Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe with Marinara

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Craving authentic spaghetti and meatballs? This traditional Italian recipe delivers tender, juicy meatballs in a rich homemade marinara sauce. A classic comfort meal the whole family will love.

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Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

This Italian spaghetti with meatballs recipe is perfect for entertaining. You’ll love the succulent marinara sauce and those ultra flavorful meatballs. These meatballs are pan-fried to get a lovely brown char which I absolutely love! This recipe is a favorite of mine. It’s not too complicated and it screams comfort food! Topped with basil to add freshness, this spaghetti and meatballs will become at the top of your list for when you’re looking for a simple meal to satisfy the whole family!

This meatballs and pasta recipe is so easy, and the results are absolutely fantastic. I’ve made this for my girlfriend’s family and it was a hit! Her parents even saved meatballs for later, so I can officially confirm that they do last in the fridge! In fact, when I prepared this recipe, I had leftovers, and they were awesome the next day! If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve seen me prepare this heavenly meal for, well, me! Yay! They were divine!

I guarantee this is the only spaghetti and meatballs recipe you’ll ever need! This pasta with meatballs recipe will show how to make the most juicy and flavorful meatballs with an amazing sear on the outside but tender and soft inside. I’ll also show you how to manage your time best so the entire dish comes together seamlessly and you’re not spending too much time in the kitchen to make this elegant meal! Don’t forget to watch the video so you can follow along as I share how to make meatballs and pasta, and please subscribe to me on YouTube if you haven’t already! Don’t forget to hit the bell icon so you receive the notification when the video recipes go live! I love to share the videos so that you can watch all the steps and be confident when creating the dish! Let’s get cooking!

Spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce, topped with grated cheese and fresh basil in a dark skillet.

Ingredients for the Best Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

This is a pretty authentic version of spaghetti and meatballs. Everything you’ll need is pretty standard, but the magic really happens in the Panko breadcrumbs added to the meatballs.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the best Spaghetti and Meatballs:

Ground beef, pork, veal, turkey or chicken - or a combination of your favorites! To keep things simple, I’m just using equal parts beef and veal.
Parmesan cheese
Parsley
Panko breadcrumbs
Egg yolk
Milk
Onion
Garlic cloves
Spaghetti
Marinara sauce
Olive oil
Basil
Salt and pepper

How to Get Ultra Juicy Meatballs

Let’s not make this complicated, there is no secret sauce to make them juicy. Just follow two simple steps and you will never look back into making the juiciest meatballs that are so flavorful and have an excellent color!

1. Give the Meatballs a Nice Sear.

There is nothing worse than grey, anemic meatballs, boiled to a mush in sauce. The best way to cook the meatballs is to first sear them with some olive oil in medium heat until golden brown and crispy. Don’t worry about cooking it all the way at this step.
If you are cooking a large number of meatballs, cook them in batches. If the meatballs are overcrowded, they will bring the temperature of the pan down and start boiling instead.
Repeat the same on the other side and then move on to step 2.

2. Finish Cooking Gently on Low Heat.

There are two ways to finish cooking the inside and they are both delicious. Try both ways, pick your favourite and enjoy.

You can cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook, while flipping every so often until cooked all the way through.
Or, in a sauce pan, start heating the marinara sauce and add the meatballs. Give the pan a gentle shake to coat the meatballs lightly in sauce. Once the sauce starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low and simmer until cooked all the way through.

The meat should read a minimum internal temperature of 160 F in the thickest part by an instant read thermometer according to Health Canada.

Spaghetti and meatballs with marinara sauce served on a white plate, garnished with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs

1. In a small bowl, add the breadcrumbs. Pour in the milk and mix well. Allow the breadcrumbs to rest until they completely absorb the milk, about 10 minutes.

Breadcrumbs soaked in milk in a stainless steel bowl, ready for meatball mixture.

Breadcrumbs soaked in milk in a stainless steel bowl, ready to be mixed into meatball ingredients.

2. In a large bowl, add the beef, pork, onion, garlic, parmesan, and fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add the soaked breadcrumbs into the mince, discarding any excess milk and combine well.

Raw meatball ingredients in a glass bowl: ground meat, egg, breadcrumbs, diced onion, minced garlic, and fresh parsley.

Raw meatball ingredients mixed in a glass bowl: ground beef and pork, breadcrumbs, diced onion, garlic, cheese, and fresh parsley.

4. Divide the meatball mince into 6-8 equal portions. Using the palms of your hands, form the mince into round, even balls and place them on a plate or baking sheet.

Uncooked meatballs arranged on a red plate before cooking, garnished with fresh parsley.

5. Heat a pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. Cook the meatballs until evenly browned on the top and bottom.

Two raw meatballs searing in olive oil in a pan over medium heat, browning on the bottom.

Browning meatballs in a skillet with a spatula, showing golden-brown seared surfaces.

