Nitrate & Nitrite Free Sunday Sauce with Herb-Spiced Meatballs
Few things hit harder than a slow-simmered tomato sauce loaded with tender, herb-spiced meatballs — the kind that fills your kitchen with the smell of garlic, fennel, and sweet San Marzano tomatoes for the better part of an afternoon. What makes this version especially smart is that every ingredient is clean and straightforward, so you never have to second-guess what's going into the pot. Conventional cured meats and processed sausages are common sources of added preservatives, but this recipe builds all of its deep, savory flavor from scratch using fresh ground beef and pork, aromatic fennel seeds, and a generous hit of garlic. Almond flour keeps the meatballs tender without any mystery fillers, and roasting them at high heat before they go into the sauce gives you that gorgeous browned exterior that makes the whole dish feel restaurant-worthy. The sauce itself gets a long, low simmer with tomato paste cooked down to brick-red, whole crushed San Marzanos, and a subtle warmth from turmeric that ties everything together beautifully. Torn fresh basil and a drizzle of good olive oil at the end are the finishing touches that take it from weeknight dinner to something you'd genuinely be proud to serve on a Sunday. This is the kind of recipe you make once and then want to keep in permanent rotation.
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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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