Honestly, I have no idea how Spanish this dish actually is. It’s another heirloom recipe from my mom’s recipe box, and the flavors are what might be expected from a recipe in the Midwestern US in the 1980s. I added quite a bit more seasoning than it calls for, as noted below.

As is, it’s a stick-to-your-ribs dish that’s tasty enough for a night when you have a little more time to invest in cooking dinner.

1 lb. ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 c. soft bread crumbs (equivalent to 1 brioche or hamburger bun)
1/4 c. chopped onion or 1 medium shallot
1/4 c. chopped celery (1 stalk)
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 tbsp. garlic salt*
1/4 tsp. pepper (or more)
1 can stewed tomatoes (or 2 medium fresh tomatoes, diced)*
12 oz. sliced zucchini
1/2 tsp. oregano (or 1 tablespoon)
1/2 tsp. basil (or 1 tablespoon)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. corn starch
1 c. beef or chicken broth
Optional: hot sauce or chili flakes to taste
3 c. hot cooked rice (for serving)

*If you’re substituting garlic powder or using tomatoes with no salt added, consider adding 1/2 or 1 teaspoon salt. It’s okay without it, but a little bland.

Combine the beef, bread crumbs, onion, celery, Worcestershire sauce, egg, garlic salt, and pepper. Form into 12 meatballs roughly the size of plums.

Place in a greased baking pan and bake at 325F for 20 minutes.

Combine the tomatoes, zucchini, oregano, basil, and sugar in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. (Or use a skillet and brown the zucchini a bit before adding the rest.)

Blend the corn starch and broth, then stir into the tomato sauce. Pour over meatballs and bake for another 10 minutes. Serve over rice.