Happy Saturday! I’m sharing foodie finds instead of fashion today and dishing on what goes into our favorite family recipe: Cheesy + Spicy Italian Meatballs! Patrick and I make this dish at least once a month and it’s always our favorite to serve to a crowd too. We have so much fun feeding Annie our favorite recipes and it’s no surprise she loves this one just as much as her parents do!
If you’re in the mood for gobs of mozzarella cheese, pasta sauce with a hint of spice and a meal that pairs nicely with red wine, then this recipe is for you!
Ingredients
- Loaf of French Bread
For the Meatballs:
- 1-2 Pound Italian Sausage (depending on how many your feeding)
- 1/4 Cup Italian Breadcrumbs
- 1 Egg
- 1 Clove Garlic
- Sprinkle of Parsley
For the Sauce
- Olive Oil
- 1 Bottle of Classico Pasta Sauce
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- Sprinkle of Red Chilis
- 1 Tablespoon Oregano
- 1 Cup Red Table Wine
- 1 Ball of Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- A Few Springs of Thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Start by mincing the garlic and mixing 1 clove with the sausage, breadcrumbs, egg and parsley. Shape into mini meatballs and cook over medium heat until browned.
- Set aside.
- Wipe out the same pan used for the meatballs and put it back on medium heat.
- Pour a tablespoon of olive oil into the pan and and remaining garlic and chilis.
- Toss for about 2 minutes then pour in your red wine.
- After they mix together for a minute or so, add the pasta sauce.
- Sprinkle with oregano and mix it all together.
- Toss the meatballs into the sauce and break apart the mozzarella ball and place chunks of cheese here there and everywhere between the meatballs.
- Top the dish off with shredded mozzarella cheese and few sprigs of thyme.
- Transfer the pan into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
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I think what sets this recipe apart for us is the addition of the red wine and spicy chilis. They’re two ingredients you don’t see every day and really step it up a notch. Sometimes we’ll even double the ground sausage if we’re serving this dish to a large group (or wanting even more leftovers.) A fun way to spice up those leftovers is to serve the meatballs in sub sandwich form. Yum. Now I’m hungry!
What are your favorite dishes that your family likes to make over and over?! We stumbled upon this recipe about five years ago and have changed up bits and pieces of it to make our own since. Thrilled to share our take on it with you guys! And as always, thanks for stopping by the blog!
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xo, alice