Sausage Meatballs with Puttanesca Sauce
EatSimpleFood.com
Sausage meatballs takes this puttanesca sauce to another level. Add spaghetti, polenta, or grits for a savory and comforting sausage meatball pasta puttanesca.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop / Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Ingredient List Meatballs:
- 1 lb ground mild Italian sausage
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 small egg, beaten
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
Ingredient List Sauce & Grits:
- 2 Tbsp e.v. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp capers, drained
- 1 Tbsp anchovy paste or 3 whole anchovies
- ¾ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- ⅓ cup pepperoncini, diced
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ~28 ounces crushed tomatoes or pasta sauce
- 3 Tbsp fresh sage or parsley, chopped - optional as garnish
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated - optional as garnish
- 1 cup polenta or grits or 1 pound uncooked pasta
Instructions
Make Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- In a large bowl, mix sausage, salt, pepper, eggs, bread crumbs, and 3 Tbsp sage (reserve rest of sage as garnish).
- Form 1 1/2" meatballs and place on an aluminum lined baking sheet.
- Bake for ~13-15 minutes or until cooked through
Make Grits or Polenta or Pasta:
- Cook grits or pasta according to package instructions.
Make Puttanesca Sauce:
- Bring a large pan to medium high heat and add olive oil to lightly coat the pan. When hot add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add capers, anchovy paste, olives, pepperoncinis, and oregano, and stir together. Add crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered 20 minutes.
- Stir in meatballs. and serve over polenta, grits, or pasta.
- Garnish with fresh sage or parsley and parmesan . Add salt to taste. Happy Eating! Beckie