Homemade spaghetti and meatballs is a classic comfort food recipe that kids and adults alike will enjoy. Juicy meatballs are served over al dente pasta in a simple, yet flavorful, homemade marinara sauce.
Want to make your favorite comfort food from scratch? Give my homemade spaghetti and meatballs a try.
The meatballs come together with just five ingredients plus seasoning and turn out juicy and tender in the oven. The garlicky homemade marinara sauce is made with San Marzano tomatoes and comes together in about 25 minutes on the stovetop.
Make homemade spaghetti and meatballs for your next family dinner! The meatballs and sauce can be made ahead, saving you time on busy weeknights. Serve with some cheesy garlic bread and a garden salad to stretch this meal even further.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Pasta - I used a 1 pound box of spaghetti. Feel free to use your favorite pasta shape.
- San Marzano tomatoes - The most important ingredient in a marinara sauce is the tomatoes. I only recommend San Marzano tomatoes for this recipe. They are whole tomatoes in tomato juice and are most commonly found in 28 ounce cans. Look for a can that says "DOP" or "DOP certified" - this roughly translates to "protected designation of origin" and ensures you're getting the real deal. Try looking for Cento brand San Marzano Tomatoes - the can has a bright yellow label.
- Olive oil - Olive oil can be substituted with your favorite cooking oil or butter if needed.
- Garlic - Adds a significant amount of flavor to the sauce. I don't recommend omitting it or substituting with garlic powder in this recipe. Fresh garlic cloves are best.
- Seasoning - Salt, red pepper flakes, and dried oregano add savory flavor to the sauce. Dried oregano can be substituted with fresh oregano at a 1:3 ratio. 1 teaspoon of dried oregano would be substituted with 1 tablespoon (or 3 teaspoons) of fresh chopped oregano.
- Beef - You'll need one pound of ground beef for this recipe. I recommend 85/15 because it holds together well after baking and has just enough fat to make your meatballs juicy and flavorful. 90/10 can also work, but I don't recommend leaner meats because they dry out easily in the oven. Higher fat meats tend to fall apart due to the fat rendering out while baking.
- Parmesan - Adds flavor and helps bind the meatballs together while baking. I recommend grating your parmesan from a block rather than using pre-shredded parmesan from a canister.
- Breadcrumbs - Acts as a binder to hold the meatballs together. Regular breadcrumbs or Italian breadcrumbs can work in this recipe. If using Italian breadcrumbs, consider reducing the Italian seasoning by half.
- Egg - Adds moisture and acts as a binder to hold the meatballs together.
- Milk - Adds moisture and hydrates the breadcrumbs. I used whole milk, but any milk will work in this recipe.
- Seasoning - Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper add mild, savory flavor to your meatballs.
Tips and tricks
Do not omit ingredients - Each ingredient listed in the recipe serves a purpose. The egg, cheese, breadcrumbs, and milk all help add moisture and structure to the meatballs and should not be omitted.
Use a cookie scoop - For even portioning, use a medium 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop. This recipe makes 24 meatballs with this size scoop.
Use a meat thermometer - I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to test for doneness instead of relying on time alone. Bake your meatballs until they reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit in the center, then immediately remove from the oven.
Lightly brown your garlic - Add garlic to the pan with the olive oil and cook for up to a minute, or just until it begins to lightly brown around the edges.
Cook your sauce at a low simmer - Reduce the heat and cook your sauce at the lowest simmer possible, usually around medium-low heat. At a lower heat, your tomatoes have time to cook and break down without the sauce sticking to the pan or burning.
Smash tomatoes while they cook - Use the back of your spoon to gently smash the tomatoes as they cook. They'll slowly break down into a lovely, chunky sauce.
Storage
Spaghetti and meatball leftovers will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator and reheat well.
Meatballs and sauce (without pasta) can also be frozen for up to three months in a tightly sealed container. Pasta doesn't freeze and thaw well, so I recommend omitting the pasta if you intend to freeze some of your leftovers.
