Make the best Spaghetti and Meatballs in homemade marinara sauce from scratch with this incredible recipe. These are amazing “WOW” factor MEATBALLS – so tasty and juicy and BIG. I’m sharing all of my secrets for incredibly tender and flavorful meatballs with an easy-to-follow video below.
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Helpful Reader Review
“If there is 10 stars, I would’ve given it. The meatballs is soooo unbelievably good. Moist, juicy, succulent. I cannot thank you enough for this recipe. xoxo” – Julina ★★★★★
Spaghetti and Meatballs Video
Watch me make Spaghetti and Meatballs from scratch with my easy recipe and timeless technique. Even beginners can master my easy recipe.
Best Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
This is seriously the best spaghetti meatball recipe I’ve ever tried. Store-bought meatballs can’t touch these (cue M.C. Hammer), and they are incredibly easy to make. Pair with a Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread, and dinner is made.
First, I mix together a super-flavorful meatball using the best kitchen tool–your hands (or your KitchenAid if your muscles need a break). Then, after I brown the meat, I finish these up by simmering them in the super yummy and easy homemade marinara sauce made in the very same pot as I cooked the meatballs–that means fewer dishes.
This recipe tastes authentic and complex, but it’s completely beginner-friendly! It is also great for meal prep and to-go lunches since it freezes and reheats really well.
Ingredients for Meatballs
The secret to getting uber tender meatballs is bread; yes, bread. And the secret to getting uber flavorful meatballs is using a combination of meats: lean ground beef with sweet Italian sausage. This combo gives such depth of flavor and the perfect texture. It makes 22-23 meatballs, depending on the size.
- Bread absorbs moisture, so the meatballs are super juicy and hold together nicely. White bread is best, but you can use whole wheat or other soft sliced bread. You can also use gluten-free bread.
- Lean ground beef – 7% to 15% fat content, which makes for the best texture, perfectly moist without being greasy.
- Italian sausage adds extra flavor to the meatballs. If you can’t find ground sausage, you can buy sausages and remove the casings.
- Parmesan cheese – Use freshly grated parmesan or finely shredded
- Egg – egg binds all the ingredients together so the meatballs don’t fall apart when cooking. You can omit the egg, but the meatballs will be more delicate.
- Flour – all-purpose flour works great to create a nice browned crust on the meatballs. You can substitute 1:1 gluten-free flour.
Ingredients for Easy Marinara Sauce
After browning the meatballs, you’ll make this easy marinara sauce right in the same pot. It only takes 5 ingredients, so opt for better-quality canned tomatoes for the best flavor.
- Onion and garlic – staple Italian ingredients! It seems like a lot of chopped onion, but they shrink considerably when cooked
- Crushed tomatoes – If you use “Crushed tomatoes with basil,” you can omit the fresh basil if desired
- Bay leaves – these are optional if you don’t have them on hand, but they lend a depth of flavor
- Basil – Fresh basil adds vibrant flavor. You can substitute with 1 1/2 tsp dry basil, but add it to the sauce at the beginning of simmering.
- Pasta – We use spaghetti for that classic bite, but you can substitute your favorite pasta, like homemade pasta, linguine, or angel hair pasta. You can also use Spaghetti Squash.
How to Make Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs
My spaghetti and meatballs recipe is so simple to make in about an hour! First, we’ll make the meatballs, then the sauce, and then we’ll simmer the two together while boiling pasta. Follow along below.
- Soak the cut bread in 2/3 cup water and then mash together with a fork.
- Mix – In a large mixing bowl (while I often use my hands, feel free to use a stand mixer to do the work), add all the remaining meatball ingredients except for the flour.
- Brown the meatballs – Use your hands or an ice cream scoop to roll 1 1/2″ meatballs, and then lightly coat in flour. In a deep, large skillet or a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. When hot, cook meatballs in batches until each side is browned (2 minutes per side). Set aside browned meatballs to finish cooking in the sauce.
How to Make Marinara Sauce
Use the same pan for the sauce to sop up all the great flavor from browning the meatballs.
- Saute the chopped onion, stirring often until soft and golden (5 minutes). Add minced garlic and stir 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in tomatoes and bay leaves, and then bring to a light boil (stir periodically to keep the sauce from splattering).
