Spaghetti and Meatballs in homemade marinara sauce. These are amazing “WOW”-inducing MEATBALLS – so tasty and juicy and BIG! We’re sharing all of our secrets for incredibly tender and flavorful meatballs.
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Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe:
The secret to getting uber tender meatballs is bread; yes, bread. And the secret to getting uber flavorful meatballs is in the combination of meats – I’m talking about lean ground beef with sweet Italian sausage.
You’ll finish these up by simmering them in the super yummy and easy home-made marinara sauce. This are seriously the best spaghetti meatball recipe I’ve ever tried.
Store-bought meatballs can’t touch these (in an MC Hammer kind of way) – I have no idea why I keep referencing Mr. Hammer? I think I grew up in the 90’s, in Seattle.
Ingredients for Meatballs (makes 22-23 meatballs):
- White bread is best but you can use whole wheat or other soft sliced bread
- Use lean ground beef – 7% to 15% fat content
- If you aren’t able to find Italian sausage meat only, use sausages and remove casings
- Use freshly grated parmesan or finely shredded pre-packaged
- Do not skimp on the garlic in the meatballs or the sauce
Ingredients for Marinara Sauce:
- It seems like alot of chopped yellow onion but it shrinks considerably
- If you use “Crushed tomatoes with basil” you can omit the fresh basil if desired
- Bay leaves are nice, but optional if you don’t have them on hand
How to Make the Best Italian Meatballs:
1. Combine diced crustless bread pieces with 2/3 cup water and set aside for 5 minutes then mash together with a fork.
2. In a large mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer to do the work), add: 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb sausage, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 egg and the mashed moist bread crumbs. Mix until well combined.
3. Form into 1 1/2″ meatballs (about a flat ice cream scoop’s worth of meat). Dredge/roll meatballs in flour. Heat a deep, large, heavy skillet or a Dutch oven over medium heat with about 3 Tbsp oil. Add meatballs in batches so you don’t crowd the pan and saute until browned on all sides (6 min total or 2 min per side). Remove meatballs to a separate dish and set aside (don’t worry about cooking through at this point).
How to Make Marinara Sauce:
1. In the same skillet over medium heat, add more oil if needed and saute 1 cup chopped onion stirring often until soft and golden (5 min). Add 4 cloves minced garlic and stir 1 minute.
2. Stir in 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a light boil (stir to make sure it’s actually boiling and hot and not just letting bubbles to the surface).
3. Add meatballs back into the pan with tomato sauce, partially cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 min, turning the meatballs occasionally. Meatballs will be tender and sauce will be thickened. 5 minutes before your sauce is done, stir in chopped fresh basil and add salt and pepper to taste.
Finishing Details:
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions until aldente or softer if your family loves it that way! Truth be told, I love slightly overcooked pasta. Drain pasta and return to the empty pot.
2. Pour sauce and meatballs over spaghetti and toss gently to combine. To serve family-style, transfer to a large platter, garnish with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves if desired and serve hot.
More Family-Favorite Pasta Recipes:
Creamy Shrimp Pasta – so creamy with plump juicy shrimp
Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo – Mom’s classic recipe
Chicken Tetrazzini – creamy, cheesy and easy with rotisserie chicken
Watch Natasha Make Spaghetti and Meatballs:
This recipe is also great for meal prep and to-go lunches since it freezes and reheats really well. I hope this becomes a new favorite recipe for you!
Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Meatballs (makes 22-23 meatballs):
- 3 slices white bread, (crusts removed), diced or torn to pieces
- 2/3 cup cold water
- 1 lb lean ground beef, (7%-15% fat)
- 1 lb Sweet Ground Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, to dredge meatballs
- 3 Tbsp Light olive oil to saute, or use vegetable oil
Ingredients for Sauce:
- 1 medium yellow onion, (1 cup chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 56 oz crushed tomatoes, (from 2 - 28 oz cans)
- 2 bay leaves, optional
- Salt & pepper , to taste
- 2 Tbsp basil, finely minced*
Other Ingredients:
- 1 lb spaghetti
Instructions
How to Make the Best Italian Meatballs:
- Combine bread pieces with 2/3 cup water and set aside 5 min then mash with a fork.
- In a large mixing bowl add: 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb sausage, 1/4 cup parmesan, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 egg and mashed bread crumbs. Mix until well combined.
- Form into 1 1/2" meatballs (about a flat ice cream scoop of meat). Dredge/roll meatballs in flour, dusting off excess. Heat a deep, large, heavy skillet or a Dutch oven over medium heat with about 3 Tbsp oil. Add meatballs in 2 batches without crowding the pan and saute until browned on all sides (about 6 min total or 2 min per side). Remove meatballs and set aside (don't worry about cooking through at this point).
How to Make Easy Marinara Sauce:
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add more oil if needed and saute 1 cup chopped onion stirring often until soft and golden (5 min). Add 4 cloves minced garlic and stir 1-2 min until fragrant.
- Stir in 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a light boil (stir to make sure it's actually boiling and not just sending bubbles to the surface).
