Meatballs in Tomato and Pepper Sauce (Italian-American)

Italian Meatballs never tasted so good! Made in a delicious Tomato and Pepper Sauce. Serve over pasta or on their own with plenty of garlic bread for dunking.

Meatballs:
5.3 oz ground beef (155 g)
5.3 oz ground pork (155 g)
1 egg
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (40 g)
1-2 slices bread, crust removed, soaked in a little milk till soft (1 oz / 30 g)
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
1-2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Tomato & Pepper Sauce:
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 head garlic, minced
1 small onion, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
1 large yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
2½-3 cups passata or tomato purée (680 mL)
½ tsp. oregano
½ tsp. basil
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Make the Meatballs:
In a medium bowl mix together the ground beef, pork, egg, parmesan cheese, bread (squeeze out an excess milk and break into crumb size pieces), salt, pepper and parsley. Form the mixture into 12 equal size meatballs.

In a medium pan add 1 Tbsp. of oil and brown the meatballs, turning to brown on all sides. Remove from heat.

Make the Tomato and Pepper Sauce:
While the meatballs are browning start the sauce, in a large sauce pan add the 2 Tbsp. of oil, minced garlic, shallot and sliced peppers (about ¼" wide and 1" long or smaller if you prefer). Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, then add puree, oregano, basil, salt and pepper (or hot pepper flakes) and water, mix to combine. Add the browned meatballs (remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to the pan), gently cover with the sauce.

Cover the pan and cook on low/medium until sauce thickens and meatballs are cooked. Approximately 25-30 minutes (Uncover after 20 minutes if sauce is still very thin and raise the temperature a little to cook and thicken the sauce.).

Serve immediately with pasta or garlic bread.

Makes 12 meatballs.

Nutrition
Calories: 125kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 32mg, Sodium: 159mg, Potassium: 274mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 570IU, Vitamin C: 17.5mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1.3mg