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tomato sauce

Kefta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

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Kofta meatballs with bits of onion and parsley in a rich tomato sauce and a spoon holding a meatball.

Have you tried kefta before?! It’s spiced ground beef and has variations across North Africa and the Middle East. This recipe for Kefta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce features juicy, meatballs in a silky, savory tomato sauce. It’s as delicious as it is beautiful!

Kefta is a cross between meatballs and hamburgers. It’s hard for me to pinpoint exactly which cuisine this recipe was influenced by. The cumin and paprika are two signature spices of North Africa, yet ground beef stewed in tomato sauce reminds me of Italian cooking.

To make this dish, start by chopping an onion. Use half the onion in the sauce and mix the other half with the beef. For the half onion that gets mixed into the beef, chop it finely so that you get lots of bits of onion throughout the beef and don’t end up with huge chunks of onion.

A bowl of chopped onions with spices.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the finely chopped onion, garlic, cumin, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix it together with your hands and then add the beef. Mix it well and then set it aside.

Tomato sauce in a pot with bits of chopped onions.

Saute the other onion half in some olive oil. When the onion begins to get lightly golden, add the water, tomato sauce, and season with salt. Bring it to a boil and it pretty much does the rest on its own! You can use your own homemade tomato sauce or a store bought one. If I don’t have much time, I use jarred organic marinara sauce because I like the fresh tomato flavor it adds.

Kofta meatballs with chopped onions cooking in tomato sauce.

Once you have the tomato sauce boiling, switch back over to your beef mixture and form it into balls about the size of a golf ball. Flatten each ball into a mini hamburger shape and drop it into the boiling tomato sauce. Continue with the rest of the beef and then let it cook over a low boil until the beef is cooked which will probably take about 20 minutes.

Succulent kofta meatballs cooking in simmering, thick tomato sauce.
Look how rich and flavorful the sauce gets!

Enjoy this rich, flavorful dish served over your favorite grain. I love it with rice, quinoa, bulgur or couscous and I’m sure it’d also be tasty over pasta. Enjoy a fresh green salad to add a bit of freshness!

Kefta meatballs in a rich tomato sauce topped with chopped parsley in a saucepan.

I should also mention it makes great leftovers! Amazingly, the sauce and beef taste just as good (if not better) when reheated the next day!

For a tasty mini meatball recipe made with even more spices and a from scratch tomato sauce recipe, try my Bite Sized Meatballs with Tomatoes and Onions or another incredibly delicious dinner recipe, try my Shepherd’s Pie with Ground Turkey.

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kofta meatballs in a deep saucepan with rich tomato sauce and flecks of chopped parsley and a spoon holding a meatball

Kefta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
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Description

This recipe for Kefta Meatballs in Tomato Sauce makes an easy, healthy dinner! Everyone loves these juicy, delicious meatballs and rich, savory sauce! 

Scale

Ingredients

FOR THE SAUCE

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 cup water 
  • 1 cup tomato sauce

FOR THE BEEF 

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2–3/4 teaspoon salt 
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped, divided 

Instructions

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the beef, 1/2 an onion, the garlic, 1 tablespoon of parsley, the paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Set aside. 

2. Begin working on the sauce. Saute 1/2 of the chopped onion in the oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat until onion becomes soft and just starts to take on color. Add the tomato sauce and water and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-high heat until the sauce starts to boil. Reduce heat to medium but keep at a low boil.  

3.  Form the beef mixture into balls about the size of an egg. Flatten the balls into a patty/hamburger shape  and carefully drop each patty into the sauce. Allow beef to cook in the sauce without stirring for about 20 minutes or until beef has cooked and the sauce has thickened. Check the seasoning and enjoy! 

Notes

Serve with rice, bulgur, quinoa, or couscous!

Keywords: Beef, kefta, meatballs, tomato sauce, dinner

Baked Shrimp with Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

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a white baking dish with baked shrimp covered with tomato sauce, goat cheese, and herbs on a blue oven mitt and a bunch of parsley beside it

Meet your new favorite healthy dish featuring baked shrimp, a super flavorful, from scratch tomato sauce and goat cheese! Baked Shrimp with Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese will impress your guests and your taste buds!

This dish is so versatile. It’s great as an appetizer, lunch, or dinner. It works on a relaxed weeknight in or when you have friends over on the weekend.

