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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Made this last night for dinner. It was the best meatloaf ever . Thank you for another amazing recipe.
I don’t know why I haven’t came across Once Upon a Chef until now. For the first time I find recipes that I love making and taste GREAT!
I also just came across this site which is amazing that I haven’t before since I am always on the internet looking for recipes. I have already printed out 4 that I am going to try. Can’t wait.
Amazing, as usual. Hands down the best meatloaf I’ve ever had. I don’t eat pork so used all ground beef and it was still outstanding. The Rao’s marinara totally makes it! Thanks for the great recipe!
In a word, OUTSTANDING!!! A home run. Thanks for the loved by all recipe.
Hi Jen, just need some substitution advice:
What is another cheese I can use other than Parmigiano-Reggiano ?
Substitution for Italian breadcrumbs?
Substitution for Worcester sauce can I use steak sauce?
I am also trying to cut down on the amount of sodium, love meatloaf but family member has sodium restriction.
Thanks a bunch.
Hi Shell, If you can’t find Parmigiano-Reggiano, other options are Romano, Asiago or Grana Padano. Also, you could omit the cheese and increase the breadcrumbs to 3/4 cup. You could use plain breadcrumbs instead of Italian and just add a pinch of dried Italian seasonings like basil and oregano to taste. And Lea and Perrins makes a reduced-sodium version of Worcestershire sauce if you’d prefer to go that route.
This was delicious and super moist. Rave reviews from all family members! It crumbled slightly as I cut which I think is because i was lazy when chopping veggies and didn’t do fine enough. Will use food processor next time.
I made this meatloaf along with the big Italian salad and the Parmesan smashed potatoes for dinner on Sunday. My husband and teenagers said it was one of the best meals I’ve ever made! Life is busy and with school and sports and part time jobs, it’s hard to get us all together at meal time. I think if I keep cooking your recipes, family meal time will happen more often!! Thank you!
Thanks Jenn for this delicious recipe, made this for my family yesterday and they Loved it.
Made this meatloaf last night and it was fantastic. My kids don’t usually like meatloaf so I followed what you said and told them it was a meatball recipe but it was quicker to make it in a loaf. They actually ate it and enjoyed it. I had to make a last minute substitution because I was out of celery. I kept staring at the zucchini I had in the drawer and decided to throw it in the food processor as well. It was a great substitution. The loaf was very moist.
I’m making this now and was considering the same thing; no celery, hmmm what about that zucchini..glad to hear it worked!
Great meatloaf! The best tasting I’ve ever made. Thank you so much. One comment, and I believe it is my fault… When the meatloaf is mixed by hand, is it possible to make it dense or tough if it is handled to much?
Hi Colleen, Glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it is possible to overmix — you want to mash it until just combined. It’s also possible that you overcooked it (your oven might run a little hot), so maybe reduce the cook time by 5 minutes next time. If that doesn’t fix it, increase the bread crumbs to 3/4 cup and/or add a bit more veggies.