Artificial Flavors Free Sunday Sauce with Herb-Spiced Meatballs
This is the kind of slow-simmered Sunday project that fills your whole kitchen with the smell of garlic, tomatoes, and warm spice — the sort of meal that makes people wander in from other rooms asking when it'll be ready. Every ingredient here is whole and real: ground beef and pork, San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand, fresh parsley and garlic, and a spice lineup built entirely from your own pantry shelf. That matters more than it might seem, because packaged sauces and pre-seasoned meats are common hiding spots for synthetic flavor additives that have no business being in a dish this good. Almond flour stands in as the binder for the meatballs, keeping them tender without any processed fillers, while fennel seeds and a touch of turmeric give the meat a subtle, aromatic depth you won't find in a jar. The meatballs roast in a hot oven first, picking up a gorgeous browned crust before they finish low and slow in the sauce — that two-step process is what makes them so rich and satisfying. After an hour of gentle simmering, the tomato paste deepens, the sauce thickens, and everything melds into something that tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did. Tear some fresh basil over the top, drizzle with good olive oil, and you've got a bowl that's completely from scratch and completely worth it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
- ½ lb ground pork
- ½ cup almond flour
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the sauce
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cans (28 oz each) whole peeled san marzano tomatoes
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
For serving
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, almond flour, eggs, parsley, minced garlic, fennel seeds, turmeric, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix with your hands until just combined — stop as soon as no streaks remain.
- 2
Roll the meat mixture into balls about 1½ inches in diameter (roughly 24 meatballs) and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil and roll to coat.
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