This tasty Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe brings homemade tender and juicy browned meatballs together with an easy to make flavor packed simple six-ingredient marinara that is so much better than jarred sauce.
The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs
Indulge in a classic Italian dish with this delicious spaghetti and meatballs recipe. Hearty meatballs and rich tomato sauce make for a perfect comfort food meal. Enjoy this classic pasta dish with a simple garden salad, Italian chopped salad, or garlic cheese bread.
If your family is anything like mine, then pasta rules. If you like this recipe, then you must try some of our other favorites, like baked mostaccioli, pasta carbonara, cheese manicotti, and baked spaghetti.
The Ingredients for the Meatballs
Ingredients for the Homemade Marinara
How to make Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Start by gently combining the Italian sausage, ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic, salt, freshly ground black peppers, eggs, oregano, chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan Cheese.
- Roll the meatballs into golf-sized balls and place them on a baking sheet. Freeze for about 30 minutes.
- Bake the meatballs for about 25 minutes or until cooked through.
- While the meatballs are baking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil over medium-high heat. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions and drain well.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer. Add the meatballs to the marinara sauce. Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves or fresh parsley.
Recipe Tips for Amazing Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Mix the meat mixture with a gentle hand and only until it is combined. Overmixing will make the meatballs dense and dry.
- If using panko breadcrumbs, add 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the meatball mixture.
- Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or ice cream scoop for uniform-size meatballs. Lightly moisten your hands with cold water for easy meatball rolling.
- Pop the meatballs in the freezer for about 30 minutes to aid in keeping the meatballs round while they are baking.
- Use your favorite jarred marinara or tomato sauce to speed up the recipe on busy weeknights.
- If desired, cook and brown the meatballs in a large skillet working in batches.
- Don’t overcook the spaghetti. For most recipes, cooking pasta slightly al dente is better for taste, digestion, and texture.
Storage and Reheat
Store spaghetti and meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat. If at all possible, wait to add the parmesan cheese after reheating. It can make for sticky pans to clean up.
To freeze, first cool completely. Then transfer it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave at reduced power or on the stovetop over low heat
More Pasta Recipes
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground Italian Sausage
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs
- ⅓ cup minced onion
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons Italian parsley finely chopped
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1 lb spaghetti noodles
Marinara Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- Grated fresh parmesan cheese optional garnish
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley or basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Using a large bowl and your clean hands, gently combine the Italian sausage, ground beef, breadcrumbs, minced onion, minced garlic, eggs, salt, black pepper, oregano, chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan Cheese.
- Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon scoop for uniform size, roll the meatballs into balls and place them on a sheet pan with a little space between each meatball for warm air to flow. Bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.
- While the meatballs are baking, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Cook the spaghetti slightly al dente according to package directions and drain well.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, approximately 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper; cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the baked meatballs to the marinara sauce and stir gently to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Top with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- Mix the meat mixture with a gentle hand and only until it is combined. Overmixing will make the meatballs dense and dry.
- If using panko breadcrumbs, add 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the meatball mixture.
- Use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop or ice cream scoop for uniform-size meatballs. Lightly moisten your hands with cold water for easy meatball rolling.
- Pop the meatballs in the freezer for about 30 minutes to aid in keeping the meatballs round while they are baking.
- To speed up the recipe on busy weeknights, use your favorite jarred marinara or tomato sauce.
- If desired, cook and brown the meatballs in a large skillet.
- Don’t overcook the spaghetti. For most recipes, cooking pasta slightly al dente is better for taste, digestion, and texture.
Nutrition
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Khush
It’s one of my favourite dish. I love it with your cheese garlic bread. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Karen
My new favorite, spaghetti and meatballs! So tasty with everything homemade and fairly easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Jupiter
What a good recipe for a classic dinner! Thank you so much for sharing this.