aside and leave to soak.
- Place the parsley and garlic in the mixing bowl and chop 5 seconds/speed 7. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with the spatula.
- Add the broken up pieces of beef mince, eggs, salt, and pepper. Squeeze the milk out of the bread, add to the mixing bowl then mix 10 seconds/speed 5. Transfer to a bowl.
- Grease the Varoma dish and tray with olive oil. With oiled hands (use olive oil), shape into 16 meatballs (approx. 4cm) and place in Varoma dish and tray. Set aside.
For the tomato sauce:
- Place the garlic, onions and oil in the mixing bowl, chop 5 seconds/speed 5, then sauté 3 minutes/120C/speed 1.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Place the covered Varoma into position and cook 20 minutes/Varoma/speed 1. Check the meatballs are thoroughly cooked then serve hot, with the tomato sauce.
Non-Thermomix Instructions
I'd suggest the recipe can easily be made using a set of scales, chopping board, knife and food processor (or your hands) to make the meatball mixture and the hob to cook both the meatballs and sauce.
Please note: the meatballs are steamed in the Thermomix. For conventional cooking I'm suggesting to pan fry them first and then cooking them with the sauce on the hob. My suggestions are as follows:
For the meatballs:
- Place a small bowl on the scales and weigh in the bread and milk. Set the bowl aside and leave to soak.
- Finely chop the parsley and garlic by hand or chop in a food processor on high for 5 to 10 seconds.
- If making the meatball mixture by hand, put the parsley and garlic in a bowl and add the broken up pieces of beef mince, eggs, salt, and pepper. Squeeze the milk out of the bread, add to the bowl then combine the mixture together well with your hands or a fork. If using a food processor, add the mince, eggs salt, pepper and milk to the parsley and garlic and mix on high for 10 seconds, then transfer to a bowl.
- With oiled hands (use olive oil), shape into 16 meatballs (approx. 4cm). Set aside.
- Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium to high heat, and brown the meatballs for 5 to 8 minutes, turning frequently. You may need to do this in a couple of batches. Set aside.
For the tomato sauce:
- Finely chop the garlic and onions by hand. In a large saucepan, heat 0.5 tbsp of olive oil over a medium heat and sauté the garlic and onions for 3 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper and browned meatballs to the saucepan, cover and cook on a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.
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Ingredients
If you don't have the Cookidoo app for your Thermomix follow the recipe below:
For the meatballs:
- 40 g (1.4 oz) bread fresh or stale, cut in pieces
- 80 g (⅓ cup) milk
- 6 to 12 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves only
- 1 clove garlic
- 400 g (0.9 lb) beef mince broken in pieces
- 2 eggs
- 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- olive oil for greasing
For the tomato sauce:
- 1 garlic clove
- 50 to 80 g (1.8 oz) onions cut in halves (we like onions, so always put in the 80g)
- 20 g (0.7 oz) extra virgin olive oil
- 800 g (28 oz) chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
For the meatballs:
- Place a small bowl on the mixing bowl lid then weigh in the bread and milk. Set the bowl aside and leave to soak.
- Place the parsley and garlic in the mixing bowl and chop 5 seconds/speed 7. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with the spatula.
- Add the broken up pieces of beef mince, eggs, salt, and pepper. Squeeze the milk out of the bread, add to the mixing bowl then mix 10 seconds/speed 5. Transfer to a bowl.
- Grease the Varoma dish and tray with olive oil. With oiled hands (use olive oil), shape into 16 meatballs (approx. 4cm) and place in Varoma dish and tray. Set aside.
For the tomato sauce:
- Place the garlic, onions and oil in the mixing bowl, chop 5 seconds/speed 5, then sauté 3 minutes/120C/speed 1.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Place the covered Varoma into position and cook 20 minutes/Varoma/speed 1. Check the meatballs are thoroughly cooked then serve hot, with the tomato sauce.
Notes
- The meatballs and sauce freeze well together in an airtight container. Defrost and heat on the hob or in the microwave.
- Rub some olive oil on your hands to form the meatballs...the mixture won't stick to them!
- Serve with fresh or dried pasta of your choice - we like spaghetti or tagliatelle...and garnish with parsley and grated parmesan or mozzarella.
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