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Meatballs in Bell Pepper Sauce

17/11/2023

Meatballs in bell pepper sauce are a tasty dish that combines the tenderness of meatballs with the sweetness and intensity of bell pepper. Here is the recipe with my Italian touch:

Ingredients

  • 500g of ground meat (beef, pork, or a mix)
  • 1 egg
  • 50g of breadcrumbs or bread soaked in milk
  • 30g of grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Chopped parsley
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 bell peppers (red and yellow, for a colorful dish)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 400g of tomato puree
  • 1 glass of white wine
  • Fresh basil
  • Sugar (a pinch to correct the tomato acidity)

Preparation

  1. In a bowl, mix the ground meat with the egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley until you have a homogeneous mixture.
  2. Shape into medium-sized meatballs and set aside.
  3. In a large pan, sauté a clove of garlic in extra virgin olive oil and remove it as soon as it turns golden.
  4. Add the meatballs and brown them on all sides until golden. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
  5. In the same pan, add the finely chopped onion and bell peppers cut into strips or cubes. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent.
  6. Deglaze with white wine and let it evaporate.
  7. Add the tomato puree, hand-torn basil, a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper. Let the sauce cook for about 10-15 minutes.
  8. Put the meatballs back into the bell pepper sauce and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes on medium-low heat, so that the meatballs are well flavored.
  9. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve the meatballs hot with their bell pepper sauce and, if you like, a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan and whole basil leaves for decoration.

Trivia

Meatballs are a very versatile dish and there are endless regional variations in Italy. In some areas, for example, raisins and pine nuts are added to the meatballs to give a sweet touch within a dish with a decidedly umami and rich flavor. In the bell pepper sauce, the natural sweetness of the pepper balances particularly well with the succulence of the meat.