Spanish Meatballs in Homemade Marinara

ByLisa Updated on

This recipe was inspired by a dish I had a couple of years ago in London.

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As soon as my husband and I checked into our hotel, we met up with my amazing friend, Jane (if you’re wondering, yes, Foodies Across the Pond Jane!😉)

To say we were jet-lagged was an understatement! But we were also hungry, so we wandered across the bridge, over the Thames, and found an insanely delicious tapas restaurant. 

One of the dishes we ordered was albondigas, which are Spanish meatballs.  They’re a staple dish at most tapas restaurants, and so freaking good!!! As soon as our server set down the plate, the first thing that hit me was the aroma of spices and tomato. 

After the first bite, it took everything in me not to eat the entire plate! Each meatball was impossibly tender and tasted of smoked paprika, garlic, fresh parsley, and sweet red wine. At the bottom of the dish was a pool of homemade tomato sauce to roll each meatball around in before eating.  Trust me when I tell you I wanted to eat that sauce with a spoon!!

When we got back home, I wanted to recreate something similar, but I also wanted to add my own twist to it.  

To make the meatballs even more tender, I added a Béchamel sauce to the mixture. You’ve probably seen this sauce used in lasagna, mac ‘n cheese, as a base for sauces, and in Croque Monsieur.  It’s heavenly and adds a lightness to the meatballs. 

So this recipe is a bit of a combo – inspired by a Spanish dish, but also includes a traditional French sauce (although there are theories that béchamel may have originated in Italy). 

It makes these meatballs so tender they practically fall apart! I highly recommend using this marinara recipe for an out of this world dinner. 

 

 

 

Overhead photo of meatballs in a blue bowl with cheese and a skillet with more meatballs in the background

Spanish Meatballs in Marinara

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Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian, Spanish
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons minced parsley
  • 1 tablespoons white Rioja or other dry white wine
  • 1 large clove garlic grated
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Homemade Marinara Sauce link in description or large jar of your favorite marinara sauce (i love Rao’s — it’s the closest to homemade and seriously delicious)

Instructions

To Make the Béchamel

  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter.
  • Add the flour; cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly until it thickens. Cook for about 1-3 minutes to cook out the flour taste. The key is to keep on whisking. At first it may not seem like anything is happening, but then it will start to thicken.
  • When the flour mixture has thickened, gradually and slowly whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Pour béchamel into a large bowl and let it cool slightly, about 2-3 minutes. You might need a spatula to get out all the béchamel.
  • To the same bowl with the béchamel add the beef, pork, eggs, parsley, wine, garlic, paprika, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Use your hands to mix well, but be careful not to over mix. The mixture should be on the wet side, and slightly sticky.
  • Cover and refrigerate meat mixture for about 2 hours. 

  • After 2 hours, remove meat mixture from the fridge and form into about 1 1/2-inch balls. I use my hands and eyeball the size, but if it's easier for you to use an ice cream scoop, that works, too. Place balls on a sheet pan or large tray.
  • In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil.
  • Add about 1/2 the meatballs and cook them over moderately high heat, turning, until browned all over, about 
8 minutes.
  • Transfer meatballs to a plate. Repeat with the remaining 
2 tablespoons of oil and meatballs; don’t wipe out the pan (this is where flavor is!)
  • OVEN METHOD: Place meatballs on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until they start browning on all sides, about 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of your meatballs.
  • When all the meatballs are cooked, add them all back to the skillet. Add the jar of marinara sauce, and bring sauce to a simmer. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes until sauce is nice and hot.
  • Serve immediately, and garnish with fresh Parmesan and parsley.

Notes

To save time, make the meatballs in the morning and store the balls, uncooked, until you’re ready to cook them. OR, complete all the steps (including cooking the meatballs), and reheat in a large skillet over medium heat. To FREEZE: Cook the meatballs fully and do not add to marinara sauce. Lay on a flat baking sheet or plate and place in freezer until frozen, 3-5 hours, depending on size. Place frozen meatballs in labeled container. When you want to serve them, heat in oven or in marinara sauce on stove.
Have you made this recipe?I’d love to know! Leave a comment or recipe rating and tag me @amenuforyou on social media!

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