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This classic Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe is a hearty and comforting family dinner idea. One bite of this Italian-American dinner recipe will transport you to a Midwestern red sauce restaurant.
While many recipes turn to breadcrumbs as a binder, my Italian meatballs are made with an old-fashioned technique: a panade. This is the way our grandmothers made meatballs, and their secrets work just as well today. Just mash bread and milk or cream together to form a paste and you’ll have mouth-watering, tender meatballs in every bite.
In some recipes, you add raw meatballs to a pot of sauce and let them infuse the sauce with fat and flavor. However, I love the texture of browned meatballs, so I sear them first in a skillet or the oven. Pan-frying first speeds up the overall recipe time too, helpful for those of us on a schedule that doesn’t involve leisurely simmering meatballs in the Italian countryside. Maybe next time, right?
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- White bread: This is key to achieve the best meatball consistency. Combine into a mash with the egg and cream to form a panade before mixing with the beef and herbs to ensure a juicy and tender texture.
- Ground beef: Ground pork, lamb, Italian sausage, or bison would also work wonderfully. If you prefer ground turkey, try my super-popular Turkey Meatballs recipe. It’s a little leaner overall and made with bread crumbs.
- Onion: To avoid biting into large chunks of onion in your meatballs, finely chop before adding to the beef mixture.
- Sugar: This is an optional sauce ingredient; I prefer just a pinch to balance out the acidity in the canned tomatoes. Sweeten to taste or feel free to omit.
- Spaghetti: While this is the most traditional meatball pairing, bucatini, linguine, or fettuccine can stand in. Avoid angel hair which is too delicate to stand up to the meatballs.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large bowl, mash together a large egg, cream, and bread until a smooth paste forms.
- Add beef, onion, fresh parsley, dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Using a strong rubber spatula or your hands, mix well. Working with 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, roll the meat mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a paper-lined plate.
- In a medium saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add extra virgin olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes (Be careful! They may splatter when they hit the hot oil, so keep the lid handy), diced tomatoes and their juice, basil, oregano, and sugar. Bring the sauce to boil over medium-high heat.
- Add meatballs to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered until flavors have blended and meatballs reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees on an internal thermometer, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper).
- While the sauce is simmering, bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tbsp salt to a boil. Add spaghetti noodles and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta well.
- Serve pasta topped with tomato sauce and meatballs. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves, or red pepper flakes if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 servings of meatball-topped saucy spaghetti with 2 ounces of pasta each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: The meatballs and sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance (store them together in the refrigerator). The pasta can be cooked, cooled, and stored in the refrigerator one day in advance. Rinse with very hot water before stirring into the hot sauce.
- Freezer: Get a jump on this recipe by mixing up the meatballs in advance to freeze and enjoy later; or assemble a double batch, half to enjoy now and half to freeze for later. Scoop, cook, cool, and line the meatballs in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container, label, date, and keep for up to one month. To reheat, place on a baking sheet, cover with foil, and bake in a 300-degree oven for 15 minutes, or until heated through.
- Oven-baked meatballs: If you prefer to bake rather than pan-fry the meatballs, adjust two oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place formed meatballs onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake until browned and crispy, about 15 to 20 minutes, or until an internal thermometer reads 155 degrees for 15 seconds.
- Bay leaves: I love homemade bay leaves in spaghetti sauce, but the best flavor comes from long simmering times. If you have the time, or you know your sauce will be simmering for a while, add a bay leaf to the pot.
- Meat sauce: My favorite Homemade Meat Sauce has both ground beef and Italian sausage. It’s perfect for lasagna, spaghetti, or spiralized zoodles, and it comes together with easy pantry ingredients.
- Meatless: For a hearty meatless marinara sauce, try my Homemade Tomato Sauce. You can add extra vegetables like onions, bell peppers, or finely diced carrots. This one makes a great pizza sauce, too!
- Spaghetti Squash with meat sauce: Learn how to cook spaghetti squash, then top with homemade tomato sauce or your favorite meat sauce.
