Pork and Onion Meatballs With Tomato Sauce

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 08/27/21
Pork and Onion Meatballs With Tomato Sauce

The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
573 Calories
29g Fat
33g Carbs
38g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 573
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 146mg 49%
Sodium 820mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 38g
Vitamin C 61mg 306%
Calcium 182mg 14%
Iron 8mg 42%
Potassium 1504mg 32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

For a delicious midweek supper, try this lovely, quick, and oh-so-easy recipe for making tasty pork and onion meatballs. As if they aren't delicious enough on their own, the meatballs are served here with a delectable sun-dried tomato sauce. It's perfect on pasta, or in hoagie rolls for a meatball sub sandwich.

This dish makes a great lunch or can be served as a main course at dinner. Children love meatballs, and this sauce is gentle enough even for them. You can tweak the recipe by adding different herbs (basil is a good one), but use them sparingly as you do not want to overwhelm the meatballs with them. Or, for a change, try this tomato sauce.

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground pork

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped

  • 1 ounce fresh breadcrumbs, or 2 ounces dried breadcrumbs

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

  • 1 teaspoon cumin

  • 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 large onion, coarsely chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, crushed

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes

  • 8 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

  • 1 cup red wine

  • 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the Meatballs

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Pork and Onion Meatballs ingredients

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Mix all the ingredients—pork, onions, breadcrumbs, lightly beaten egg, cumin, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper—for the meatballs together in a bowl except for the olive oil. Mix thoroughly to ensure everything is well combined.

    Pork and Onion Meatballs mixture

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  3. Once the mixture is worked together, shape into 16 evenly-sized small balls. You will find this easier to do if you keep your hands damp with a little cold water. Try to make the meatballs as even as possible as this helps with the cooking.

    pork and onion meatballs rolled into balls on a plate

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.

    oil in a pan

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  5. Once hot, fry the meatballs until browned, turning frequently to ensure they are evenly browned.

    brown the pork and onion meatballs in a pan

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  6. Remove the meatballs from the heat, cover and leave to one side.

    pork and onion meatballs

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

Make the Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients for the sauce.

    tomato sauce ingredients

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  2. Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large pan to hot—but not burning. Add the onions, and cook gently for 7 minutes taking care not to burn.

    cook onions in a pan with oil

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  3. Add the garlic and cook for a further 3 minutes until both the garlic and the onions are translucent.

    onions and garlic cooking in a pan

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  4. Add the canned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, paprika, wine, parsley, salt, and pepper to the onion and garlic mixture.

    tomato sauce ingredients in a pan

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

  5. Bring the sauce to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and add the meatballs. Cook for another 20 minutes. Put the freshly grated parmesan cheese on top, if using. Serve and enjoy!

    Pork and Onion Meatballs With Tomato Sauce in a pan

    The Spruce / Nyssa Tanner

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