Meatballs are the little black dresses of the culinary world.

You can dress them up for dinner with a velvet robe of sour cream and wild mushroom gravy. They can be simple, with a jacket of roasted tomato marinara, trimmed with fresh Asiago cheese and tucked into a crusty roll for lunch. Or they can be sweet and spicy, glistening with a glaze of pineapple juice, Sriracha sauce and sugar for a cocktail party.

They also are comparatively inexpensive; can be made ahead then sauced later; require little attention once prepared; often can be retrofitted on Day Two for a second go-round; and perform as well at a family dinner, a Sunday tailgate with friends or a flavors-of-the-world-themed get-together. For all this and perhaps more, the ubiquitous meatball is, well, ubiquitous.

Whether fashioned of pork, beef, chicken or no meat at all (as in mushrooms/lentils/cheese), the essential meatball ingredients are comparatively inexpensive. The affordability makes them the perfect vehicle to introduce family and friends to a new ethnic flavor profile.

Reaching beyond the meatball’s Italian-American roots is an exceptionally simple and yummy recipe for cocktail meatballs in “Ultimate Appetizer Ideabook: 225 Simple, All-Occasion Recipes,” by Kiera and Cole Stipovich. The recipe pairs a delicate ground lamb ball with a spicy-sweet glaze of chili-pepper jelly that can be made for pennies in about 10 minutes. They are like potato chips: You can’t eat just one.

When it comes to a more classic approach, it’s hard to think of meatballs without thinking of tomato sauce. A 2015 publication by the editors of Saveur, “Saveur Italian Comfort Food,” offers a spin on the pairing that calls for a very spicy meatball cooked in an unusually simple and spice-free red sauce.

They feature ricotta, pork fat and prosciutto with a half-dozen spices, all adding up to a dish that need not sit atop pasta to stand as an entree.

These meatballs are more involved than the meatballs I make to serve with my spaghetti, but there’s a nice trade-off in that the sauce sort of cooks itself in the oven. A couple of ingredients required special effort (my butcher had to trim a slab of pork fat for me), but they are worth the extra effort if you want to dial up Italian Night a notch.

Chili-Pepper Jelly-Glazed Lamb Meatballs

“Ultimate Appetizer Ideabook,” by Kiera and Cole Stipovich (Chronicle Book, 2016, $19.95)

• 1 pound ground lamb
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped mint leaves
• 3/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lightly beaten egg
• >> Chili-Pepper Jelly Glaze:
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons pepper jelly
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Mix all ingredients lightly, except egg. When combined, add egg; mix again. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment or foil. Cover; chill about 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake meatballs 20 to 25 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Meanwhile, make glaze: In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine all ingredients. Bring to simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until flavors have blended.

When meatballs are cooked, immediately add to glaze and simmer, uncovered, stirring gently until meatballs are nicely glazed.

Classic Oven-Baked Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Adapted from “Saveur Italian Comfort Food,” by the Editors of Saveur (Weldon Owen Inc., 2015)

• 10 ounces ground veal
• 10 ounces ground pork shoulder
• 2 ounces finely chopped pork fat or unsmoked bacon
• 2 ounces prosciutto, finely chopped
• 1-1/4 cups loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus more to garnish
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 7 slices white bread, finely ground in a food processor
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2/3 cup ricotta, drained in a sieve for two hours
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for greasing pan
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 4 cups canned tomato puree
• 1 cup beef or veal stock
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to garnish

Combine all meats, herbs, spices, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper in large bowl; set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together ricotta, milk and eggs. Add to meat mixture, gently. Chill 1 hour.

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 2 rimmed baking sheets with oil and set aside. Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop or hands, roll chilled mixture into balls. Transfer to baking sheets.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in high-sided, 3-quart (ovenproof) skillet over medium- high heat. Add half the meatballs; cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes.

Transfer meatballs to plate and wipe out skillet. Repeat with remaining oil and meatballs.

Return reserved meatballs to skillet along with any juices from plate. Add wine, increase heat to high and cook 2 minutes.

Stir in tomato puree, stock, sugar and salt; bring to a boil and tightly cover skillet.

Transfer to oven and bake until meatballs are tender and have absorbed some sauce, about 1-1/2 hours.

To serve, transfer meatballs to a platter and spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with Parmigiano and parsley.

Nutritional information unavailable.