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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- Chicken Florentine Pasta
- Baked Feta Pasta
- Chicken Orzo Bake
i am interested in the meatball recipe. is there a video of you making it to watch?
I haven’t created a video for this one yet but it’s a great suggestion – thanks! 🙂
These were delicious omg omg!!!
I’m in love just melt in your mouth best meatballs ever had! Love your recipes bless you:)))
Lana, you’re so nice! Thank you! 🙂 I’m all smiles 🙂
Really the best spaghetti and meatballs! So good. Thank you!
I’m so happy you loved it! Which reminds me, I need to make it again soon! 🙂 Now I’m craving it 😉
What size pan do you recommend for the sauce and meatballs?
Hi Bryce, I used a 5 1/2 Qt Dutch oven but you can also use a deep skillet (9 to 11-inch).
I made thisnrecipe because it looked amazing, I hate spaghetti, but these meatballs made me fall in love with it. I had left over meat from the meatballs since we are a small family I made 3 meatballs each with a total of 9. We used the left overs and made a meatloaf, horseradish mashpotatoes, which was amazing. Will be making this recipe again!
That’s so great Kristen! It sounds like you have a new favorite 😄
These are simmering on top the stove now. Very easy, well printed directions. Thank you! Had to make a change in that I didn’t have sweet Italian sausage but had bratwurst and so I used that, adding 2 TBS Italian seasoning to add some Italian flavors. It smells Soooo good!
Mmm I can imagine how good that will taste. I hope you LOVE it! 🙂
Hi, Natasha! This looks delicious!! I don’t have any sausage to use at the moment though. Would it still be okay to follow the recipe as is without the sausage?
Hi Anna, if you replace the sausage with all beef, it’s best to use a beef that isn’t too lean so the meatballs don’t end up dry. Beef is not as moist as pork but I do think it would work ok as all beef meatballs.
This dish was amazing. My husband also loved it. It was easy to make and the meatballs were so tender and moist. It was my first time making meatballs and we loved it. I will be making this more often. Thanks for the great recipes! I will be trying more of them!
Like always, the steps are so easy to follow! =)
I’m so happy to hear that Tina! Thank you for sharing your great review and you are welcome! 😀
In the recipe you list bay leaves..in the pictures you show basil. Which is it?
Thx, Barb
Hi Barb, 🙂 I have both listed in the ingredients and in the pictures and I used both. When making the sauce, add bay leaves in step 2 and basil in step 3. If your sauce has basil in it, you can omit the fresh basil and it will still taste great.
awesome recipe!!! the meatballs comes out very soft and delicious. Thank you Natasha!!! this is the best meatballs recipe I’ve ever tried.
I’m so happy you loved it! Thank you so much for the awesome review! 🙂
You guys are a bunch of sluts this dish was amazing my whole family and friends loved it 😏😎 leave your rude Italian bullshit for the birds
Woah! lol. Thanks Linda, I’m so glad you all loved it 🙂
Hi, I’m thinking about trying this recipe but one thing I would change would be to soak the bread in milk instead of water. I have a meatloaf recipe that calls for bread to be soaked in milk and it turns out soft and delish everytime. Just FYI if you want to try it out someday 😀
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! 🙂 I will have to give it a try!
Looks yummy… I am planning on trying this recipe during the holidays. Are the meatballs moist? I have another spaghetti and meatballs recipe that includes adding warm water to the meatball mixture.
Paula, meatballs are very moist and juicy, I would love to hear what you thought of the recipe. Happy Holidays to you 😁.
Do you cancelled my comment?
This recipe isn ‘t italian, sorry!
We italians don’t eat never spaghetti with meatballs. Don’ t eat also chicken parmesan. Bleah!!!
It’s there. The meatballs are based on an Italian recipe that I’ve been using. I agree I don’t think spaghetti with meatballs is traditionally Italian despite popular belief. I do love it and chicken parmesan nonetheless.
Good thing we’re not in Italy! 😜 I have searched Pinterest and I’m making my own meatballs. I’ve had tons of people say the mixture of the 2 meats makes them taste so much better. Your sauce looks amazing as well! Can’t wait to try these meatballs for Sunday. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
You are welcome Heather and I hope you’ll love it 😀
My Italian friend’s love spaghetti with meatballs!
Awesome! Thanks Paula 🙂
was making ahead 1 day before a party would this effect it all and by leaving the meatballs in sauce.
thank you
Jim
That should be fine to make it ahead and leave the meatballs in sauce.
Anyone who are really italiana can eat it!
Recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it tomorrow!! Question, I have canned whole tomatoes, not crushed. If I blend them will the recipe (flavor) change? Thanks!
Perla, pulse them coarsely in the food processor or chop them. Let me know how it turns out :).
For as long as I can remember no matter how much I drained my pasta, (never rinse it) or had a thick sauce, there would always be a little pool of watery tomato liquid in bottom of bowl. I learned from an Italian cooking school I went to on vacation in Italy a trick I have never varied since. Just as you take pasta off to drain take 2 ladels of the pasta water (about 1/2-3/4 cup ) and mix into the sauce. It doesn’t dilute sauce in anyway nor make it too thin. What this does is cause the sauce to bind to the pasta in a perfect way with never so much as a teaspoon of watery liquid on your plate/bowl One of the best cooking tricks I’ve ever learned
That is a brilliant tip! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Hi Natasha, I was wondering if I can freeze meatballs? Do I cook them first or freeze them raw? thank you
I think it would work either way. If freezing them raw, don’t dust with flour until after they thaw, just before cooking them. Make sure they are fully thawed in the refrigerator before sauteeing them – I have found that if you cook frozen ground meats, they let off weird white stuff (sorry I don’t know the technical term). 🙂
Just made this for dinner and froze a batch, they turned out very delicious, thank you!
That’s awesome! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe. Did you freeze them raw or cooked?
Natasha,
I just finished making these and it smells very nice in the house! I really liked that your recipe was simple and it tastes delicious. Like you, I topped with parmesan cheese. Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!
You’re welcome and thank you for the great review! 🙂
I made this exactly as written – it is delicious! I’m so excited to have found your site! The technique of browning the meatballs and then finishing them in the sauce makes for fantastic flavor, and less dishes – amazing! I don’t have kids but if I ever do, this will be my go-to “Mom’s spaghetti and meatballs!” 🙂 I loved the excuse to use my french oven too!
Awww that’s so sweet of you to say. I hope you are known for your fantastic spaghetti and meatballs :). I’m so happy you loved the recipe!