Rao's Classic Meatballs Recipe: How to Make the Famous NYC Italian Meatballs At Home by Donna John

I finally tried Rao's marinara sauce, and it is now my favorite jarred pasta sauce. So when I saw that the famous New York City restaurant now has frozen meals – despite not buying frozen meals – I had to try one. The meatballs and marinara sauce seemed like the one to try, and we loved it. It got me thinking about how if the meatballs are that good frozen, how incredible they would be to prepare from scratch at home. When googling for a copycat recipe, you can imagine how excited I was to find that Rao's published the classic meatball recipe on its website!

"We’re sharing our secret recipe for the best Italian meatballs in the world," it states on the Rao's website. "Easy to make in big batches to freeze for later, or enjoy them tonight in a pot of marinara sauce over pasta or roasted vegetables. They’re light, tender and unbelievably delicious."

Ground veal is an ingredient in their meatball recipe. After reading the ingredient label on the frozen entrée and seeing that these meatballs were made with only ground beef and ground pork, I opted to not buy the pricey ground veal and use ground beef and pork. If you want to use ground veal, use half a pound of ground pork and half a pound of ground veal. I also added more garlic to the meatballs, and cooked them in less olive oil than the original meatball recipe called for.

The high-protein meatballs are tender, juicy and flavorful. Don't skip the step of seasoning the frying oil with smashed garlic because it really does make a difference (great tip!). 

Serve these homemade authentic Italian meatballs over your favorite pasta for dinner, in a meatball sandwich or on their own with a vegetable and salad. Don't forget a basket of garlic bread! (Now if I could only get reservations to the restaurant! #bucketlist

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup olive oil (I didn't use this much oil)
• 1 clove garlic, lightly smashed
• 48 ounces (2 jars) marinara sauce (I used, of course, Raos' Marinara Sauce)

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork (or 1/2 pound ground pork and 1/2 pound ground veal)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 small clove garlic, minced (I used about 3 cloves of garlic)
• 2 cups breadcrumbs (for gluten-free meatballs use gluten-free breadcrumbs)
• 2 cups water (or as needed)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Using your hands, mix together the ground beef, ground pork, eggs, Parmesan, parsley, garlic, and salt and pepper, to taste, in a large mixing bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and mix to combine. Slowly add the water until the mixture is very moist. Shape into 2 1/2- to 3-inch meatballs. You can use a meatball scoop or measuring cup to make them all the same size. You could use all ground beef or all ground pork, if desired.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the smashed garlic and cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and discard. Fry the meatballs in batches until very brown and slightly crispy on both sides. Remove to paper towels. I used about 1/4 cup of olive oil instead of the 1 cup the recipe called for. 
3. Pour the marinara sauce into a skillet. Add the meatballs and gently simmer for about 15 minutes. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
   

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