Serve it with some crusty bread as a standout appetizer. You’ll also love it as a a light lunch or dinner with alongside quinoa or couscous and a nice green salad.

There’s nothing about this dish that’s difficult to make. You cook up a refreshing, hearty tomato sauce in about 20 minutes, arrange the shrimp in a dish, and top it with the sauce and goat cheese. It all goes into the oven and then…..it’s done!

a striped wooden cutting board with chopped garlic on it and a white bowl with two peeled tomatoes in it and a bunch of parsley behind it and a knife on the cutting board

As with most Mediterranean-style recipes, this dish is fresh-tasting, lively, and colorful! To make it, you start by making the tomato sauce. The sauce is simply a base of sauteed onion and garlic with a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes and fresh and dried herbs.

a closeup of fresh diced tomatoes, chopped parsley, onions and garlic in a tomato sauce

Next, add a little sauce to the bottom of your dish then begin arranging the shrimp in four rows of three in your casserole dish. Arranging the shrimp only takes an extra couple of minutes and you end up with these fun little towers (that sometimes topple over) of shrimp! Top with sauce, goat cheese, drizzle with olive oil and an extra sprinkle of oregano and bake it in the hot oven!

an overhead image of a baking tray with tomato sauce on the bottom of it and rows of uncooked shrimp on it and a bowl of uncooked shrimp next to it
a close up image of a baking tray with tomato sauce on the bottom of it and rows of uncooked shrimp on it

I made this dish the first time my now husband Joe met my family. While we were having lunch, my dad noticed that Joe was enjoying the shrimp. When Joe finished his shrimp, my dad quickly picked up the dish of shrimp and passed it to me and said “give Joe more shrimp!” It was a hit and so was Joe!

For a healthy (cooked tomatoes are so healthy), protein rich, savory dish, this recipe has you covered! It’s a reasonably simple dish to make and brings so many wonderful flavors and gorgeous foods together!

a white baking dish with tomato sauce on the bottom of it and rows of shrimp topped with goat cheese and a glass measuring cup on the side full of tomato sauce with a spoon in it

Love this sauce?! Save this sauce recipe and serve with your favorite pasta! To give it a bit of a more long-simmered marinara flavor for pasta simply simmer it on low for about 45 minutes. This recipe will give you about 3 cups of sauce which is enough for 12 ounces pasta. For another delicious tomato sauce, try my Bite Sized Meatballs with Tomatoes and Onions!

a white baking dish with baked shrimp covered with tomato sauce, goat cheese, and herbs on a blue oven mitt and a bunch of parsley beside it

VARIATIONS

–Instead of arranging the shrimp in rows, you can simply add all the ingredients to your dish in the same order without any arranging.

–Use your favorite fresh and dried herbs. I have made this sauce with fresh basil instead of the parsley and it’s sooo good. Dill or thyme are also good options. If you want to spice it all up, sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes into your sauce!

–Use feta or halloumi instead of goat cheese.

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Baked Shrimp with Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Dinner, Lunch, Appetizer
  • Method: Stovetop and Baked
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
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Description

This healthy, easy Baked Shrimp with Tomato Sauce and Goat Cheese recipe features shrimp topped with a refreshing tomato sauce and creamy goat cheese. Enjoy it for lunch, dinner, or an appetizer!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil plus more for drizzling 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp oregano, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails removed
  • 4 ounces goat cheese
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion. Cover, stir occasionally and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and add the garlic. Saute the garlic and onions for just about one minute.

2. Add the tomatoes and canned tomatoes (with their juices), chicken broth, and the teaspoon of the oregano. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer uncovered for ten minutes. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Coat the bottom of a casserole dish with one cup of the tomato sauce (just enough to barely cover the bottom of the dish). Place a layer of shrimp next to each other along the bottom of the dish. You should have four rows of three shrimp for the first layer. Make sure all the shrimp are facing the same direction. Season the shrimp lightly with salt and pepper. Add another layer of shrimp on top of the first layer. Again take care to make sure all the shrimp are facing the same direction. Add a final layer of shrimp on top of the existing shrimp.

4. Season with salt and pepper and spoon with the remaining tomato sauce on top. Gently place goat cheese over top each “layer” of shrimp. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the top with remaining oregano. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese has browned slightly.

Notes

To make enough for six rather than for four, make the same amount of sauce, but use a pound and a half of shrimp instead of one pound.