I also add chopped basil to the meatyballs. I'm going to make these this afternoon, and instead of letting them finish cooking in my regular sauce, I'm going to make a batch of fresh, simple marinara for them to hang out in. Oooh!!!
These came out really nice today. The simple marinara (just garlic, tomatoes and fresh basil) was a really sweet compliment. I also stirred all the ingredients but the meat and the bread crumbs together first this time, rather than just struggling with all that meat in a bowl; it worked really well. I then just put in the breadcrumbs and added milk from the bread-soaking bowl as needed to moisten. A little over 3 pounds of meat is a huge amount - I guess it's a good thing that as I was on the phone, Donovan snuck like 12 meatballs!