Spaghetti and Meatballs

Why you’ll love it

Is there anything better than homemade spaghetti and meatballs? When you dig into a big bowl of it, the love and care put in is obvious. Our recipe is made completely from scratch and delivers on flavor, so it’s a wonderful choice for Sunday supper.

You won’t mind spending a little more time in the kitchen, especially since the sauce and meatballs are freezer friendly for meals you’ll look forward to eating later on. A lot of it is hands-off, and simmering the sauce builds the gorgeous flavors. This is a straightforward recipe for when only a cozy dinner will do!

What you’ll need

For the sauce

• Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
• Onion and garlic – the aromatic base. I like Vidalia (sweet) onions best.
• Tomatoes – we’re using cans of whole tomatoes. I recommend San Marzano plum tomatoes from Italy. The taste just can’t be matched!
• Italian seasoning and dried oregano – our seasoning blend to infuse tons of flavor. Italian seasoning is a blend with herbs like rosemary and thyme.
• Sugar – it’s an old chef’s trick that I wouldn’t skip here. A pinch of sugar cuts down the acidity of the tomatoes to balance the sauce, and it doesn’t make it sweet.
• Red pepper flakes – they’re optional, but the amount listed just brings a gentle warmth and not spiciness

For the meatballs

• Breadcrumbs – we’re using Italian seasoned ones
• Milk – whole milk plus breadcrumbs makes what’s called a panade, which makes the meatballs stay moist, light, and tender
• Ground beef and pork – avoid using extra lean; anywhere in the 80-85% range is good for additional flavor from a bit more fat
• Egg – to bind everything together
• Minced garlic and onion powder – to add savory flavor along with salt & pepper
• Parsley – fresh parsley gives a burst of freshness
• Parmesan – always grate your own

How to make spaghetti and meatballs

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

Prep all the ingredients beforehand. Add the tomatoes along with the liquid from the cans into a bowl, and break them up with your hands. In a soup pot, sauté the olive oil, butter, and onion, followed by the garlic.

Stir in the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, oregano, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Cover the pot, let it come to a boil, and then simmer for half an hour. Meanwhile, make the panade for the meatballs by mixing the milk and breadcrumbs into a paste.

Add the remaining meatball ingredients to the bowl, and delicately combine with your hands without overworking the mixture. Form into around 18 meatballs that are 1 and ½ inches, and place on a plate or parchment paper.

Gently place the meatballs in the pot so they’re covered in sauce. Continue simmering until they’re cooked through. Season with salt & pepper as needed, and serve with spaghetti, freshly torn basil, and grated parmesan!

Substitutions and variations

• Our kitchen has tested this recipe multiple times to ensure it works as written, and tomato sauces can be tricky despite their simplicity, so I’d err on the side of following the recipe as-is (at least the first time you make it). With that said, minor tweaks like adding in more herbs or garlic are totally fine!
• For the meatballs, panko breadcrumbs may be swapped for Italian seasoned ones. If using regular unflavored breadcrumbs, I suggest adding a 1/2 teaspoon or so of dried Italian seasoning to compensate.
• I recommend using two kinds of meat for the best flavor and texture for the meatballs. Instead of ground pork, use Italian sausage meat or even ground veal if you like.