Here’s a classic, hearty Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe — tender homemade meatballs in rich tomato sauce over perfectly cooked pasta.
🍝 Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
For the Meatballs:
- 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (or half beef, half pork)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
For the Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce or 3 cups homemade tomato sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Pasta:
- 12 oz spaghetti
- Salted water for boiling
Instructions
1️⃣ Make the meatballs
- In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit 2 minutes.
- Add ground meat, egg, garlic, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Mix gently until just combined.
- Roll into 1–1½ inch meatballs.
2️⃣ Brown the meatballs
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Brown meatballs on all sides (about 6–8 minutes). They don’t need to cook through yet.
3️⃣ Make the sauce
- Remove meatballs temporarily if needed.
- In the same pan, sauté onion until soft.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Pour in marinara sauce and stir.
- Return meatballs to the pan.
- Cover and simmer 20–25 minutes until meatballs are cooked through.
4️⃣ Cook the spaghetti
- Boil spaghetti in salted water according to package directions.
- Drain (reserve 1/4 cup pasta water if needed to loosen sauce).
5️⃣ Serve
- Toss spaghetti with some sauce.
- Top with meatballs and extra sauce.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Tips
- Extra tender meatballs: Use a mix of beef and pork.
- Baked option: Bake meatballs at 400°F (200°C) for 15–18 minutes instead of pan-frying.
- Spicy twist: Add red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Make ahead: Meatballs freeze beautifully before or after cooking.
If you’d like, I can also give you a slow cooker spaghetti and meatballs version or a cheesy baked spaghetti and meatballs casserole.
