Spanish-Style Albondigas in a Sunny Mediterranean Sauce

Plan ahead to create albondigas, a special meal of Spanish-style breaded meatballs fried and then simmered in a tangy, rich tomato sauce.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 24 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 54 mins
• Calories: 734 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup white wine
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
• ¼ pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons tomato puree
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped spring onions
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• ¾ pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot
• 1 ⅔ cups fresh, white bread crumbs, divided
• extra-virgin olive oil for frying
• ½ cup pancetta, chopped
• 2 (14 ounce) cans Italian plum tomatoes, chopped

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine ground beef, ground pork, spring onions, fresh oregano, 1 clove garlic, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, salt, and black pepper in a bowl. Mix well. Add 1 1/3 cups bread crumbs gradually. Form mixture into balls.

Step 2

Place remaining 1/3 cup bread crumbs in a bowl. Dip meatballs into bread crumbs and transfer to a tray. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least 30 minutes.

Step 3

Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat. Cook meatballs in batches, stirring and turning occasionally, until evenly brown and no longer pink in the center, 5 to 7 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into a meatball should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Step 4

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. Add pancetta; fry until brown but not crisp, about 4 minutes. Add onion and the remaining garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add red bell pepper, carrot, and celery. Fry, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add oregano, basil, coriander, and black pepper; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Step 5

Pour wine into the pancetta mixture and stir to reduce. Stir tomato puree in quickly to avoid burning. Add plum tomatoes; stir to break down. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens considerably, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Step 6

Blend sauce using an immersion blender. Add meatballs to the sauce; cook until heated through, about 10 minutes more.