If there is one pasta dish I could eat for the rest of my life, it would be pasta puttanesca. I am absolutely obsessed with that bold, briny, salty combination of olives, capers, and sun-dried tomatoes. But recently, I had a thought: why leave all those amazing flavors just in the sauce? Now, I introduce to you: loaded puttanesca meatballs in tomato sauce. Let’s dive in, shall we?
Loaded Puttanesca Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Inspired by the bold flavors of a classic puttanesca, these meatballs bring together olives, capers, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes in one hearty, savory bite. Perfect as a shared appetizer or spooned over a simple pasta with red sauce then finished with grated parmesan cheese.
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- Large frying pan
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup tomato sauce, warmed
- 1/4 cup canola oil, for frying
- 250 grams ground chicken
- 200 grams ground pork
- 1 egg
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated + more to garnish
- 1/4 cup seasoned Italian breadcrumbs, + extra if required
- 1 tbsp kalamata olives, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp capers, finely chopped
- 2 tsp anchovy paste
- 1 tbsp fresh Italian parsely, finely chopped
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 375. °F
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the basil, tomato sauce, and canola oil. Mix until well incorporated. Avoid over-mixing as this may result in a tougher meatball.Sammy’s tip: if the mixture feels too tacky (sticky), add a small amount of extra breadcrumbs until it is easy to shape into balls.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and fry until browned on all sides. Work in batches if you need to avoid over-crowding the pan.Note: they do not need to be fully cooked through at this stage as they will finish cooking in the oven.
- Transfer the browned meatballs to a baking sheet and place in the oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F about 10 minutes.(Start checking for doneness around the 8-minute mark).
- Coat the bottom of your serving dish with all of the (warmed) tomato sauce. Add the cooked meatballs, then garnish with grated parmesan cheese (if desired) and fresh basil.
- Serve right away.
Nutrition
Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 278mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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