May 22nd, 2010
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Traditional Tomato Sauce with Meatballs

Does the smell of a certain food make you feel warm and fuzzy all over? For me that food is slow cooked homemade tomato sauce and meatballs. My mom used to leave her tomato sauce simmering gently on the stove all afternoon releasing the aromas of tomato and basil throughout the house. I always got excited about dinner when I could smell a fresh batch of tomato sauce cooking as I entered the front door. What was your favourite dish when you were a kid?

After moving out on my own I made this sauce on the stove but I ran into a problem — weeknights are just too short! So I had to restrict myself to preparing this scrumptious sauce and meatballs on the weekends when the stove could be supervised. As much as I love cooking I also like getting out to enjoy the sunshine, after all you can’t get a tan (or vitamin D) from the fluorescent lights in the lab.

The solution: Prepare the meatballs in the evening and start them cooking in the slow cooker with the tomatoes and herbs the next morning.

I tested this on Monday and I am thrilled with the results. The smell when I got home reminded me of when I was a kid so I couldn’t wait to taste it. While I cooked pasta on the stove, my hubby and shared a meatball and big grins spread across our faces — the taste of success! Not only were the meatballs thoroughly cooked, they were moist and permeated by the flavours of the herbs. The greatest feature of this sauce is that it’s texture comes from the grass fed beef, mushrooms and zucchini. It’s not thick and pasty like canned tomato sauce.

pastameatballs.jpg

Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce and Meatballs

Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 10 hours (low) or 5 hours (high)
Yield: 10-12 servings

  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • egg
  •  1⁄4 cup parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
  •  1⁄4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 tsp dry basil
  • 1 tsp dry parsley
  • 1 tsp salt
  •  1⁄2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  •  1⁄4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
  • 156 ml tomato paste
  • 9 diced Roma tomatoes (or a 28 fl oz can of diced tomatoes)
  • 20 g dry porcini mushrooms
  • 1 1⁄2 cups chopped zucchini (sliced lengthwise and then into 1 cm thick slices)
  • 4 cups water

For the meatballs:

Combine 1-½ pounds of ground beef, with the egg, parmesan, bread crumbs, dry basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Work with your hands until the ingredients are evenly mixed.

Pick up 1-2 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll it in your hands to form a meatball approximately 2 cm (1 inch) in diameter. Repeat until the meat finishes.

Place the meatballs in the bottom of your crockery (if you are cooking the same day), or in an airtight container to refrigerate overnight.

For the sauce:

Brown the remaining ½ pound of meat over medium heat until it no longer pink. Stir occasionally.

Stir in the onion, garlic, basil, and thyme until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste and keep stirring until the meat is covered.

Add the diced tomatoes and porcini mushrooms, and bring to a simmer.

Pour the contents of the pan over the meatballs in the slow cooker.

Add the water and cook on low for 8-10 hours (or on high for 5 hours).

Add the zucchini during the last 30-45 minutes if you are cooking on low (or the last 15-20 minutes if you’re cooking on high). Check to make sure they’re cooked by piercing them with a fork.

Cook pasta on the stove while the zucchini cooks.

Serve over pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

These meatballs also make hearty sandwiches when served on a crusty roll.