To freeze raw meatballs - Place one inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze the baking sheet for about 1-2 hours, or until meatballs are frozen. This ensures they don't stick together in the freezer. Transfer to to a plastic bag or container, seal tightly, and freeze.
To freeze cooked meatballs - Allow to cool completely to room temperature. Place one inch apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for about 1-2 hours, or until meatballs are frozen. Transfer to a plastic bag or container, seal tightly, and freeze.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, meatballs will keep for up to four days in the refrigerator and reheat well in the microwave or oven. To reheat in the oven, preheat to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for up to 15 minutes, or until warmed through. Meatballs (raw and cooked) can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
The breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and egg all act as binders in this recipe. Do not omit, reduce, or substitute these ingredients. I also recommend using either 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef for best results. Higher fat meat can fall apart while baking due to the fat rendering out.
Yes, meatballs fan be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight, or add 2-3 minutes to your baking time.
San Marzano tomatoes are arguably the best canned tomatoes one can buy. They are a variety of plum tomato and grown in Italy, similar to the Roma tomato in the US. They're slightly sweet with an intense tomato flavor and low acidity. If you're going to make a sauce with very few ingredients (like a marinara sauce), your main ingredient should be of the highest quality.
I can't stress this enough - using cheap or inferior tomatoes in this recipe will give you an inferior-tasting sauce. Spring for the San Marzano tomatoes. You won't be disappointed!
Yes. After cooking, carefully transfer your tomato sauce to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend smooth. If using a traditional blender, remove the center cap and loosely cover with a kitchen towel to prevent splattering.
Troubleshooting
You may have cooked your sauce down too long or at too high a temperature. Only cook for the time directed in the recipe card at a very low heat (barely a simmer). This recipe makes about 3 cups or 24 ounces of marinara sauce, which is enough to lightly coat 1 pound of spaghetti (dry weight). Once tossed, there won't be extra sauce sitting at the bottom of the pan. If you like a very saucy pasta (or want extra sauce for dipping garlic bread) you may want to double the recipe.
Meatballs turn out dry from overbaking. Perfectly cooked ground beef (cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit) is juicy, not dry. Use a meat thermometer and remove your meatballs from the oven as soon as they reach 160 degrees in the center for best results.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
Spaghetti
- 16 ounces spaghetti, dry
Meatballs
- 1 pound 85/15 ground beef
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 28 ounces canned San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
Instructions
Spaghetti
- In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook spaghetti to al dente according to package directions. Drain, cover, and set aside.
Meatballs
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until incorporated.
- Using a medium (1.5 tablespoon) cookie scoop, or your hands, form mixture into meatballs and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet. Recipe makes about 24 meatballs of this size.
- Bake for about 15-17 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160℉ in the center (I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to prevent meatballs from drying out due to overcooking).
- Remove from oven and set aside.
Sauce
- While spaghetti and meatballs are cooking, prepare sauce on the stovetop.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until barely beginning to brown around the edges. Add canned tomatoes to the pan, then add about ½ cup of water to tomato can, swirl around to catch extra tomato juices, and add to the pan. Season with salt, red pepper flakes, and oregano.
- Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low (or as low as you can go without losing your simmer), and cook for about 20 minutes. As your sauce cooks, continually smash the whole tomatoes with your spoon, slowly breaking them apart, until no large chunks remain.
- Remove from heat, add spaghetti and meatballs to the pan, and gently toss until coated.
- Divide into individual bowls, top with parmesan cheese, and serve.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Leftovers: Leftover spaghetti and meatballs will keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing: Raw or cooked meatballs and marinara sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Freeze until solid, about 1 to 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and seal tightly. Marinara sauce can be stored in a freezer-safe bag or container. Transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight. Meatballs can be baked from frozen (add 2-3 minutes to baking time).
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!