Maggiano's Little Italy Italian Meatballs Recipe & Marinara Sauce Have Been Hacked by Donna John

Making homemade meatballs has become a delicious pattern in my house. Going to pat myself on the back and say I've gotten really good at making Italian meatballs. When flipping through a new cookbook recently, Hack That Dish by Todd Wilbur, I stopped at his hack for Maggiano's Little Italy Italian Meatballs, and I am so glad I did. These baked meatballs and marinara sauce are moist, tender and loaded with flavor. This was one delicious Italian dinner!

Photo credit (all photos): Donna John

"Several years ago, I duplicated Maggiano's signature Tenderloin Medallions, and recently I returned to copy the chain's Italian Meatballs," writes cookbook author Todd Wilbur. "The manager recognized me as the food sleuth who re-created their tenderloins and shared valuable intel about the famous meatballs recipe ... Now, with these helpful insider tips, you can hack the chain's mouthwatering meatballs and marinara sauce for restaurant-quality results in your home kitchen."

These high-protein ground beef meatballs are baked, then coated in some of the simple homemade marinara sauce before heading back to the oven to bake again until super tender. The ingredient list for this copycat recipe is simple and straightforward. Here is what to grab from your fridge and pantry for this meatballs recipe: a can of crushed tomatoes, olive oil, onion, fresh garlic, granulated sugar, salt, dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese (read about the health benefits of Parmesan cheese), flat-leaf Italian parsley, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, eggs and milk.

The cookbook recipe did not mention serving over pasta, but it was obvious to me they deserved a bed of pasta. If you prefer, you could serve them as-is or use them in a meatball sandwich, meatball casserole or however you like your Italian meatballs.

Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours
Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Marinara Sauce

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup white onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 28 ounces (1 can) crushed tomatoes
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Meatballs

• 2 pounds ground beef (recipe suggests ground chuck)
• 1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs (I grated 3 slices of bread)
• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup whole milk (I used evaporated milk)

Here's how to make it: 

1. Make the marinara sauce by heating the olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown.
   
2. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, oregano, basil and thyme.
   
3. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat off and set aside.
   
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Make the meatballs by combining the ground beef and breadcrumbs in a mixing bowl. Do not compact the meat. (For a gluten-free dinner, use gluten-free breadcrumbs.)
   
5. Add the Parmesan, parsley, garlic, salt and crushed red pepper flakes. Mix with clean hands, but do not compact the meat.
   
6. Add the eggs and milk.
   
7. Gently combine with clean hands. Do not compact the meat.
   
8. Shape the meat mixture into eight meatballs (about 6 ounces each). Do not compact the meatballs, keep them loose.
   
9. Place in a 13x9-inch oiled baking dish. Do not let the meatballs touch.
   
10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned on top.
    
11. Remove the meatballs from the oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees F. Add 1 cup of the marinara sauce and 1 1/2 cups water to the pan.
    
12. Cover the pan and continue to bake for 50 to 60 more minutes or until meatballs are tender.
    
13. If serving over pasta, cook the pasta according to package directions.
    
14. To serve, heat the remaining marinara sauce back up. Spoon the marinara sauce over the meatballs and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
    
15. Store any leftover meatballs and sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze the meatballs and sauce for quick dinners later.
    

Recipe cooking times, nutritional information and servings are approximate and provided for your convenience. However, 30Seconds is not responsible for the outcome of any recipe, nor may you have the same results because of variations in ingredients, temperatures, altitude, errors, omissions or cooking/baking abilities. Any nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and it is up to the individual to ascertain accuracy. To ensure image quality, we may occasionally use stock photography.

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