Spaghetti and meatballs is such a classic. To some, it is a traditional Sunday dinner, to others it is served when family and friends are visiting and although it’s inspiration is broad, I think most of us can agree that with a big platter of spaghetti and meatballs comes a homy, comforting feeling that we all love.
For today’s spaghetti and meatball dinner, we are making the meatballs and the tomato or pomodoro sauce from scratch and the whole process only takes about 45 minutes. This recipe will give you four hearty servings, but it can be easily doubled for a larger gathering.
The meatballs are tender and flavorful, the tomato sauce is rich and well seasoned and everything comes together to create a truly comforting classic Italian dinner that everyone will love.
Let’s get started…
Begin by making the meatballs. They take less than 30 minutes to bake and in that time, you can bring all of the other elements together. It is a really simple meal to make at home.
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and in a large bowl, combine 16 ounces of ground beef with 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of milk, 1 egg, 3 cloves of finely minced garlic, 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley, 1/4 cup of grated yellow onion, 1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs, a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
For about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into golfball sized meatballs and place them onto a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet.
You should get about 16 meatballs in this recipe. Once they are all formed and the oven is preheated, transfer them onto a center set rack and bake them for 25-30 minutes or until the outside is golden brown and the inside is no longer pink.
While the meatballs are baking, start your pomodoro sauce.
Pomodoro translates to tomato in english and this simple tomato sauce really celebrates the tomatoes naturally beautiful flavors. Begin by adding 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat and as soon as the oil is warm, add 1 small finely diced yellow onion and cook for about 5 minutes.
Next, add 4 cloves of finely minced garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring constantly. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 1/2 cup of red wine or beef stock and then add two 28 ounces cans of crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper.
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and allow it to simmer until you are ready to bring everything together. The skillet does not need to be covered lightly, but to prevent this bright red sauce from making its way onto your kitchen walls, I suggest using a splatter guard or a loose lid.
Now that the meatballs are baking and the tomato sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and cook 10 ounces of pasta according the manufacturers instructions.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and return it to the empty pot you cooked it in. Add a few ladles of tomato sauce into the pot and give the noodles a quick stir to ensure that they are all lightly coated in sauce. Cover the pot to keep the pasta warm and set it aside for now.
Once the meatballs are baked, transfer them into the skillet with the remaining tomato sauce.
There are several ways to serve your spaghetti and meatballs. You can spread the spaghetti over a large platter and top with the meatballs and sauce, you can bring the lightly coated pasta and meatballs in sauce out separately so everyone can build their own plates or you can divide the spaghetti between four dinner plates and top with four meatballs and a little extra sauce.
However you decide to present your spaghetti and meatballs, garnish everything with a little finely shredded parmesan and some fresh parsley before you dig in.
The meatballs are tender and so flavorful, the pomodoro sauce is rich with great seasoning and just the right amount of heat and the spaghetti is the perfect vessel to bring everything together into one fabulously comforting dish.
The next time you are searching for the perfect meal to celebrate the close of the week or show your friends and family how much you love them, make them this comforting spaghetti and meatball dinner. You (and they) will be so glad that you did.
Buon appetito!
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Ingredients
Italian Meatballs
- 16 ounces of ground beef
- 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1 egg
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of yellow onion, grated
- 1/2 cup of parmesan, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning
- a pinch of black pepper
- a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Classic Pomodoro Sauce
- two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1/2 cup of red wine or beef stock
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 8 large basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
Assembly
- 10 ounces of dried spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon of salt (for the pasta water)
- 1/2 cup of parmesan, finely shredded
- 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
Make the meatballs...
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
- In a large bowl, combine 16 ounces of ground beef with 1/2 cup of panko breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of milk, 1 egg, 3 cloves of finely minced garlic, 1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley, 1/4 cup of grated yellow onion, 1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs, a pinch of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes
- Form 2 tablespoons of the mixture into golfball sized meatballs and place them onto a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet
- Bake the meatballs for 25-30 minutes or until they golden brown on the outside and are no longer pink inside
Make the pomodoro sauce...
- Place a large deep skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Once the skillet is warm, add 1 small finely diced yellow onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are slightly translucent
- Add 4 finely minced garlic cloves and cook for 60 seconds, stirring constantly
- Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and 1/2 cup of red wine or beef stock and stir to combine
- Add two 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and bring to a low simmer
- Cover the skillet with a splatter guard or lid and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken
- Add 8 large basil leaves torn to small bits before adding the meatballs
Cook the pasta...
- While the meatballs are baking and the tomato sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil
- Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 10 ounces of dried spaghetti
- Cook according to manufacturers instructions
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain, return to the empty pot you cooked it in (off of the heat) and add a few ladles of your tomato sauce
- Stir the pasta until all of the noodles are lightly coated in sauce and then cover the pot to keep the pasta warm for now
Assembly...
- Once the meatballs are finished, add them into the skillet with the remaining tomato sauce
- Spread the spaghetti over a large platter and top with meatballs and tomato sauce (alternately, you can divide the elements between four dinner plates)
- Garnish with finely shredded parmesan and fresh parsley
