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These baked meatballs in a rich tomato sauce with mozzarella and arugula could be whipped up in a matter of minutes! Serve them with our Spaghetti alla Siciliana.
Or try another classic Swedish Meatballs with Cream Sauce.
I’ve never been able to find a person who doesn’t like meatballs. I am particularly pleased with this recipe for baked meatballs for three reasons.
- They are such a crowd pleaser. Even picky eaters adore meatballs.
- Baked meatballs are inexpensive but don’t look like a cheap meal.
- The recipe is a snap to make, especially if you use store-bought meatballs!
Baked Meatballs vs Fried Meatballs
Which ones are better? The answer is not so straightforward as each method has their advantages. However I prefer baking mine and here is why.
- You can fit quite a few meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet at once without the fear of overcrowding. Baking meatballs instead of cooking them in a pan is a time saver.
- You don’t need oil when you bake meatballs in the oven, so you end up with less calorific meatballs.
- They remain perfectly round while frying meatballs can leave them misshapen.
- You avoid oil splatters when baking your meatballs in the oven.
On the other hand, you get this perfectly seared exterior on your meatballs that just won’t happen if you bake them.
Is it worth the hassle? Sometimes but most often, it’s not! Either way I provide both methods in the recipe card below and you can choose for yourself.
These baked meatballs, swimming in the most flavourful tomato sauce imaginable, are a riff off another popular recipe on my blog Stuffed Shells with Pesto and Tomato Sauce.
The Best Meatball Sauce
What sets this recipe apart from other meatball and tomato sauce recipes is the combination of a tomato sauce and a basil pesto for a creamier and more flavourful MEGA SAUCE.
Prepared pesto is a such an amazing ingredient to have in your arsenal.
Apart from using it straight up in pasta dishes, it could also be used as a flavour enhancer in a variety of ways. This Basil Pesto Caprese Salad is proof. The mix of basil, olive oil, pine nuts and parmesan cheese is a real winner!
If a creamier sauce is more what you have in mind, try my Meatballs in Creamy Marsala Sauce. It has all the comfort food goodness you crave!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I’ve also added some peppery arugula for a complexity of flavour and a bonus health boost as well as fresh cherry tomatoes. Mini mozzarella balls take these baked meatballs to another level of deliciousness!
- Use prepared, store-bought meatballs to make this meal even quicker and easier. Just make sure the meatballs are of the highest quality you can afford.
- Use canned chopped tomatoes, This is an affiliate link.crushed tomatoes or This is an affiliate link.tomato passata to make the sauce.
- Feel free to used regular-sized fresh mozzarella or even shredded mozzarella!
- I recommend using the combination of pork and beef but these meatballs could be made with 100% beef or 100% pork. Keep the rest of ingredients the same.
- You can substitute breadcrumbs with crustless bread, soaked in milk or water first, or oats.
- Finally, spinach can work well in place of arugula.
Serving suggestions
These meatballs and sauce are perfect for serving over pasta. I like a short pasta shape like This is an affiliate link.penne or This is an affiliate link.rigatoni, but any sturdy pasta will work. Mix the two together before serving and you have plenty for a great meal.
But I would add warm and crusty garlic bread to soak up all that delicious sauce, with a fresh green salad on the side to balance it all out.
Storage and leftovers
This meatball recipe is incredible when hot and fresh, but actually can improve when given a day for the flavours to combine and intensify.
Store the leftovers in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container for up to 3 days. You can either reheat gently on the stovetop adding a splash of water if the sauce seems too thick. Or put them in the oven at 160C/320F for 15 minutes covered with a lid or foil.
It will also freeze perfectly and can be kept for up to 3 months. Let them thaw completely and then reheat as above.
More meatball recipes
- Porcupine Meatballs in Creamy Tomato Sauce “Tefteli”
- Indian Spiced Meatballs in Curry Sauce
- Spicy Meatballs in Pomegranate Sauce
- Russian Meatball Soup
Baked Meatballs with Mozzarella and Arugula
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 500g / 1lbs beef, extra lean
- 500g / 1lbs pork, extra lean
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp of each dried basil and oregano
- 75g / 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 x 400g/ 14oz cans chopped tomatoes
- 3 tbsp basil pesto
- salt to taste
Additional ingredients
- 100g / 2 cups arugula/rocket
- 125g / 1/2 cup fresh mozzarella balls, small
- 4 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4-5 basil leaves, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃
- In a large bowl combine beef and pork, beaten egg, basil and oregano, breadcrumbs and salt, mix well and shape into 20 meatballs. (Alternatively you can use store-bought meatballs and skip this step.)
- (Baking method) Place meatballs on a parchment paper lined rimmed baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven at 200℃/400℉ for 10 minutes. (The meatballs will not be baked all the way through.)
- OR….(Frying method) Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the meatballs over medium heat but don’t cook all the way through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- To the same pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil, chopped garlic and basil and cook briefly for 1 minute, then add canned tomatoes previously processed in a blender until smooth or leave chunky for extra texture if desired. Then add 3 tbsp of basil pesto and salt, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Return the meatballs to the pan with the sauce, add arugula and mix, then scatter mini mozzarella balls, halved cherry tomatoes and basil leaves on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and mozzarella is melted and golden.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you put olive oil in the meatballs? It’s listed as an ingredient in the ingredients but doesn’t list adding it in the step by step directions.
Made this once already and put olive oil in but want to be sure we are making it correctly. My whole family (even my picky 10 and 7 year old) loved it!
Hi Amber, the olive oil is listed if people are using the frying method listed as an alternative. (section 4 in the instructions.)
could I substitute the arugula for spinach?
Thanks, Elaine
Absolutely!
This is a fantastic recipe! We love them as is or we slice a few & put in low carb wrap w/ red onion, lettuce, cucumber & tzatziki…amazing
Going to try this, but have uncooked frozen Meatballs. How long should I bake it for to be sure the Meatballs are cooked?
Hi Kristi, I would defrost the meatballs in the fridge, then follow the recipe as written.
I absolutely love your site and have been enjoying your recipes for years, so thank you. Just a quick note that you have this recipe listed under “gluten free”, but the meatballs call for oats or breadcrumbs, which are usually not gluten free. Obviously modifications can be made, but I wouldn’t classify this one as a simple easy gluten free recipe.
You are absolutely right, Cait that breadcrumbs and oats sometimes are not gluten-free although oats are naturally gluten-free unless contaminated during processing. The original recipe had oats only but got updated and changed to breadcrumb and the gluten-free tag got missed somehow. It’s been corrected.
SInce I do’t have basil I may try making arugula pesto as I have arugula in my garden! Thanks for the recipe.
That’s a good option, Kristin! Of course it will have quite a different flavour since basil adds so much to the sauce but I am sure it will still taste delicious.
Loved this!
I made these to take to work for lunch this week. Even though I had to sub in some misc spices and herbs as I couldn’t use Pesto due to being a Nut Free school the flavour was still fantastic.
Just a great meatball recipe all around. Thanks for another winner that’s going to be added into my regular rotation.
Yay!! I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for such a lovely review, Carmen!
These are very delicious. However there is a typo in the instructions that says to mix the “oats” into the meat mixture. I knew you meant the breadcrumbs as I have often replaced them with oats. This was great served on tri-coloured pasta.
Thanks so much for you review, Linda and for noticing the “oats”. This is an updated recipe and I used oats in the original but since then replaced with breadcrumbs but must’ve missed that one. 🙂 I give oats as a substitute in the post.