BHA & BHT Free Sunday Sauce with Herb-Spiced Meatballs
Few things hit harder than a slow-simmered tomato sauce that fills the whole kitchen with the smell of garlic, fennel, and herbs. This is that kind of recipe — deeply savory, rich from two types of meat, and built entirely from whole, recognizable ingredients with no preservatives hiding in the mix. BHA and BHT are common in packaged breadcrumbs, canned goods, and processed meats, so swapping in almond flour as the binder and reaching for San Marzano tomatoes and pure tomato paste keeps every component clean from start to finish. The meatballs get roasted at high heat first, which locks in flavor and gives them a gorgeous browned exterior before they ever touch the sauce. From there, they braise low and slow in that brick-red tomato base until everything is tender and the sauce has thickened into something truly special. A handful of torn fresh basil and a drizzle of good olive oil at the end bring it all together with brightness and a little luxury. Serve it over pasta, a grain, or straight from the bowl — either way, this is Sunday cooking at its most satisfying.
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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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