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Parmesan-Spinach Meatballs with Homemade Marinara

Siri Daly's Meatball Sliders
Siri Daly's Meatball SlidersNathan Congleton / TODAY
Cook Time:
25 mins
Prep Time:
15 mins
Yields:
about 20 meatballs
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Chef notes

This flavorful meatball recipe uses minimal ingredients, takes very little time to make and best of all, sneaks vegetables into your family's diet. Win, win, win! It's delicious served over your favorite pasta or in between soft Italian bread.

Technique tip: After the spinach thaws, remove any excess moisture by placing it in paper towels and squeezing. This way your meatballs won't be too watery and fall apart. Another technique for maintaining the shape of meatballs is to place them in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to cooking.

Swap option: You could always use a combo of ground beef and pork, or you could go for leaner options like ground turkey or chicken.

Ingredients

Meatballs
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Marinara
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
To serve
  • To serve Cooked pasta or soft Italian bread

    Preparation

    For the meatballs:

    In a large bowl, add meatball ingredients and combine together using a large fork or your hands.

    Scoop out about 1/4 cup of mixture and form into 2-inch balls, placing them on plate or baking sheet. Put in the fridge for 20 minutes to set.

    For the marinara:

    Ten minutes after meatballs are in fridge, heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and heat for a minute or so, until garlic starts to brown. Add can of tomatoes and seasoning, and simmer sauce for about 5 minutes.

    Add meatballs to simmering sauce, and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring the meatballs about halfway through to make sure they're all coated in sauce.

    To serve:

    Serve the meatballs and sauce over pasta or sandwiched inside a roll.