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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I always thought that I made a pretty tasty meatloaf but this is beyond delicious. It’s the only meatloaf that I make now and the family loves it. My husband was never a meatloaf kind of guy until I made this. Thanks, Jenn, for making me look so good…again!
This is a really delicious meatloaf, and I love all of the added vegetables. My only issue, and it is a small one, is that on the second day the leftovers were a little dry. One of the best things about meatloaf is the leftovers, either reheated or cold on a sandwich. I have another, less impressive, meatloaf recipe that has a spicy-sweet tomato sauce that I usually serve as a sauce on the side. It’s just a little canned tomato sauce with worcestershire, dijon mustard, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar. It was the perfect, warm accompaniment to our leftover dinner. I served with roasted potato wedges and your brussels sprout, apple and walnut salad.
Prepared this recipe exactly as written and was great! Lots of flavor, and made mashed potatoes as a side. It was a tad salty, so I might reduce the salt a bit in the future. I also think this would be great with a fresh salad.
Hi Jenn,
With the heat of the summer, I am reluctant to turn on the oven. I just purchased an Instant Pot, and would like to know how I can adapt this recipe for the Instant Pot.
Also, I would like to substitute some spicy Italian sausage instead of the ground pork for some additional flavor.
Thanks!
Christi
Hi Christi, I recently purchased a pressure cooker/instant pot and am just starting to play around with it. I don’t have enough experience with it to tell you confidently how to convert the recipe, so you may want to take a peek at these tips. It looks like they could be useful in converting traditional recipes to ones that would work in a pressure cooker. And it’s fine to use sausage in place of the pork; you may just want to cut back on the salt in the recipe a touch. Hope that helps!
Thanks Jenn,
The link you sent is very informative. I’ve saved it for reference. Good luck with your new pressure cooker/ instant pot. It’s a whole new way I’m getting dinner on the table quickly, without sacrificing flavor. It’s especially helpful on those hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven, or even the stove top!
This is the most requested dish in my house! Follow the recipe with the only addition being extra garlic, celery leaves and fresh thyme in the meat mix for extra flavor. Also, I make my own marinara sauce.
How much fresh thyme did you use?
Did not disappoint. 💜but you never do. Used all organic beef, mashed potatoes and your delicious asparagus/lemon/feta salad.
I’ve tried lots of meatloaf recipes over the years, and they all have been either dull or greasy or both. This recipe is absolutely delicious. Although it calls for fresh basil, I find that dried basil tastes just as good.
How much dried basil do you use?
I’d suggest a generous tablespoon of dried basil. Hope you enjoy!
Absolutely terrific!
Delicious meatloaf, turned out perfectly. Easily serves 8 – it was huge! Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow:)
My whole family loved this recipe! Delicious and easy to make even on a weeknight!