- Add meatballs back into the pan with tomato sauce, partially cover with lid or cover with a splatter screen to reduce splatter and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 min, turning the meatballs occasionally. Meatballs will be tender and sauce will be thickened. Five minutes before sauce is done, stir in chopped fresh basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until aldente (or to desired doneness), drain and return to the empty pot.
- Pour sauce and meatballs over spaghetti and toss gently to combine. To serve family-style, transfer to a large platter, garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Shown in this post: (nope, no one paid us to write this; just stuff we love):
* The Le Creuset French Ovens are made to last a lifetime. They’re lovely too.
* These glass bowls by pyrex are perfect for prepping & serving. Love them!
* These Joseph Joseph utensils sit next to the stove and they get used. ALOT!
What is your all-time favorite comfort food?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I’m preparing this for dinner tonight. It looks and tastes delicious!!!
It was really good
This is seriously the best meatballs ever! My go to recipe!
Can you make the meatballs ahead of time and keep them refrigerated
Hi John! Yes, they reheat great!
Would you suggest making them all the way through step 3 of the meatball section and refrigerating immediately? Or if I am planning to cook/reheat a couple hours later, can I just leave them out and then place in sauce when ready to cook/serve? Thanks so much in advance?
Hi Kelsey! For food safety reasons, the meatballs should not be partially cooked and then refrigerated. You can roll the meatballs and dredge them in flour and refrigerate them in a single layer until you’re ready to fry them. They finish cooking through in the sauce during the 30 min simmer.
If you fry the meatballs until they are fully cooked, it would be fine to reheat and add them to the sauce when ready to serve. But I don’t recommend skipping simmering them in the sauce, it creates a tender texture and they are more flavorful.
Natasha, will the meatballs and sauce be frozen for a couple of weeks before using?
Hi Carol! Yes, the meatballs and sauce freeze well.
I make Spaghetti and Meatballs often and try out different recipes. Everyone was saying this was their favorite recipe so far!! SO delicious and the meatballs hold up exceptionally well. I do add some more herbs/seasonings to the marinara just out of personal preference. Will be having leftovers today!
Hi Abby! That’s great to hear. So glad they were a hit.
Meatballs: Made these last night with sweet italian sausage, ground chuck, and bread crumbs, followed the the rest of the recipe exactly. They were amazing! I cant wait to use the exact ingerdients next time to see if they get even better. Pretty sure the will be spectacular!
Sauce: I followed the recipe I thought exactly, but I only used one can of crushed tomatoes, oops! Make sure to use really good italian crushed tomatoes, unseasoned, sooo good). Added a few pinches of sugar (my preference) slow simmered and it was absolutley delicious! Thick and perfect for meatball bombers!
Thank you Natasha!
You are so very welcome, Jennifer. I’m so glad you loved them.
These meatballs are SO good! And we loved that the marinara/spaghetti sauce is so simple. It really shows that Natasha’s recipes highlight the actual ingredients without needing to overly season things. Natasha is the go-to for us when we need a recipe!!
A must have this time of year, I’m so glad you loved it, Kira!
Delicious and tender meatballs which held together beautifully. I ran out of Italian seasoning so added fresh herbs from the garden. The sauce was wonderful. We use your recipes regularly. Thank you.
My family’s go to spaghetti and meatball recipe! Natasha, you are such a time saver when it comes to finding yummy recipes. Thank you for all that you do!
I have made this once before but, needed more salt. I am going to make it again, but Wanted to know if I can substitute the Bread for Italian breadcrumbs. If so, How much Should I use?
Hi Ellie! I think about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs would work. You might add the liquid based on the texture of the bread. It should be moist but not wet.
Can I use panko instead of bread? Would I add water to the panko too?
I think it’s a great alternative and you can use the same amount of volume.
This is a great recipe! The only thing is, after 30 minutes of simmering, the meatballs came out a bit mushy.
There can be a couple of factors that may have caused it. It could be because of overmixing the meat, meatballs were too large, and the type of meat used as it can also affect moisture.
I liked the texture of these meatballs, not too mushy or firm. I adapted the recipe this way: soaked the bread in milk, not water. Added chopped sweet onion & garlic (didn’t measure). Sprinkled mixture w/dried Italian seasoning & parsley. Used generous amount of salt & pepper.
I also made a different sauce. It is similar but without onions & added a sprinkle of hot pepper flakes.
My meatballs fell apart. Plus, my usual spaghetti sauce is sooo much tastier than nothing but crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and basil. I won’t make this recipe again.
Natasha hits it out of the park again! Easy and delicious meal. Thank you.
Very awesome recipe. Easy to follow and was delicious! Natasha’s recipes are very trusted!!
Thank you so much!
made this last night. very average. lacked a savory factor.
Hi Bruce, did you change or substitute anything in the recipe? Normally its very flavorful. Also, what kind of sauce did you use?
I made the meatballs for dinner tonight and it was easy and delicious. The meatballs stayed together very well. I love this recipe.
That’s great to hear, Brett!
azing utterly amazing and even better after a joint, absolutely ridiculous sex on the couch and ricotta cheese (not homemade this time) but yes it’s that good and simple as well for us foodies ❤️❤️❤️❤️