Mains

Italian Meatloaf

Think of this Italian meatloaf as one big giant meatball, packed with familiar flavors but on a grander, more satisfying scale.

Prep15 min

Cook1 hr 15 min

Total1 hr 30 min

Serves4

Scale

Units

Ingredients

1 smallonioncut into 1-in pieces

1carrotcut into 1-in pieces

1stalk celerycut into 1-in pieces

3 clovegarlic

2 tbspolive oil

2 largeeggs

¼ cupfinely chopped fresh basil

1 tspsalt

½ tspfreshly ground black pepper

1 tbspWorcestershire sauce

2 lbground beef85% lean (or use 1 1/2 lbs / 680 g meatloaf mix plus 1/2 lb / 227 g ground pork)

¾ cupItalian-style bread crumbs

¾ cupgrated Parmigiano-Reggiano

¾ cupmarinara sauceplus more for serving

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2
Place the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the vegetables are minced. (Alternatively, you can mince all of the vegetables by hand.)
3
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the minced vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not brown. Let cool until just warm.
4
In a bowl large enough to hold all of the ingredients, whisk the eggs with the basil, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
5
Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, and cooked vegetables to the egg mixture and mix with your hands until evenly combined.
6
Form the meat mixture into a 9 x 5-in (23 x 13-cm) loaf shape directly on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the marinara sauce evenly over top, letting it drip a bit down the sides.
7
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F (71°C) in the middle of the meatloaf. Let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes. Scrape any fat away from the edges (it will ooze out and brown while baking), then use a wide spatula to transfer the meatloaf to a cutting board or serving platter. Slice and serve with more marinara sauce on the side, if desired.