Oops! All Meatballs

Recipe and Photos By Cody Owens

Sometimes inspiration will sneak up on you when your guard is down—like when you’re walking down the aisle at the Piggly Wiggly in Fairhope, Alabama. 

You see, they have this little deli in there‚I think it’s called The International Goat—and I was just minding my own business when I caught wind of this incredible, almost smoky aroma of marinara. If you’ve been there, you know. It’s hard to describe why it hit me so hard, but I’ll just say it’s like I tripped and fell face first into the greatest plate of meatballs that man has ever dared to make. 

I was too chicken to ask the fella behind the counter what made this sauce smell so good, so instead, I’ve just been quietly obsessing over recreating this sauce/smell at home for like five years now.  

Honestly, that’s not even what this recipe is about, really. This is about a meal that I make at home quite a lot, especially when we’re wanting something light, that also toes that line between being hearty and indulgent. I also want to say up front I’m not super precious about any particular meatball recipe. This is all about the concept of making an entire meal around meatballs, sauce, cheese, and peppers. No noodles. All gas, no brakes. 

The Sauce

1 can (28 ounces) San Marzano tomatoes, whole, peeled

1 container (usually 24-ounce jar) tomatoes, strained

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed

1 teaspoon paprika, smoked 

2 tablespoons butter 

Pinch of sugar

Olive oil

Salt

In heavy-bottomed pot, add olive oil and sliced garlic cloves. Cook on low/medium for a couple of minutes until the slices start to get golden brown.

Add pepper flakes and smoked paprika and stir.

Add the strained tomatoes. I do this first to stop the garlic from cooking.

Add the can of whole tomatoes. I use my hands to crush them up a little bit.

Add a pinch of sugar and salt to taste, cover, and let it simmer for up to an hour. I’ve done 30 minutes, I’ve done several hours. It just depends on how much time you have—any amount will be OK, I promise. 

(During the cooking process, use a spoon to periodically break up the whole tomatoes.)

Add the butter at the end and stir to combine.

The Meatballs 

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork (I really like spicy breakfast sausage here) 

2 cups breadcrumbs 

2 eggs 

1 shallot, diced 

1 heaping tablespoon Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

(Feel free to scale this up or down; this recipe is enough for about four people.)

Combine all the ingredients in a big bowl. Once combined, portion out the meatballs to desired size. I’m team golf ball size. 

Place meatballs on baking sheet and into a 400-degree preheated oven. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your meatballs. I usually take mine for about 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them once or twice until nicely browned and cooked through. 

(Extra credit, but I simmer the meatballs in a little sauce after they cook in the oven.) 

The Assembly 

Marinara 

Meatballs 

Peperoncini peppers, sliced

Fresh mozzarella 

Grated parmesan 

This is the part of the recipe that I really want the reader to take note of. This is supposed to be an easy, weeknight recipe, so if you want to do premade meatballs and store-bought sauce, I totally get it. This recipe is all about the assembly. 

On a serving platter, ladle the sauce on the bottom until covered. You want the sauce to be hot so it melts the cheese a little bit. Using your hands, tear chunks of fresh mozzarella and arrange them on the platter with some sliced peperoncini peppers.

Add the meatballs, more cheese, more peppers, and cover with sauce and parmesan. Serve it up with a side salad and call it dinner.