Spaghetti and Meatballs
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This spaghetti and meatball recipe is the ultimate weeknight family dinner — quick, easy, and picky eater-approved!
This is my go-to recipe for spaghetti and meatballs. With a quick 45-minute cook time, it’s perfect for busy weeknights and sure to please even the pickiest eaters. The meatballs are juicy and packed with flavor, with a fork-tender texture that keeps everyone coming back for more. To make things easy and save on mess, I brown the meatballs in the oven on a sheet pan instead of pan-frying them on the stovetop. I also use a good quality store-bought marinara sauce to save time, but feel free to use homemade tomato sauce if you have some on hand.
For more family-friendly Italian recipes (everybody loves Italian!), try my baked ziti, stuffed shells, and chicken parmesan. For an alternative to beef meatballs, try my favorite turkey meatballs.
What You’ll Need To Make Spaghetti and Meatballs
For the most flavorful meatballs (or meatloaf), I recommend using equal parts beef, veal, and pork; at most supermarkets, this blend is labeled “meatloaf mix.” If your market doesn’t carry the blend, you can use half beef and half pork (since ground veal isn’t readily available).
For the cheese, be sure to use the real-deal imported Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy; domestic Parmesan pales in comparison. You can always tell if it’s authentic by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over. If the cheese is already grated, it should be labeled “Parmigiano-Reggiano,” not “Parmesan.”
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin with the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the egg, basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and water; whisk well.
Add the meat, breadcrumbs and Parmigiano Reggiano. meatball recipe
Mix with your hands until just combined.
Roll the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs, and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from the oven and use a metal spatula or tongs to turn the meatballs (they will stick a bit but should release easily when you scrape under them with the spatula).
Put the meatballs back in the oven and cook for another 10 minutes, until they are nicely browned and almost cooked through.
In the meantime, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a large skillet. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if necessary (I usually add a healthy pinch of sugar and some freshly ground black pepper). Transfer the browned meatballs to the marinara sauce, leaving the fat behind. Cover loosely with a lid or foil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the flavors marry and the meatballs are cooked through. Keep warm until ready to toss with pasta.
While the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain, then toss with the sauce and meatballs.
Transfer the spaghetti and meatballs to serving bowls and top with fresh chopped basil and more grated cheese.
You may also like
- Turkey, Spinach & Cheese Meatballs
- Bolognese
- Chicken Meatballs with Tomato-Balsamic Glaze
- Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli
- Turkey Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
- Cacio e Pepe
Spaghetti & Meatballs
This spaghetti and meatball recipe is the ultimate weeknight family dinner — quick, easy, and picky eater-approved!
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil (plus more for serving)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup water
- 1½ pounds ground "meatloaf mix" (approximately equal parts ground beef, pork and veal)
- ¾ cup dried Italian style bread crumbs (such as Progresso)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (plus more for serving)
- Large jar (32 oz) good quality Marinara sauce (such as Rao's)
- 1 pound spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic and water. Add the meat, breadcrumbs and cheese and mix until just combined (your hands are the best tool). Do not overwork it.
- Roll the mixture into golf ball-sized meatballs and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, then remove the baking sheet from oven and use a metal spatula to turn the meatballs (they will stick a bit but should release easily when you scrape under them with the spatula). Put the meatballs back in the oven and cook for another 10 minutes, until they are nicely browned and almost cooked through.
- In the meantime, bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a large skillet. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if necessary (I usually add a healthy pinch of sugar and some freshly ground black pepper). Transfer the browned meatballs to the marinara sauce, leaving the fat behind. Cover loosely with a lid or foil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the flavors marry and the meatballs are cooked through. Keep warm until ready to toss with pasta.
- While the meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente. Drain, then toss with the sauce and meatballs (you may find it easier to toss everything together in the pasta pot rather than the skillet; it depends on the sizes of pans you are using.). Serve topped with fresh basil and more grated cheese.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked meatballs can be frozen, in their sauce, for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop until the meatballs are hot in the center.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 731
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 78 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 37 g
- Sodium: 897 mg
- Cholesterol: 116 mg
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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Comments
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Hi, Looks wonderful. But I am wondering why you use dry bread crumbs, instead of cut up bread soaked in milk or water as you recommend for hamburgers.
Thanks.
Hi Cecile, I honestly don’t recall why I used breadcrumbs here instead of a panade but if you’d prefer to use a panade, that should work as well. Hope you enjoy the meatballs if you make them!
This is one of my favorite dishes I have tried here so far. It’s so good! What I actually do is instead of the marinara sauce, I make Amatriciana and I use that as the sauce base. It’s amazing
I found that my oven doesn’t cook the meatballs fast enough if I bake it on 350-degrees. I’m wondering if broiling it in the oven would be better for me instead
Either way, love this recipe 🙂
BEST MEATBALLS EVER!!!! Made these for Halloween for the family and can’t wait to make this recipe again. Also made the rosemary foccacia from this website as well which was outstanding. THANK YOU Jenn for always making me look like a rock star chef in my home!
I’ve made this recipe a BUNCH. I always freeze the meatballs after cooking and they are FABULOUS – pulling them out and reheating with the Rao’s sauce. Started making it with Marcella Hasan’s tomato sauce and they are OUTSTANDING! I always use 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork and often make a triple batch. This last time I forgot to add the Parmesan Cheese :(. They are still good, but the cheese is essential. I often eat these meatballs reheated in the mircrowave (1 or 2) as a snack by themselves! So good!
This is my new favorite spaghetti and meatball recipe. Thankfully my husband agrees and moved his go to spaghetti recipe aside for this one without getting his feelings hurt. He was quite proud of his recipe.
As written, this is quite probably the best recipe on the web. I have tried several, by trained chefs. Those are good, but this one is much better. The fresh herbs make a difference. If at all possible, do not sub out the fresh flat-leaf parsley. The dried stuff just cannot compare.
I used 3/4 lb ground pork, and 3/4 lb ground beef that I like to buy at a meat store rather than in grocery stores., if time permits. Grocery store prices have gone up so much, that the special meat store prices are not much higher than those now. Plus the grade of beef is usually Prime, not ” choice” So, at least you are getting more for the price.
Next time I MIGHT try adding in 1 medium to lg fine diced Shallot ( the purple-ish oval ones…just b/c some people can confuse them )
I MIGHT also try just 1 extra lg clove of fresh garlic. But as written, this recipe is company worthy. Make it as written ( or ground pork/beef combo as mentioned by Jen )before messing with a great recipe.
I’ve tried many meatball recipes. These seemed too simple to be anything special but, having made many of your recipes without ever being disappointed I thought “why not”? They were the easiest and best I’ve made. Thank you!
I made this recipe last month and got two batches of meatballs out of it (it’s just me and hubby). I froze one batch uncooked and fixed them tonight. We got 4 meals out of one recipe😄So delicious! Nice to have a batch ready to go. Thank you for the suggestion of the Rao’s marinara sauce. It’s very good.
Excellent recipe! Whole family enjoyed it so much.
Do you have a recommendation for quantities when subbing dried herbs for the fresh? I don’t always have fresh on hand. Thnx.
Hi Mommo, When substituting dried herbs for fresh, the rule of thumb is to use 1/3 of the amount. Hope that helps!
Jenn….honestly AMAZING! Whipped these up this weekend as part of meal prep for the week.
Popped them in the oven on a busy week night for a quick and delicious dinner. Totally outstanding. My 5 year old gave it “one million stars”. Served with whole wheat pasta and roasted broccoli. A definite keeper.