Slow-Cooker Italian Meatballs
These meatballs taste just like your nonna’s without any pre-cooking or tending to—just throw them in the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. The recipe makes enough meatballs and sauce to serve with two pounds of pasta. They are also delicious over polenta, stuffed into sub rolls or as a pizza topping.
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker 4- to 6-quart capacity
- 1 Food Processor
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Main
- Two 28-ounce cans whole plum tomatoes
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic crushed and peeled
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt
- 1 small onion cut into chunks
- 1 small carrot cut into chunks
- 1 celery stalk cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic crushed and peeled
- 1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- For the sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker and crush by hand. Stir in the tomato paste, olive oil, oregano, pepper flakes, garlic, bay leaves and 2 teaspoons salt.
- For the meatballs: Place the onions, carrots, celery, parsley and garlic in a food processor and pulse to make a paste. Transfer to a large bowl and add the beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, Parmesan and 1 teaspoon salt. Form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs (you should get about 20 to 24) and nestle into the sauce in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours. Discard the bay leaves before serving.
Notes
For a richer, deeper flavor, consider quickly browning the meatballs in a separate pan before adding them to the slow cooker; this develops a beautiful crust and enhances their savory notes. Be careful not to overmix the meatball mixture, as this can lead to tough meatballs. Gentle handling ensures a tender texture. When forming the meatballs, aim for uniform size for even cooking. Hand-crushing the whole plum tomatoes provides a more rustic, authentic sauce texture compared to using crushed tomatoes. Always adjust salt to taste at the end, as the sauce concentrates over prolonged cooking. These meatballs are versatile; beyond pasta, they're excellent in sub rolls or with creamy polenta.