Italian spaghetti and meatballs is tender, juicy perfection swimming in bold tomato garlic sauce and piled high over pasta. Classic, comforting, and absolutely worth every bite.
Here is Why This Recipe Works
Milk-soaked bread = tender meatballs: No dry, hockey puck meatballs here. The bread keeps them juicy and full of flavor.
Flavor bomb ingredients: Parmesan, fresh herbs, lemon zest, and a dash of allspice make these meatballs incredibly flavorful.
Fried for flavor, simmered for perfection: Browning adds that flavorful crust, while simmering in tomato garlic sauce locks in all the goodness.
Comfort food with a kick: It’s your classic Italian favorite, but with a little extra love (and garlic).
The Ingredients
- Meat: Ground beef, sweet Italian sausage
- Produce:Parsley, garlic, lemon peel
- Pantry: Bread, spaghetti, olive oil, tomato-garlic sauce (or marinara)
- Pantry Seasonings: Ground allspice, ground oregano, salt, freshly ground black pepper
- Fridge: Eggs, milk, Parmesan cheese
If you like this recipe, try our Bucatini alla Carbonara or baked spaghetti and meatballs
Variations
Spicy Meatballs and Spaghetti: Mix in ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes and swap the sweet Italian sausage for spicy Italian sausage. Serve with homemade garlic bread.
Cheesy Stuffed Meatballs: Press a small cube of mozzarella into the center of each meatball before shaping.
Mediterranean Meatballs: Add ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese and ¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives to the meatball mixture.
You might also want to try our Malfatti in tomato garlic sauce.
Tips for Success
- Don’t overmix the meat. Mix just until combined to avoid dense, tough meatballs.
- Refrigerating the meatballs helps them hold their shape when cooking.
- Use fresh Parmesan. Pre-grated cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly or pack as much flavor as the fresh stuff.
- Gently roll the meatballs in the pan as they cook to keep them round and evenly browned.
- Save your pasta water to add a splash to the sauce.
- If you have leftovers, use them to make fried spaghetti.
- Feel free to use storebought marinara sauce or your favorite recipe.
Storage
Refrigerator: Store meatballs and sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keep pasta separate.
Freezer: Freeze meatballs and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Toss pasta with olive oil and freeze separately.
Reheat: Warm refrigerated leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave. For frozen, thaw overnight or reheat meatballs and sauce directly from frozen over low heat.
Meatballs and Spaghetti
This Italian spaghetti and meatballs recipe is comfort food at its finest. Juicy, flavorful meatballs, a bold tomato garlic sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta come together for a dish that’s satisfying and simple to make. Who needs takeout when you’ve got this?
More Meatball Recipes
Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti with Tomato Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 slices French or Italian bread crusts removed and torn into small pieces
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 pound ground beef 85-15% ratio
- ½ pound sweet Italian sausage not in casing
- 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 teaspoons grated or minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil for browning
Tomato-Garlic Sauce and spaghetti
- Homemade Red Wine Pasta Sauce or your favorite store-bought brand
- 8 ounces spaghetti I like to use Buccatini, which is thicker than spaghetti and is a lot like a long skinny tube
Instructions
- Soak the bread in the milk for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the bread and discard the milk. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soaked bread, the beaten egg, ground beef, sausage, the grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon peel, allspice, oregano, salt and the black pepper. Mix with a fork or wooden spoon until all the ingredients are blended but do not over mix or the meat will become tough.
- Form the meat into balls about 2-inches in diameter. Place the meatballs on a tray or baking sheet in one layer and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. (In the meantime, make the sauce)
- In a large heavy-bottomed skillet heat 4 tablespoons of oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms over it. Fry the meatballs in batches of 5-8 at a time shaking the skillet constantly to roll the balls and keeping them round. As each batch browns remove them from the skillet and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil off. The meatballs will be slightly underdone and will finish cooking in the simmering sauce.
For the tomato-garlic sauce and the Spaghetti:
- Heat the tomato-garlic sauce (or a jar of marinara sauce) in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Transfer the meatballs to the hot sauce and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the pasta according to package instructions and when still firm (al-dente) remove from heat, drain but do not rinse, reserve half a cup of the water and add to the sauce and meatballs. Serve the meatballs and sauce immediately over the hot pasta.
Notes
- You will have better tasting meatballs when using a beef with 85-15 ratio (85% lean and 15% fat.)
- The secret to these juicy, tender meatballs is the milk-soaked bread. It adds the much needed moisture to the meat blend.
- The added Parmesan and fresh herbs add maximum flavor to the meatballs.
- Adjust the garlic in the tomato-garlic sauce to your preference
Nutrition
Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti with Tomato Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 slices French or Italian bread crusts removed and torn into small pieces
- ½ cup milk
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1 pound ground beef 85-15% ratio
- ½ pound sweet Italian sausage not in casing
- 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 teaspoons grated or minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil for browning
Tomato-Garlic Sauce and spaghetti
- Homemade Red Wine Pasta Sauce or your favorite store-bought brand
- 8 ounces spaghetti I like to use Buccatini, which is thicker than spaghetti and is a lot like a long skinny tube
Instructions
- Soak the bread in the milk for 5 minutes, then squeeze out the bread and discard the milk. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soaked bread, the beaten egg, ground beef, sausage, the grated Parmesan cheese, parsley, olive oil, garlic, lemon peel, allspice, oregano, salt and the black pepper. Mix with a fork or wooden spoon until all the ingredients are blended but do not over mix or the meat will become tough.
- Form the meat into balls about 2-inches in diameter. Place the meatballs on a tray or baking sheet in one layer and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. (In the meantime, make the sauce)
- In a large heavy-bottomed skillet heat 4 tablespoons of oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms over it. Fry the meatballs in batches of 5-8 at a time shaking the skillet constantly to roll the balls and keeping them round. As each batch browns remove them from the skillet and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil off. The meatballs will be slightly underdone and will finish cooking in the simmering sauce.
For the tomato-garlic sauce and the Spaghetti:
- Heat the tomato-garlic sauce (or a jar of marinara sauce) in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Transfer the meatballs to the hot sauce and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the pasta according to package instructions and when still firm (al-dente) remove from heat, drain but do not rinse, reserve half a cup of the water and add to the sauce and meatballs. Serve the meatballs and sauce immediately over the hot pasta.
Notes
- You will have better tasting meatballs when using a beef with 85-15 ratio (85% lean and 15% fat.)
- The secret to these juicy, tender meatballs is the milk-soaked bread. It adds the much needed moisture to the meat blend.
- The added Parmesan and fresh herbs add maximum flavor to the meatballs.
- Adjust the garlic in the tomato-garlic sauce to your preference
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John / Kitchen Riffs
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
I haven't made meatballs in forever. It's on my list of things to do this year, though. We'll see if I make it. :-) Anyway, your recipe looks terrific. And yes, I always soak my bread in milk, Or sometimes white wine. :-) Good recipe -- thanks.
Pat Nyswonger
Wednesday 26th of June 2019
Hi, John...Meatballs and spaghetti was a weekly event on our table when I was growing up but my mom just used cracker crumbs and chopped onion. I too, like the wine-soaked bread. Wine is good! Thanks for your comments.♥️