- Add all of the meatballs back into the sauce, and lower the temperature to cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Stir basil, salt, and pepper into the sauce 5 minutes before it’s done. Remove the bay leaf before serving over al dente spaghetti noodles.
Pro Tip:
While the meatballs and sauce simmer in step 3, use another pot to cook the pasta according to package directions. It should be ready just in time! See my quick directions below.
Combine with Pasta and Serve
While some Italians eat meatballs as a side dish, Americans love a heaping plate of saucy pasta and meatballs served together. Here’s how I serve spaghetti and meatballs.
- Cook the pasta in salted, boiling water until al dente or softer if your family loves it that way! Truth be told, I love slightly overcooked pasta. Drain pasta and return it to the empty pot.
- Pour the saucy meatballs over the spaghetti and toss gently until covered in sauce. Plate in a large bowl and garnish with basil and parmesan. Serve with Garlic Bread and Roasted Broccoli.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Spaghetti and Meatballs keep well in the fridge to serve later or for meal planning. Let everything come to room temperature, and then store in an airtight container.
- Make Ahead: Meatballs in sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated for 3-4 days. When ready to serve, reheat gently on the stove and toss with pasta.
- Refrigerate Leftovers: Store in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Freezing: For meal prep, it’s best to freeze the meatballs in sauce separately from the pasta for up to 3 months. You can also freeze leftover combined spaghetti and meatballs for 2-3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight. Heat in the microwave or pan on the stove, stirring gently until heated through. Add a splash of water to re-moisten.
Traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs is the best family-style, crowd-pleasing meal to serve, and this recipe makes it easier than ever to make the whole meal from scratch in just an hour! Impress your family with this timeless Italian comfort food.
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, plus more to garnish
Other Ingredients:
- 1 lb spaghetti
Instructions
How to Make the Best Italian Meatballs:
- Soak – Combine bread pieces with 2/3 cup water and set aside for 5 minutes, then mash with a fork.
- Mix – In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer with paddle attachment, 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 breadcrumbs. Mix until well combined.
- Brown the meatballs – 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 Marinara Sauce:
- Saute onion – 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 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in 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 and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes, turning the meatballs occasionally. Meatballs will be tender, and the sauce will be thickened. A few minutes before the sauce is done, stir in chopped fresh basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. While meatballs simmer, make the pasta.
How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions in salted water until al dente (or to desired doneness), drain, and return to the empty pot.
- Toss together – 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
More Family-Favorite Pasta Recipes
- Homemade Lasagna
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta
- Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo
- Penne Alla Vodka
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Chicken Florentine Pasta
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Chicken Orzo Bake
So I came home early from work and had a craving for meatballs. So I thought I would give your recipe a try. I followed your recipe for the meatballs almost to the letter except that I added 1 tsp of Italian seasoning and 1 tsp of dried parsley. I then added milk to the bread instead of water. They smelled delicious cooking. Now, my husband liked them but said needed to cut back on the pepper to maybe 1/4 tsp. Although, they were good I felt the sweet Italian sausage was a bit overwhelming. I think I will make this recipe again but I will use pork veal and beef mixture of meat. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us 🌸
Hi Monica, sounds great! Thank you for sharing your experience making this recipe, glad you enjoyed it!
Can I use wheat bread instead of white???
Hi Victoria, white bread is best but you can use whole wheat or other soft sliced bread.
I am loving your recipes , I made your chicken noodle soup this morning. It is delish ,I will make this recipe on Sunday . Your cheeseburger sliders are a HUGE Hit
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
“Truth be told, I love slightly overcooked pasta. ”
That’s… disturbing. I mean, I like it about as Al Dente as it gets without a crunch, and I realize that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but mushy overcooked pasta.. ugh
I would recommend not overcooking your pasta then. It’s actually quite simple.
I also enjoy overcooked pasta. To each his/her own. What is disturbing is your comment. If you can’t say something nice…
Wow!! Amazing. Thank you for sharing! I enjoy all your videos!
You’re welcome, Sarah! Thanks for your great review and feedback.
OMG! The sauce is to die for! I am going to double the sauce recipe and freeze it! No more jar spaghetti sauce!
Perfect! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Andrew!
My husband has never been a fan of spaghetti unless it was baked. This recipe changed that! We loved it, thank you so much!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Courtney!
