Best Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Celebrate Sunday night with these delicious Spaghetti and Meatballs! This family style dinner recipe is made with homemade Marinara Sauce and tender and juicy seared meatballs!
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 271kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
Ingredients for Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef 85%
- ½ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- ½ cup onion grated with juices
- 1 large egg
- Salt, pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Ingredients for Marinara Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cans San Marzano peeled tomatoes 28 oz each can
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Salt, pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Prepare the meatballs
- Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl (1 pound ground beef, ½ cup bread crumbs, ¼ cup milk, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup grated onion, 1 egg, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes). Then, using your hands or a spatula, mix everything until well combined.
- Roll the meatballs (about 2 tablespoons each), place them on a plate, and set aside.
Prepare the Sauce Ingredients
- Pour 2 28-oz cans San Marzano Peeled Tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and using your hands, take out the tomato’s hard cores and crush everything else.
- Then finely chop a large onion and mince the garlic (I usually use about 4 large cloves, but you can use more or less, depending on your taste).
Sear Meatballs
- Preheat the Dutch Oven over medium/high heat and add 2-3 tbsp olive oil. Sear the meatballs from all the sides (about 2 minutes per side). Do it in two separate batches not to overcrowd the pot. Otherwise, they will produce too much liquid and won’t sear.
- NOTE: Don’t worry about cooking them through, as we will finish cooking them in the sauce. At this point, we just need to get a nice crust. Also, it’s ok to have some burnt bits left in the pot, as it will give more flavor to the sauce.
- When the meatballs are seared, transfer them to a plate and set aside.
Make Marinara Sauce
- Add another tablespoon of olive oil and chopped onion to the Dutch Oven. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until it’s softened and golden color. The onions will produce some liquid, that will help you to scrape off all the burned bits from meatballs.
- Add minced garlic, stir and cook for about 1 minutes, until it releases aroma.
- Now we can add the rest of the ingredients (peeled and crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, salt, pepper, 1 tsp sugar, and ¼ tsp red pepper flakes) and stir. As soon as it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes, occasionally stirring.
Cook the Meatballs
- Then add the seared meatballs to the sauce, stir, and cook for about 15-20 minutes.
Cook Pasta
- While the meatballs and the sauce are cooking, boil the water in a separate pot and cook spaghetti according to the instructions.
Assemble
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the Dutch Oven with sauce and meatballs. Toss everything in until pasta is evenly coated with the sauce.
- Turn off the stove and cover the pot with a lid. I like to let the sit on the stove with a lid on for about 10-15 minutes before serving, so the pasta will absorb more flavor.
Notes
- The secret to the great sauce is let it simmer on low heat. If your tomatoes are a bit more acidic, just let them cook off longer. It might take between 40 minutes to an hour. Also, don’t forget to stir it, so it doesn’t burn on the bottom.
- To bring the sauce to a whole new level, add a piece of Parmesan rind. It will make it more balanced and add a lot of flavor.
- When searing the meatballs, don’t move them until their ready to be turned over. This way it will be easier to release them from the pan and get the perfect crust.
- If you don’t have bread crumbs, you can chop 2 white bread slices (crust removed) and soak them in ¼ cup milk. Then add to the meat mixture.
Nutrition
Serving: 8people | Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 248IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 3mg
