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15-30 min6 servingsAmerican

Braised Italian Meatballs

By Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

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6 servings

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15-30 min

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Easy

Braised Italian Meatballs
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Recipe Details

Course: Main Dishes

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 12 min

Total Time: 15-30 min

Cooking Technique: Max Pressure Cook, Pressure Cook

Cuisine: American

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 28 ounce diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups beef or chicken broth
  • 1 medium green or red bell pepper
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1 medium carrot
  • 2 tsp dried basil or oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 tsp table salt
  • 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 1 lb bulk sweet or mild Italian sausage
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned dried breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup regular or low-fat milk
For these tasty meatballs poached in a light tomato sauce, we use Italian sausage and seasoned breadcrumbs so we don’t have to empty a spice pantry to get the right flavors. You could even serve the meatballs on split Italian hero rolls with shredded mozzarella cheese and some of the sauce from the pot. For more classic flair, skip the dried herbs and add 1 tablespoon each of minced fresh basil and oregano, as well as 2 teaspoons stemmed fresh thyme leaves.

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Stir the tomatoes, broth, bell pepper, onion, carrot, basil or oregano, thyme, salt, and nutmeg in the cooker.
  2. Mix the ground beef, sausage meat, egg, breadcrumbs, and milk in a large bowl until uniform. With clean, dry hands, form the mixture into 12 balls, using a scant 1/4 cup of the mixture for each. Gently immerse these meatballs into the tomato mixture in the cooker. Lock the lid onto the pot.
  3. Optional 1 Max Pressure Cooker
    Press Pressure cook on Max pressure for 10 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
  4. Optional 2 All Pressure Cookers
    Press Meat/Stew or Pressure cook (Manual) on High pressure for 12 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
  5. When the machine has finished cooking, turn it off and let its pressure return to normal naturally, about 25 minutes. Unlatch the lid and open the pot. Serve the meatballs in bowls with lots of the sauce.

Notes

Beyond
• You must halve the recipe for a 3-quart cooker.
• The sauce is thin. If desired, transfer the meatballs to a serving platter, then stir 1/4 cup tomato paste into the sauce and use the SAUTÉ function at MEDIUM, NORMAL, or CUSTOM 300°F to reduce and thicken the sauce, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes.
• For more flavor, brown the meatballs before cooking them in the pot on a lipped baking sheet in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. (They are fragile—turn gently.)
• Grate lots of Parmigiano-Reggiano over the servings, and/or drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

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About the chef

Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

In this duo, Bruce Weinstein is the chef and Mark Scarbrough, the writer. Together, they’ve published over 35 cookbooks, hit international best-seller lists, won national and international awards, and have been interviewed by the best, from Lester Holt to Barbara Walters. Weinstein also writes knitting books, designs patterns, and teaches knitting workshops. Besides writing their cookbooks, Scarbrough also teaches literature classes; has a podcast called Walking With Dante, where he takes you on journey from hell to paradise; and has written a memoir, BOOKMARKED: HOW THE GREAT WORKS OF WESTERN LITERATURE F*CKED UP MY LIFE.

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