Description
Succulent meatballs infused with fennel and garlic, nestled in a luxurious creamy tomato sauce with buttery beans.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound sausage (Italian or your choice)
- 1 small bulb fennel, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 can (15 oz) butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a large bowl, combine the sausage, fennel, onion, garlic, parsley, breadcrumbs, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well and shape into meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides (about 5 minutes).
- Transfer the browned meatballs to a baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.
- In the same skillet, add the crushed tomatoes and butter beans. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors meld together.
- Stir in heavy cream and simmer until the sauce thickens (about 5 minutes).
- Serve the meatballs over the creamy tomato butter beans and enjoy!
Notes
For a lighter option, substitute ground turkey or chicken for sausage and half-and-half for heavy cream. Use fresh herbs for enhanced flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 482
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 29g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 75mg