- Lasagna: This traditional Lasagna Recipe has three kinds of cheese, two different meats, one fantastic homemade sauce, and plenty of cheese. Or, try my super popular Make Ahead Lasagna which uses standard lasagna noodles (not the no-boil kind) but they go in unboiled, uncooked, bone-dry. It’s amazing.
- Zucchini Lasagna: Grilled ribbons of zucchini stand in for lasagna noodles in this Zucchini Lasagna layered with ricotta and marinara-coated ground beef.
- Zucchini Parmesan: In lieu of the whole breading-and-frying situation, this fuss-free Zucchini Parmesan uses roasted zucchini “noodles” in one of my best Italian dinners for busy weeknights.
- Baked Ziti: Far less fussy than lasagna but just as cheesy and comforting, this meaty Baked Ziti casserole is made with ground Italian sausage and calls for just 15 minutes of prep time.
- Pairing ideas: Pop a bottle of Italian red wine or stir together a batch of sangria and enjoy Spaghetti and Meatballs with warm Focaccia, a crisp Italian Antipasto Salad, and luscious Tiramisu for dessert.
Frequently Asked Questions
What else can you add to spaghetti sauce?
Your ideal secret ingredient will depend on your pallet. For some people, adding sugar to spaghetti sauce is life-changing. For others, a bay leaf will add that much needed depth of flavor (did you know bay leaves have over 50 flavor compounds). I used to work in a restaurant where the chef would add a single raw pork chop to a giant pot of homemade spaghetti sauce. And of course, salt and pepper can do wonders!
Can you put raw meatballs in sauce to cook?
It may sound old-fashioned, but adding raw meatballs to saw to cook is a tried-and-true method for exceptional flavor. Instead of losing the meat fat to the skillet, it infuses your sauce with flavor. Some people may find that extra fat unappealing, but I always say, fat is flavor. From a food-safety stand point, it’s totally safe as long as the meatballs reach 165 degrees when tested with an internal thermometer.
More classic Italian entrees
Italian Recipes
The Best Make Ahead Lasagna
Italian Recipes
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
Italian Recipes
Chicken Scallopini
Italian Recipes
Spaghetti Carbonara
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Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
This classic Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe is a hearty and comforting family dinner idea. One bite of this Italian-American dinner recipe will transport you to a Midwestern red sauce restaurant.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 slice white sandwich bread (see note 1)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated, plus more for topping
- 1 medium onion finely chopped (about 1 cup, see note 2)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano crushed
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the sauce and pasta:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar optional (see note 3)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti for serving
- fresh parsley minced, for garnish
Instructions
To make the meatballs:
- In a large bowl, mash together egg, cream, and bread until a smooth paste forms. Add beef, onion, fresh parsley, dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Using a strong rubber spatula or your hands, mix well. Working with 1 heaping tablespoon at a time, roll the meat mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a paper-lined plate.
To make the sauce and pasta:
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes (Be careful! They may splatter when they hit the hot oil, so keep the lid handy), diced tomatoes and their juice, basil, oregano, and sugar. Bring the sauce to boil over medium-high heat.
- Add meatballs to the pan, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered until flavors have blended and meatballs reach an internal temperature of 155 degrees on an internal thermometer, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper).
- While the sauce is simmering, bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta well. Serve pasta topped with tomato sauce and meatballs, garnishing with grated parmesan, if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- White bread: This is key to achieve the best meatball consistency. Combine into a mash with the egg and cream to form a panade before mixing with the beef and herbs to ensure a juicy and tender texture.
- Onion: To avoid biting into large chunks of onion in your meatballs, finely chop before adding to the beef mixture.
- Sugar: This is an optional sauce ingredient; I prefer just a pinch to balance out the acidity in the canned tomatoes. Sweeten to taste or feel free to omit.
- Yield: This recipe makes 8 servings of meatball-topped saucy spaghetti with 2 ounces of pasta each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 2 oz pastaCalories: 484kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 19gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 360mgPotassium: 330mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 186IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 2mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.