Hi Natasha i love your recipes and videos and have made many.
Could i freeze half of the raw meatballs for another meal or should i cook all and freeze them cooked for a reheat.
Im just one person eating.
Thanks!!.
Hi Grant, thank you and I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes! You can do both, this recipe can be frozen both ways.
We made this using a few modifications. First, we used 3 lbs ground beef to 2 lbs hot Italian Sausage. We adjusted all ingredients accordingly. We yielded 34 total meatballs from 5 lbs of meat. These meatballs are about 1/4 cup size. Each would be about 2.35 ounces. I love the simplicity of the ingredients. I had my doubts on the tomato sauce. How can you not put oregano or marjoram in? She only uses basil. I must say, she is right…AGAIN!!!. Her simple basil recipe is all that is necessary. I have once again been Natashized. The sauce also stuck to the noodle, which is the sign of a good sauce. She continues to astound me with her videos and recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Very very disappointing with the sauce
I added a little sugar and fresh basil but the flavor was not there. I have been to Italy 4 times, my last name is Giuliani and I will NEVER make that sauce again. The meatballs are good but not much flavor.
Hi Liz, make sure to season to taste with salt and pepper – maybe it was shy on seasoning? Also, let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for the recommended time – it can make all the difference in developing the flavor.
Can I use regular sausage as I don’t have sweet ground Itallian sausage
I imagine that should work too.
Hi Natasha – we made this yesterday for the second time and my kids (ages 13, 8, 2) all love it. The 8 year old loves meatballs and the 2 year old loves pasta so they enjoy doing some trades also once they’ve been served. It tastes fantastic and with the cold recent weather, it hit the spot yesterday!
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
I don’t have a dutch oven, so what can I use instead?
Hi Talia, if you don’t have a dutch oven, you can also use a deep skillet (9 to 11-inch).
I used spicy Italian meat and wheat bread. I finally made my own sauce and made sure to let it cook for a long time. This was so good. The onion garlic and bay leaf are key. Very good recipe.
Sounds wonderful! I’m happy that you loved this recipe, Molly. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Natasha, my sister and I made this recipe many times including today. Our family loved it! The sausage in the meatballs definitely adds a lot of flavor to the meatballs. We didn’t have bread on hand today, so instead for today we used 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs. It was still good! Thanks for the recipe Natasha!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
hi CHEF. have made your sauce recipe Bay leaf does add a nice twist. I have not tried sausage in my meat balls and use milk instead of water but tomorrow I will try it flour is of interest will try on some to see difference. So creative you are “Good Eating “
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I started to cook again and now love it because of you. I am 100% Italian. I have been making/eating my moms meatballs for 59 years and your recipe is almost the same except we use 2 eggs per pound of meat, and 2 wet slices of bread per pound. One thing I never saw was the flouring of the meatballs before frying. What’s the purpose of that?
So great to hear that, Barbara. I actually rolled the meatballs in flour before cooking them. I would recommend going through the recipe again for the instructions. I hope you like it!
got to much Basil. you can freeze it. we use cleaned ricotta container. grow a lot all summer just wash leaves to clean of dust to start crush paper towel place in bottom add hand full leaves crush another towel push down on top and so on leaf will turn black but the oils in leaf is preserved break up some leaf add to sauce. will disintegrate into sauce with great flavor. also tomato paste can be added for a rich tomato flavor. ” Good Eating “
I have been craving spaghetti and meatballs for awhile so decided to make this recipe. It was delicious and very satisfying. Definitely on par with some of the best spaghetti and meatballs I’ve had at restaurants. This will get added to the family recipe box for sure. One small note: it took quite a bit longer to make the recipe than the time listed. The prep (chopping, mixing, forming/dredging meatballs) was definitely closer to 1 hour and the actual cooking, between browning the meatballs, heating up the sauce before adding them in, and cooking everything after adding meatballs was closer to 1.5 hours. Maybe second time around I can figure out ways to be faster 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you so much for sharing that feedback with us! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
This was so good I added a little bit more basil and a little bit of fresh rosemary and oregano in the onions…and my family is in love with Bucatini noodles so we used those instead but man the meatball where so juicy and tender….great recipe thank you so much!!!!
You’re welcome, Allie! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.