Pasta has such a special place in my heart! Today we’ll be making a delicious, trusted and flavorsome Spaghetti and Meatball recipe. Honestly, I won’t even be bothered if I had to finish this all by myself… like most of us (wink wink).
There’s something magical about a bowl of al dente cooked spaghetti twirled in a rich, flavorful tomato-basil sauce with juicy, tender meatballs. It’s cozy, comforting, and oh-so-satisfying. Whether you’re making this for a quick weeknight dinner or a special family meal, this recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Why This Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe Works
Juicy, flavorful meatballs – Packed with finely grated onion and its juices, garlic, and parmesan makes these meatballs incredibly tasty. You can use straight beef mince or a 50/50 mixture of beef and pork mince.
Rich, slow-simmered tomato sauce – Deep flavors develop as the sauce bubbles away, coating every strand of spaghetti in goodness. The grated carrot, tomato paste and quality wine helps depend the flavour of the pasta sauce.
Easy yet fancy – This dish gives off that Italian nonna-approved vibe even though it isn’t a traditional (gasp!).
Pro Tips for the Perfect Meatballs
Don’t overwork the meat – Mix just until combined to keep them tender. If the mixture breaks down too much it’ll result in a dense meatball.
Sear, then simmer – Browning them first locks in flavor and gives them a beautiful colour, then letting them finish in the sauce makes them melt-in-your-mouth good.
Spaghetti matters – Use high-quality pasta and cook it al dente so it holds up beautifully in the sauce.
Let’s Get Cooking, Tastebuds!
Ready to take your spaghetti and meatballs to the next level? If you want to get a good idea of what deliciousness you’ll be making then watch the recipe video below the recipe.
Follow me on Instagram for more big tasty bites. I share all my adventures in and around the kitchen and my love for good food of course 🙂
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 large skillet or saucepan
- 1 medium saucepan
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 grams beef mince or 50/50 beef and pork mince mix
- 1 medium onion finely grated
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese grated, extra for garnishing
- ⅓ cup bread crumbs regular or panko bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp Italian parsley finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves finely diced, or 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil or ghee
Pasta
- 250 grams spaghetti
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 large carrot finely grated, or 2 tsp sugar
- 50 grams tomato paste
- 2 garlic cloves finely grated
- 800 grams crushed tomatoes canned
- 800 grams water
- ⅓ cup red wine cabernet, shiraz etc. or 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ cup fresh basil roughly chopped, extra for garnishing
- Drizzle of chili oil option, for garnishing
Instructions
Meatballs
- Add the meatball ingredients to a medium bowl, excluding the olive oil. Mix until combined, using a wooden spoon or your hands. Do not overmix otherwise the meatballs will become too dense once cooked. Shape into 20 equals sized balls, about 4 tbsp per ball.
- Bring a large skillet or saucepan to a medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and evenly spread the meatballs in the pan, do not overcrowd. Rather cook in batches in needed. Sear the meatballs until brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Once browned, remove from the skillet and set aside. Note: the goal here is to brown the exterior of the meatballs but to not to cook them all the way through. They'll have a second chance to cook all the way through prior to serving.
Pasta
- In the same skillet, add the diced onion and sauté on a medium heat until golden brown in colour. Once browned, add the grated carrot, tomato paste and garlic. Sauté for 5minutes or until the mixture starts to brown and develop colour.
- Add the canned tomatoes, water, wine, bay leaves and salt. Stir and bring to a light simmer. Cover and allow to simmer on a low-medium heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Just before the sauce is ready, prepare the pasta as per the packet instruction or until al dente. Note: I prefer pasta that still has a bite to it as it'll continue cooking once added to the sauce. Also, keep 1 cup of pasta water aside if you'd like to add more liquid to the sauce.
- Once the sauce has simmered for approx. 1 hour, remove the lid and allow any unnecessary liquid evaporate on a low-medium heat. Remove the bay leaves. Add the chopped basil and meatballs and stir gently. Remove from the heat and add the drained pasta and mix until combined, adding a splash of pasta water if the sauce is thicker than you'd prefer.
- Garnish with grated parmesan, basil and a drizzle of chili oil. Serve immediately.
Video