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Spaghetti and Meatballs
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Spaghetti and Meatballs

This is the easiest recipe for homemade spaghetti and meatballs. A 5-ingredient marinara sauce simmers while the meatballs bake, then everything is tossed together with spaghetti noodles.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 690 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Meatballs
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup yellow onion minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¾ cup bread crumbs coarse, fresh
  • ½ cup milk whole
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley minced, fresh
  • 1 ½ teaspoons oregano dried
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
For the Spaghetti & Sauce*
  • 1 ounce San Marzano Tomatoes with purée, whole peeled, canned
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic peeled and smashed, cloves
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 basil plus more basil for garnish, sprigs, fresh
  • 1 pound spaghettl
  • Parmesan Cheese for serving, freshly grated

Instructions

Make the Meatballs:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a rimmed baking sheet. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool until just warm.
  2. Place the bread crumbs in a small bowl, add milk, and let stand for 5 minutes. Squeeze the milk from the breadcrumbs and add to a medium bowl with the egg, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, and reserved onion mixture. Add the ground meats and mix with your hands just until combined. Do not overmix or the meatballs will be tough instead of light and fluffy.
  3. Using wet hands, shape the meat mixture into 18 meatballs, then line them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the tops are browned, about 20 minutes, then turn and bake until cooked through, 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven.
Make the Marinara Sauce:
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with kosher salt. Meanwhile, make the marinara sauce. Pour the tomatoes and purée into a bowl and crush with your hands or the the back of a spoon, and set aside.
  2. In a large cold skillet, add the extra-virgin olive oil and garlic cloves, and bring to medium heat. As the garlic begins to sizzle, stir occasionally, and cook until fragrant and golden, about 5 minutes. Monitor the heat so the garlic doesn't cook too quickly or burn.
  3. Very carefully stir the tomato paste into the garlic and oil—take care so the oil doesn't splatter and burn you as the paste is added—and cook for 1-2 minutes. Carefully spoon the tomatoes into the pan with the oil and paste and season with salt and pepper. Add the basil sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce to a bubbling simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Stir to mix the oil that rises to the top, then discard the basil sprigs and garlic. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for 10 minutes.
Cook the Spaghetti, Then Assemble:
  1. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water just 2 minutes shy of suggested cooking time on the packaging. Drain the pasta reserving ½ cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta back to the pot with half of the marinara sauce and ¼ cup pasta water, tossing to coat. Add more water as needed. Divide the pasta among individual pasta bowls, and top each serving with more sauce and an equal number of meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan, fresh basil, and serve.

Notes

  • *Marinara sauce: You can also use 6 cups (48 ounces) of store-bought marinara sauce if you don't want to make it from scratch. 

Nutrition Information

Calories 690kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 63g (21%) Protein 32g (64%) Fat 35g (54%) Saturated Fat 11g (55%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g (18%) Monounsaturated Fat 17g (85%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 103mg (34%) Sodium 1630mg (68%) Potassium 1091mg (23%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 898IU (18%) Vitamin C 15mg (17%) Calcium 111mg (11%) Iron 5mg (28%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 690

% Daily Value*

Calories 690kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 63g 21%
Protein 32g 64%
Fat 35g 54%
Saturated Fat 11g 55%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 17g 85%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 103mg 34%
Sodium 1630mg 68%
Potassium 1091mg 23%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 898IU 18%
Vitamin C 15mg 17%
Calcium 111mg 11%
Iron 5mg 28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.