Meatball Marinara Plate

Name: Meatball Marinara Plate
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb 50/50 beef and pork meatballs; 1 cup Slow-simmered marinara sauce; 2 tbsp Fresh basil; 0.5 cup Grated parmesan cheese; 1 tsp Kosher salt

Braised beef meatballs, San Marzano marinara, garlic bread.

Developed and tested by The Neon Griddle test kitchenPublished August 1, 2026Last reviewed August 10, 2026Corrections

Prep: 15m
Cook: 60m
Serves: 4
Level: Medium

Ingredients

4servings

50/50 beef and pork meatballs1 lb
Slow-simmered marinara sauce1 cup
Fresh basil2 tbsp
Grated parmesan cheese½ cup
Kosher salt1 tsp

Instructions

1
Fry crisp
Fry the meatballs in a skillet to develop a rigid, browned crust that will prevent them from disintegrating in the liquid.
2
Sear hard
Drop the seared meatballs directly into a pot of gently simmering marinara sauce for 1 hour, allowing the meat to flavor the sauce and the sauce to penetrate the meat.
3
Serve & garnish
Serve in a shallow bowl, heavily garnished with torn basil and parmesan.

Cook it safe

160°F / 71°C — Ground beef, pork, veal, and lamb, measured in the center of the thickest part.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking — within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F / 32°C.
Reheat leftovers to 165°F / 74°C before serving.
Use a calibrated instant-read thermometer rather than color or cooking time to judge doneness.

Temperatures follow the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperature chart.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

Calories: 452
Fat: 30g
Carbs: 19g
Protein: 28g

Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredients using standard reference values (USDA FoodData Central). 4 of 5 matched ingredients use verified FoodData Central entries (dictionary snapshot 2026-09-11). Brand, portion, and preparation differences can change the result. Frying fat is counted at the share typically absorbed, and brines drained before cooking are excluded. These figures are an estimate for general interest, not medical or dietary advice.

Equipment

Cast iron skillet

Cast iron stores enough heat to keep searing when cold food hits it, which is what produces the crust.

Also useful here

Instant-read meat thermometer — This recipe has a target internal temperature, and color is not a reliable way to read it.

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