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Sauce with ramen and meatballs
Buddy Love

Slow Cooker Italian Sauce and Meatballs Over Ramen

A slow-cooked Italian tomato sauce with homemade meatballs, served unconventionally over ramen noodles.
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Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large ziplock bag fresh or frozen tomatoes or 1 can tomato puree
  • 1 can tomato puree if not using fresh/frozen tomatoes
  • 1 can water if using puree
  • 16 oz tomato paste use 8 oz can if using tomato puree
  • 2 cans water per can of paste
  • 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 large palmful dried Italian herb mix enough to cover the top of the slow cooker pot
  • 1 smoked dried chipotle pepper or a couple of teaspoons of dried pepper flakes
  • 1/2 pound chopped meat
  • 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 1 egg per pound of meat
  • 1 palmful breadcrumbs
  • 1 palmful dried whole milk powder or liquid milk
  • 1 palmful Parmesan
  • a bit water if mixture seems too dry
  • a little butter or bacon fat if pan-frying meatballs
  • as needed ramen
  • as needed boiling water

Method
 

  1. Set the slow cooker to high. Add the fresh or frozen tomatoes whole to the pot.
  2. If using tomato puree instead, add 1 can to the pot, then rinse the can with a full can of water and add that to the pot.
  3. Add the tomato paste (16 oz for fresh tomatoes, 8 oz for puree). Rinse each can of paste twice with a full can of water and add that to the sauce.
  4. In a small saucepan, warm the butter or olive oil. Add the chopped onion, chopped garlic, salt, sugar, dried Italian herb mix, and smoked dried chipotle pepper (or dried pepper flakes).
  5. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the onions and garlic are just turning light brown. Add to the slow cooker.
  6. Let the sauce cook for a few hours, stirring occasionally.
  7. Combine the chopped meat, ground Italian sausage, egg, breadcrumbs, dried whole milk powder, and Parmesan.
  8. Add a bit of water if the mixture seems too dry. Mix well with your hands and form firm meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball.
  9. Cook the meatballs using your preferred method: drop them directly into the hot sauce, pan-fry in a little butter or bacon fat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or air fry at 400°F for about 10 minutes (turning halfway).
  10. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and keep cooking all day. Stir occasionally and skim off any fat if desired.
  11. To serve, boil water in an electric kettle and pour it over the ramen in a bowl. Let it sit until cooked through but not soft. Drain the water and plate the ramen topped with the sauce and meatballs.

Notes

If omitting Parmesan from the meatballs, add some salt to give it an umami taste. Leftover sauce can be cooled, portioned into containers or ziplock bags, and frozen for future use.
Total time: all day.