Happy Valentine's Day: Homemade Meatballs with Tomato-Basil Sauce

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Special Highlight: Homemade Meatballs with Tomato-Basil Sauce

Paint your kitchen red today with these bright, juicy, and delicious Homemade Meatballs with Tomato-Basil Sauce 😍. These delectable meatballs require some investment of time and a little effort but reward you with an unbeatably satisfying meal that is just the perfect comfort food to celebrate any special occasion. And while the meatballs stand out front and center in this recipe, it is the sauce that truly brings this dish alive and infuses it with incredible depth and flavor. 

To prepare the meatballs, head on to my Recipe Index for my standard cooking roadmap for delicious homemade meatballs. In a large skillet, heat up about 2 tablespoons of olive for 1 minute then pour in about 1 cup of Tomato-Basil pasta sauce. This can be prepare from scratch as well, but trust me, high quality store-bought sauce is just as good and saves a lot on time. Lower the heat to medium and let the sauce cook down for about 5 minutes, making sure to stir continuously. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of honey to balance out acidity from the tomatoes then add about 1/2 cup of whole milk/heavy cream and 1/4 cup of water/vegetable stock to help thin out the sauce a little bit. Season generously with some ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and a dash of salt to taste then allow the sauce to simmer down slowly under low heat for about 10 minutes. Use the back side of a tablespoon to check the thickness of the sauce - it should have a medium consistency. Once done, pour in the meatballs and gently spoon the sauce over them to coat generously. Let this cook and blend for another 2 - 3 minutes before turning off the heat and serving hot as a side dish with a starch of your choice - pasta, mashed potatoes, rice...the choices are endless. Enjoy! 😋💖💝💖