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
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- Penne Alla Vodka
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Chicken Florentine Pasta
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Chicken Orzo Bake
Can i use bread crumbs instead of bread and how much?
Hi Georgiann, about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs would work to substitute the 3 slices of bread? You might add the liquid based on the texture of the bread. It should be moist but not wet.
Hi Natasha,
My mom has always used a mixture of soft white bread & milk in her meatballs and everyone has always commented on tender they are. But we have never fried them but after forming them we just add them to the simmering sauce to cook. Would it be ok to do the same with these?
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Can I use ground chuck by chance? 80/20
Hi Bonnie, ground chuck should work well for meatballs! If you test it out, I’d love to know how you like it!
Natasha, I have a couple of questions for you? First, what is the purpose of the flour? Can this be done for your juicy meatballs as well? Second, I made them and followed your recipe to the “T” and still the meatballs were dry. What do you think went wrong. I did notice that when I added 2/3 cup of water to the bread and I mashed it, there was still water in the bottom of the bowl. So I drained the excess water. Please let me know what you think. Thank you so much!!
Hi Bonnie, if the meat mixture seemed dry when you were mixing it together, it may just have needed that extra water at the bottom of the bowl. Also, make sure not to overwork the meat mixture which can cause the meatballs to become tough. Flouring the meatballs adds strength and flavor to the meatball while searing.
the meatballs were great. Could live without the sauce.
Wow! This was amazing!🙌 I’m so happy I made this my family loved this meal so much! It was my first time making meatballs it was easy thanks to you, thank you for your yummy recipes😊
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Lulu! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Fine recipe, but I suggest BAKING the meatballs instead of browning them in a frying pan. Much neater (no spattering) and they stay round nicer–and less grease. Choose a baking pan that fits (a jelly roll pan is perfect), line it with foil, spray with cooking spray, arranged the meatballs and bake at 400 F. about 30 minutes. I prefer to make them smaller so the baking is more like 25 minutes.
Thanks for your feedback and suggestion, James. I’m glad you liked it, please share with us how it goes if you try baking this instead.
Hey Natasha, I was just wondering is it ok to use milk in place of the water? I absolutely love all of your recipes. Do you by chance have any for oven-baked chicken wings that are not spicy???
Hi Bonnie, I haven’t tried using milk yet to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes. You may use this Baked Chicken Legs recipe instead.
Good simple recipe. However, we added 2 tablespoons of sugar and we thought it set off the acidity of the tomatoes and made the sauce even better.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Rezeda! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is an absolute ripper of a meal. A classic and SO tasty. Great recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Ro!
Tried the meatballs and marinara. Loved it!
Aren’t they the best! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Julie!
This recipe is AMAZING! I’m just 12 years old and I love making this perfect spaghetti and meatball recipe for my siblings and parents. It’s just so delicious. The only thing I change is the amount of crushed tomatoes used. Instead of two 28oz cans I like to use one. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Timi! Thank you for sharing that with us!
I grew up in the NYC area with a lot of Italian friends from Catholic school, who had mothers who cooked some of the best Italian food that I ever had, and this recipe was for me was a trip back into childhood. This is an outstanding spaghetti and meatball recipe. I made earlier this week and the wife and kids loved so much I am making it again tonight. Thanks Natasha.
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles
I don’t have crushed tomatoes. Would I be able to use tomato sauce?
Hi Sarah, that would work too but it won’t be a chunky sauce anymore.
I enjoy following your recipes , they are easy and inspiring encourages me to cook. Simple and easy. Thank you got your demonstrations! Have made a few of them and they come out well.
Thank you.
Esther.
I’m so happy you love our recipes! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words. I am smiling big reading your comment
Super easy and delicious. I followed the recipe as closely as I could. I wouldn’t change anything.
Thank you for your wonderful comments and feedback, Jessica!
Really good! My 2 boys and niece help me make the meatballs. It was a blast and they were delicious!
So great to hear that you had a wonderful time making this recipe, I’m happy that you enjoyed it!
I made this yesterday for my sister’s birthday dinner. The 2/3 cup water added to the bread was way too much. My meatball mixture was almost like a meat milkshake! I started to panic but remembered that I had a container of breadcrumbs. I added about a half cup of breadcrumbs and the mixture firmed up enough to form meatballs. Everything went fine after that and everyone loved the dinner! Maybe just add water until the bread is saturated and no more. I think 1/3 cup water would be enough…
HI Pete, thanks for sharing that. I wonder if it has to do with using super soft bread (like wonder bread), or using less bread which would require less water since it wouldn’t be able to soak up that quantity of water.
Wonderful dish!!!!! I just made it for dinner and I can’t stop nibbling on it Trying to wait until my husband gets home from work for dinner. Great Job👍
Hi Gail! I’m so glad you gave this a try! I hope he loves it also!
Great and very professional done. Love the RECEIPE!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha,
I’m running out of bread but do have breadcrumbs … do you know about how many cups of breadcrumbs to substitute the 3 slice of bread? Thanks
Hi Danielle, 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.