Rao’s Meat Balls and Marinara Sauce

During summer, I’m lucky to receive basket upon basket of fresh home grown tomatoes from my daughter-in-law’s garden.  I have prepared tomato salads, Caprese salad, Fresh Tomato Tart, Tomato soup with cheese toasts and of course, tomato sauce…

To do justice to the gorgeous tomatoes, we wanted to make the best marinara sauce! Since I have not been to the legendary – and notoriously impossible to get into – Rao’s restaurant in NYC, the next best thing is to follow its signature meatballs and marinara sauce recipe.

This Rao’s Meat Balls and Marinara Sauce recipe has been published in the NY Times:

Jeremy and I have made an adjustment and have used 8 fresh tomatoes and only one 28-oz can of Italian crushed tomatoes.  If you use fresh tomatoes, there are many ways to remove the seeds and skin. This time I follow Jeremy’s favorite way, which is to cut the tomatoes in half. Over a small bowl, squeeze each half so the seeds would pop out. Then rub the cut part of the tomato against a grater over a larger bowl to extract the pulp, until only the skin is left. Repeat with all the tomatoes.

The meatballs are so tasty and with the right consistency, and the tomato sauce is absolutely delicious! No wonder Rao’s is such a popular place that it’s impossible to get a reservation!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SAUCE:

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 ounces salt pork, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons minced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 28-ounce cans imported Italian crushed tomatoes
• 6 leaves fresh basil, torn into small pieces
• Pinch of dried oregano
• Salt and ground black pepper

FOR THE MEATBALLS:

• 1 pound ground lean beef
• ½ pound ground veal
• ½ pound ground pork
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
• 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 cups fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, lightly smashed

PREPARATION

1, Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the salt pork. Sauté until fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard salt pork. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté just until softened. Add tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 45 minutes. Add the basil, oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 minute more.

2. Make the meatballs: In a mixing bowl, combine the beef, veal and pork. Add the eggs, cheese, parsley and minced garlic, then salt and pepper as desired. Add the bread crumbs and mix well. Slowly add up to 2 cups water, 1/2 cup at a time, until the mixture is moist; all the water may not be needed. Shape into 1 1/2 -inch meatballs.

3. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the smashed garlic and sauté until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then discard the garlic. Working in batches and taking care not to crowd the pan, add meatballs and fry until undersides are brown and slightly crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 5 minutes more. Transfer cooked meatballs to paper towels to drain, then add to the marinara sauce. Mix gently and serve.

The meatballs are so tasty on their own, or you could serve them with your favorite pasta.

We think it’s perfect with high quality spaghetti or rigatoni.

Rao’s NYC is notoriously impossible to get into, so the next best thing is to follow its signature Meat Balls and Marinara Sauce recipe!

We highly recommend this Italian brand of pasta, which could be ordered through Amazon.

Pastificio G. Di Martino Italy Pasta – Mezzi Rigatoni 16 oz.

Click here for more info or to buy

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