Saucy Beef Meatballs with Butter Beans

Holding plate with beef meatballs and butter beans in tomato sauce.

No ratings yet

Saucy Beef Meatballs with Butter Beans

I'll never say no to a juicy little meatball, and these gorgeous beef meatballs are very hard to resist. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, they're loaded with fresh basil pesto, caramelized onions, and garlic, then simmered in a rich, hidden veg tomato sauce with protein-packed butter beans and lots of parmesan.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: meatballs, one pan

Servings: people

Calories: 505kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the meatballs -

1 lb ground beef (500g)
3 garlic cloves crushed
⅓ cup Greek yogurt
⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs or regular breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon dried thyme or oregano
A handful of fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh basil pesto
¼ cup caramelized onions or use caramelized onion relish
1 teaspoon salt

For the sauce -

1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup caramelized onions or caramelized onion relish
1 zucchini grated
1 carrot grated or finely diced
4 garlic cloves crushed
2 teaspoons dried herbs
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons tomato puree
1 can crushed tomatoes or passata (14oz or 400g can)
1 can butter beans (14oz or 400g can, or use a jar)
2 big handful of spinach leaves chopped
Parmesan to serve
¼ cup basil pesto to serve

Instructions

Make the meatballs.
Add the ground beef, crushed garlic, ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon basil pesto, ¼ cup caramelized onions, 1 teaspoon salt, and a big handful of fresh parsley to a large bowl. Mix to combine well.

If you'd like to check the seasoning, do it at this point. I like to pan-fry a little then taste it.

Roll into meatballs.
Scoop up a heaped tablespoon of the mixture, then roll into meatballs with your hands. Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Doing this with slightly wet hands will prevent the mixture from sticking to them.

Air fry the meatballs.
Arrange the meatballs in a single layer (if possible) in your air fryer basket. Air fry at 400℉ (200℃) for 9 minutes, until golden brown. They'll finish cooking in the sauce so don't worry if they're not perfectly cooked through at this point.
Start the sauce.
While the meatballs cook, heat your olive oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the caramelized onions, or relish, then add the grated zucchini, carrot, crushed garlic, dried herbs, and a good pinch of salt.
Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring, until the veggies have softened nicely, and the zucchini has released most of its water.
Thicken the sauce.
Add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree, then cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes until it darkens a little. Pour in the canned tomatoes, then the drained butter beans. Stir, then bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened nicely.
Add the meatballs.
At this point, add the cooked meatballs and gently stir them through the sauce. Simmer for another couple of minutes, then add the spinach leaves, stir, and let them wilt into the sauce.
Finish and serve.
Taste the sauce, then add a little more salt and pepper if you like. Finish by drizzling the pesto all over, then scatter with the grated parmesan to serve.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD AND STORAGE:

Make the sauce, then store it in the fridge for up to five days.
Make the meatball mixture, then store it in the fridge for up to 48 hours before rolling the meatballs.
Roll the meatballs, pop them into the fridge, then cook them later.
Or, the whole dish can be made in advance, then just reheated on the stovetop until lovely and hot again.

INGREDIENT NOTES: I like using lean ground beef here - I find the pesto, caramelized onions, and Greek yogurt keep them juicy enough. Using either homemade basil pesto (this better-than-storebought basil pesto is great), or good quality store-bought, fresh basil pesto will make all the difference to the flavor of your meatballs.

NEED CARAMELIZED ONIONS FAST? If you have an Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker), you can make these super speedy Instant Pot caramelized onions.

Nutrition