The World's Best Meatballs with Arrabbiata Dipping Sauce

These meatballs are the abso best. They aren’t mushy, they aren’t bouncy, and they are exactly what you want a meatball to be: a zingy little flavor bomb with a non-creepy texture. Serve smaller sized meatballs as canapés. Serve bigger ones as dinner with spaghetti or even solo with some grilled vegetables on the side. Keep the arrabbiata sauce recipe in your back pocket because you’ll find you need it at the darnedest moments.

world’s best meatballs with arrabbiata sauce

The World’s Best Meatballs with Arrabbiata Dipping Sauce 

Yield: six servings, about 20 meatballs depending on size

For the meatballs:

¾ lb ground pork

¾ lb Italian sausage 

¾ lb Jimmy Dean hot sausage

1 egg, lightly beaten

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp garlic salt

½ tsp dried oregano

2 TB Worcestershire sauce

¾ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

¾ - 1 cup plain breadcrumbs 

S&P

For the sauce:

1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp (or more! I use 1 TB!) crushed red pepper flakes

½ cup dry white wine

Handful of fresh basil 

EVOO

S&P

Meatballs: 

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently mix using your hands. Mix until all ingredients are evenly distributed, but no longer.  Wet your hands and roll the meatballs into just under golf ball sized rounds and place on a greased baking sheet with plenty of space in between. Place the rack 7 or so inches from the top of the oven and broil for 5 minutes, turn, then broil another 4-6 minutes. If you do not have a broiler, bake until golden and just cooked through 13-15 minutes.

Note: if making these as an appetizer, make smaller meatballs and cook for less time, 8-10 minutes or so. 

Double Note: these freeze really well. Freeze any leftovers and reheat covered at 375 for about 15 mins or until warmed through.

Arrabbiata sauce:

Heat a swizzle of olive oil in a pan. Sauté the garlic and chili flakes for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and bubble for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and reduce heat to low, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the basil and purée the sauce. Adjust seasonings and serve warm. This sauce works well with meatballs, calamari, arancini, fried olives, pasta and just about anything else you can think of.