Spaghetti and Meatballs
This spaghetti and meatballs recipe has that classic rich taste you love! It's got juicy meatballs in a flavorful tomato sauce, and everything is made from scratch in this Italian-American favorite.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes (with juices) see note
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional (or add more, to taste)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Meatballs:
- 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup milk whole milk recommended
- 1 pound ground beef see note
- 1/2 pound ground pork or ground Italian sausage
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for serving
- 1/4 cup (packed) fresh parsley chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Pepper to taste
For serving:
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti see note
- Torn/chopped fresh basil optional, to taste
Instructions
- I recommend prepping all ingredients before getting started to make it easier. The meatballs and sauce both use minced garlic, so be sure to mince it all at once (I use a garlic press to make this go fast). Add the canned tomatoes (with juices) to a large bowl and use your hands to break the whole tomatoes up.
- To start the sauce, add the olive oil, butter, and onion to a soup pot or Dutch oven and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, oregano, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Give it a good stir. Once the sauce starts to bubble, cover the pot with the lid slightly open and reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes (adjust between medium-low and low heat as needed to maintain a constant simmer).
- While the sauce is cooking, make the meatballs. Add the breadcrumbs and milk to a fairly large prep bowl. Mix/mash together until you've got a paste.
- Add the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl. Using your hands, mix it together and then form about 18 (1 ½-inch) meatballs. Don't over-mix or pack them too tightly, and use a delicate touch. Place the meatballs on a couple of plates or a parchment paper lined baking sheet as you go along for easy clean-up.
- Give the sauce a stir, then place the meatballs in the pot and gently arrange them so they're submerged in the sauce. Continue simmering (lid slightly open) for another 35-45 minutes or until they're cooked through (165F). You may need to increase the heat to get it going again, then reduce the heat and adjust as needed to maintain a simmer.
- Give the sauce a taste and season with salt & pepper as needed (I'm generous with both). Serve with cooked spaghetti, more freshly grated parmesan cheese, and some fresh basil if desired.
Notes
- The meatball prep time is counted within the cook time since the sauce is cooking while you're prepping the meatballs.
- I recommend using San Marzano plum tomatoes for best flavor.
- Fattier ground meats equal moister and more flavorful meatballs, so avoid anything that's extra lean (80-85% lean is good).
- If you have a strong preference, feel free to brown the meatballs in a skillet ahead of adding them to the sauce, but our kitchen tested both methods and the meatballs are tasty either way (and this saves time and extra dishes)!
- 1 pound of spaghetti feeds 6, so I would not make the full amount if you're not planning on eating it all right away. Boil fresh pasta when you're warming up leftover meatballs & sauce.
- Nutritional information includes the spaghetti (just over 2.5 oz uncooked/person).
- This recipe is also in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Calories: 772kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 1187mg | Potassium: 1118mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 806IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 288mg | Iron: 6mg
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