Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Published September 20, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This spaghetti and meatball recipe is an iconic traditional dish of flavor-loaded, tender meatballs served over perfectly cooked pasta with a delicious tomato sauce. To this day, this dish is my daughter’s all-time favorite.
I eat pasta at least once a week, and because I’m Italian, it’s natural for me to do so. If you’re as big of a pasta fanatic as I am, I definitely recommend trying my Pasta Primavera or Pasta Pomodoro. They are amazing.
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Spaghetti and Meatballs is a classical Italian American dish of meatballs cooked in a tomato-based sauce and served with cooked spaghetti pasta. While this dish has roots from similar recipes in Southern Italy, immigrants from Italy who settled in New York in the late 1800s are credited with this beautiful creation.
There are many variations on this iconic dish, including the type of meat used. Lamb, pork, beef, and veal may all be used in the meatballs. The sauce can be much more extravagant, with different herbs like thyme, oregano, or cheeses. Regardless, my recipe will satisfy in the flavor department. For a delicious variation, be sure to try my best-ever Meatball Recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Beef – You can use 80/20, 85/15, 90/10, or 94/6 ground beef from any meat cut.
- Pork – Ground pork is used in the meatball batter, but loose, sweet, mild, or hot Italian sausage will also work.
- Herbs – Fresh basil is used in meatballs and the sauce.
- Onion — Yellow, white, or sweet onion may be used. Whole garlic cloves are also used.
- Bread — Any bread is suitable for this, including plain white bread or artisan bread.
- Tomatoes — You will need Canned tomato puree or whole or canned tomatoes blended until smooth.
- Cheese – Finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano can be used.
- Pasta — Spaghetti is obviously used, but any pasta shape will work with the meatballs and sauce.
- Wine – Any dry red wine like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Shiraz is good to use.
- Vinegar — I used a little balsamic vinegar for the sauce. Other options are red wine vinegar, white distilled vinegar, or lemon juice.
- Seasonings – Only coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper were used.
- Oil – Olive or avocado oil is best for frying meatballs and cooking the onions and garlic for the sauce.
- Eggs – Large eggs that are chilled or at room temperature work excellently.
How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs
Submerge the bread entirely in cold water and let it sit for 5 to 6 minutes or until soaked and soft.
Next, squeeze as much water from the bread as possible.
Add it to a large bowl with the ground beef, pork, cheese, onion, garlic, basil, two eggs, salt and pepper.
Mix thoroughly until combined. Test the flavors of everything but frying a small piece. Adjust the seasonings accordingly.
Form 12 equally-sized meatballs and set them to the side.
Add olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onions, gently season, and sauté for 5 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low and cook them for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring. Then, stir in the garlic and cook it just until it becomes fragrant.
Deglaze with the red wine and cook over medium heat until only 2 to 3 tablespoons remain.
Pour in the tomato puree along with water.
Place in the fresh basil leaves, bay leaf, and salt and cook over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes to help reduce and concentrate the flavors.
Finish by stirring the balsamic vinegar. Set aside and keep warm.
In a large non-stick frying pan over medium to medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil, fry the meatballs on all sides until browned. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes per side. They do not need to be cooked all the way through.
Add them to the pot with sauce and cook over low heat for an additional 15 to 20.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti.
Drain the pasta and add in to a large bowl, along with several ladles of the meatball sauce.
Serve with optional additional grated cheese and fresh basil.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 2 days before serving it. Keep it in the refrigerator until 1 hour before serving. Reheat the sauce and meatballs in a large pot, and boil the pasta separately. Combine everything, and then serve.
How to Store: Cover and refrigerate for 5 days. It will also freeze, covered, for up to 3 months. If possible, keep the meatballs and sauce separate from the pasta. Thaw for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add your desired amount to a medium-size pot with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and cook over low heat until hot. You can also reheat in a microwave-safe bowl until hot.
Chef Notes + Tips
- Substitute the fresh basil in the sauce for 2 teaspoons of dry
- Use 1 tablespoon of dry basil instead of the fresh basil for the meatballs.
- For the meatballs, substitute 2 teaspoons of dry onion granules or powder for fresh and 1 teaspoon of dry garlic granules or powder for fresh.
- Al dente means to the tooth. The pasta should be firm but not crunchy.
More Pasta Recipes
Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
For the Meatballs:
- 1/3 loaf of Italian bread
- ½ pound 80/20 ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 2 large eggs
- 2/3 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- ½ cup peeled small diced yellow onion
- 2 finely minced garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup peeled small diced yellow onion
- 3 finely minced garlic cloves
- 28 ounces tomato puree
- 3 cups of water
- 4 to 6 large fresh basil leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 pound of spaghetti
Instructions
- Submerge the bread entirely in cold water and let it sit for 5 to 6 minutes or until soaked and soft.
- Next, squeeze as much water from the bread as possible.
- Add it to a large bowl with the ground beef, ground pork, grated cheese, ½ cup onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons minced basil, 2 eggs, salt and pepper.
- Mix thoroughly until combined. Test the flavors of everything but frying a small piece. Adjust the seasonings accordingly.
- Form 12 equally-sized meatballs and set them to the side.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Add in the 1 cup of onions, gently season, and sauté for 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook them for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring. Then, stir in the garlic and cook it just until it becomes fragrant, which only takes 30 to 45 seconds.
- Deglaze with the red wine and cook over medium heat until only 2 to 3 tablespoons remain.
- Pour in the tomato puree along with water.
- Place in the fresh basil leaves, bay leaf, and salt and cook over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes to help reduce and concentrate the flavors.
- Finish by stirring the balsamic vinegar. Set aside and keep warm.
- In a large non-stick frying pan over medium to medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of oil, fry the meatballs on all sides until browned. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes per side. They do not need to be cooked all the way through.
- Next, add them to the pot with sauce and cook over low heat for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked throughout.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until al dente.
- Drain the pasta and add in to a large bowl, along with several ladles of the meatball sauce.
- Serve the tomato sauce-coated pasta with several meatballs on top. Garnish with optional additional grated cheese and fresh basil.