Italian Meatloaf
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Think of this Italian meatloaf as one big giant meatball, packed with familiar flavors but on a grander, more satisfying scale.
My family loves this delicious Italian meatloaf that is essentially one big giant meatball, or an Italian version of my classic meatloaf. It’s comforting and satisfying, and the smell of it baking in the oven always lures everyone to the kitchen. I serve it with a big Italian salad and Parmesan smashed potatoes, but it is also delicious with pasta or creamy polenta. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, the meatloaf is even better the next day, sliced and topped with melted cheese in a warm sandwich.
To make the recipe quick and easy, I use a food processor to chop the vegetables. I also cheat and use a good-quality store-bought marinara sauce; the recipe only calls for 3/4 cup, so there is no need to make it from scratch. It’s easy to make two meatloaves, so you might as well—one to freeze and the other to bake straight away.
Table of Contents
“So I made this meatloaf on a whim…My husband and my in-laws LOVED it. I was so proud!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Italian Meatloaf
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by chopping the vegetables. I use a food processor, which makes it quick and easy. Always rough chop the veggies before putting them in the machine, otherwise they won’t chop evenly.
You want to pulse until the vegetables are finely chopped but not puréed — this makes for a nicely textured meatloaf.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and cook the vegetables until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs with the Worcestershire sauce, basil, salt and pepper.
Whisk to combine.
Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, and cooked vegetables.
Mix with your hands until well combined.
Shape the meat into a 9×5-inch loaf on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet. I prefer to “free-form” it rather than cook it in a loaf pan — that way, the fat cooks out and there’s always enough well-browned crust to go around.
Top with marinara sauce, letting a bit drip down the sides.
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, until cooked through, then scrape away any fat that accumulates around the meatloaf.
Slice the meatloaf and serve.
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Italian Meatloaf
Think of this Italian meatloaf as one big giant meatball, packed with familiar flavors but on a grander, more satisfying scale.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 pounds meatloaf mix (or use 1½ pounds 85% lean ground beef plus ½ pound ground pork)
- ⅔ cup Italian-style bread crumbs
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¾ cup marinara sauce, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the vegetables are minced. (Alternatively, you can mince all of the vegetables by hand.)
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the minced vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not brown. Let cool until just warm.
- In a bowl large enough to hold all of the ingredients, whisk the eggs with the basil, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, and cooked vegetables to the egg mixture and mix with your hands until evenly combined.
- Form the meat mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf shape directly on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the marinara sauce evenly over top, letting it drip a bit down the sides.
- Bake for 65 for 70 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in the middle of the meatloaf. Let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes. Scrape any fat away from the edges of the meatloaf (it will ooze out and brown while baking), then use a wide spatula to transfer the meatloaf to a cutting board or serving platter. Slice and serve with more marinara sauce on the side, if desired.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked meatloaf can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, defrost it in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat it in a 300°F oven until hot in the middle. You can also freeze the meatloaf for up to 2 months before baking. Wrap the shaped loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. Add the marinara sauce after defrosting, when you are ready to bake and serve.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 585
- Fat: 42g
- Saturated fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Sugar: 4g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Sodium: 966mg
- Cholesterol: 180mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This was the most flavorful meatloaf I have ever had! Thank you so much!
I just made the meatloaf, turned out wonderful! Never really knew what ‘meatloaf’ was until I moved to Canada, and even then I thought it would be boring and bland..I mean who would just bake a hunk of ground meat like that…but I really love this recipe!!!! It was flavorful and not dry at all. Definitely a keeper and will be making it again, was very easy to do after you mix the ingredients and shape the loaf the oven does the rest, and loved how it made the house smell. I didn’t have marinara sauce but used rosee pasta sauce instead and I also did not have celery but just used more carrot and some green onions.
Do you have an Italian meatball recipe already on the site, or should I just make meatballs out of your meatloaf recipe? Do you think it would work? I need some meatballs! Thanks, Jenn.
Hi Christy, I have several meatball recipes on the site, but the one closest to what you may be looking for is from this Spaghetti and Meatball recipe. Hope you enjoy!
My family has an aversion to meatloaf…not this one! I have made several recipes but this is the one! It’s a keeper!!! I just fed 4 boys your meatloaf and they are HAPPY!!!
i love to read and analyze recipes before ever i try them out. this one is a keeper. i don’t like too much tomato in my loaf, and this has just a bit on top; fine, i can deal. it’s missing my fave bacon latticework, but it IS a giant meatball, so no bacon — pancetta, maybe?
Hollis, You could absolutely add pancetta along with the veggies. I’m sure it’d be delicious. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Hi there Jen,
I have been looking for a good recipe for meatloaf for a long time. It’s difficult as in Australia Meatloaf isn’t a popular dish. When I saw you added one I knew it would be amazing and tried it straight away. It was excellent, really delicious and easy to make. My Husband also loved it.
Just a note, when you change to metric measurements on this recipe, not all the pound measurements change to g/ kg. Just a minor note. Also on metric perhaps you could also change the degrees F to degrees Celsius. Just a thought to make it easier for people cooking metric.
Thanks so much for all your amazing recipes, Your website is absolutely amazing.
Talia
So glad you and your husband enjoyed it, Talia! Thanks for letting me know about the conversions — that was an oversight and it has been corrected 🙂
Hello. New subscriber here, really enjoying your website. Can I make this same meatloaf using ground turkey? I’ve tried making turkey meatloaf previously the texture & taste was always a litte off.
Justine, I think it’d work, although it’s not likely to be quite as juicy. If you really want to use turkey, you may want to try this recipe.
QUESTION: The recipe looks wonderful, especially adding finely chopped vegetables. Again, the question of adding onion, as they cause us gastric distress.
Hi Milla, If you’re concerned about the onions causing stomach distress, you could substitute an equal amount of carrots instead. Hope you enjoy!
Have you tried making this meatloaf with turkey instead of beef/pork?
Marcia, I think it’d work, although it’s not likely to be quite as juicy. If you really want to use turkey, you may want to try this recipe.
Hi Jenn,
How can I substitute the Parmesan cheese to make this recipe kosher?
Thanks!
Jenny, you can just omit the cheese. I’d increase the breadcrumbs to 3/4 cup too. Hope you enjoy!