Spaghetti and Meatballs
This homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe combines tender, juicy meatballs with a made from scratch six-ingredient marinara sauce.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 883kcal
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
Calories: 883kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 1173mg | Potassium: 692mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 378IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 5mg