6. While the meatballs are cooking, heat a large pot of water to cook the spaghetti. Once the water comes up to a boil, season generously with salt and cook spaghetti for about 7 minutes, just under al dente.

Uncooked spaghetti being added to a large pot of boiling salted water.

Spaghetti being lifted from boiling water with tongs over a pot of pasta water.

7. Heat marinara sauce in a large sauce pan and once the meatballs have been seared, add the meatballs to the sauce. Give the pan a gentle shake to lightly coat the meatballs with the sauce.

Three seared meatballs simmering in bright red marinara sauce in a gray pan.

8. Once the sauce comes up to a simmer, lower heat and gently cook for 7-10 minutes. You can check the internal temperature of the meatballs using an instant read thermometer, the temperature should be 160 F.

9. Once the pasta is cooked, add the pasta into the pan and toss to combine. Reserve some of the pasta water for use later. Add the butter and simmer pasta with the sauce and meatballs for 1-2 minutes (or until spaghetti is cooked to al dente). If the sauce is too thick, use the reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency.

Spaghetti being added to a pan of marinara sauce with cooked meatballs simmering together.

Spaghetti tossed with marinara sauce and meatballs in a pan during final cooking step.

10. Top the pasta with fresh basil and finely grated parmesan cheese. Serve hot and enjoy.

Spaghetti and meatballs in tomato sauce topped with parmesan cheese and fresh basil in a black bowl.

What to Serve with Spaghetti and Meatballs

Of course you can enjoy Spaghetti and Meatballs on its own as it sure is a fabulous dish! However, you may wanna have some nice baguette to scoop up that leftover marinara - not a drop left behind! If you’ve got extra marinara sauce laying around, you could dip some Cheesy Mozzarella Sticks as an appetizer! If you’re looking for some greens to pair with your Spaghetti and Meatballs, then my Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad is perfect for you!

Spaghetti and meatballs in marinara sauce topped with grated cheese and fresh basil in a dark bowl.

OTHER DELICIOUS PASTA RECIPES!

Indian Chicken Bolognese Pasta: An exciting fusion of your classic Bolognese sauce but the sauce is made with Indian spices and a different set of veggies!
White Sauce Chicken & Chorizo Pasta: A 20-minute pasta dinner featuring a béchamel sauce with juicy chicken and spicy chorizo.
Shrimp & Bacon Fettuccine Alfredo: Your favourite Alfredo sauce combined with tender jumbo shrimp and crispy bacon!
Quick & Creamy Spaghetti alla Carbonara: Paired with pancetta and peas, this carbonara is so fast and loaded with deliciousness!

Frequently Asked Questions

What meat is best for meatballs?▼

I use equal parts ground beef and ground veal or pork — about 4 ounces of each. The beef brings flavour and the veal or pork keeps the meatballs tender, so together they're far juicier than beef alone.

How do I keep my meatballs tender and juicy?▼

The secret is a panade: soak the panko breadcrumbs in milk for about 10 minutes until they've absorbed it, then mix that into the meat with an egg yolk to bind. Sear the meatballs to brown them, then finish them gently in the simmering sauce rather than over high heat.

What internal temperature should meatballs reach?▼

Once the seared meatballs go into the marinara, simmer them gently for 7 to 10 minutes until they reach 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. That tells you they're cooked through and safe while still staying juicy.

Should I cook the spaghetti fully before adding the sauce?▼

No — cook it for about 7 minutes, just under al dente, then finish it right in the sauce for a minute or two so it drinks up the flavour. Save a little pasta water before draining to loosen the sauce if it gets too thick.

Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!

Recipe by Anadi Misra

Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe with Marinara

Craving authentic spaghetti and meatballs? This traditional Italian recipe delivers tender, juicy meatballs in a rich homemade marinara sauce. A classic comfort meal the whole family will love.

5.0 · 1 rating

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25 min

Prep

25 min

Cook

50 min

Total

servings

medium

Level

Ingredients

Tap any quantity to scale

For the meatballs (makes 6 to 8 meatballs)

(113 g) ground beef
(113 g) ground veal or pork
(50 g) Parmesan cheese
(33 g) parsley(freshly chopped)Shop →
(60 g) Panko breadcrumbsShop →
egg yolk
(120 ml) milk
medium red onion(finely diced)
garlic cloves(minced)
(15 ml) olive oilShop →
salt(to taste)Shop →
pepper(to taste)Shop →

For the pasta

(227 g) spaghettiShop →
Classic Marinara Sauce · make your ownShop →
basil(freshly chopped, for garnish)Shop →

Instructions

To prepare the meatballs

1
In a small bowl, add the breadcrumbs. Pour in the milk and mix well. Allow the breadcrumbs to rest until they completely absorb the milk, about 10 minutes.
In a small bowl, add the breadcrumbs. Pour in the milk and mix well. Allow the breadcrumbs to rest until they completely absorb the milk, about 10 minutes.
2
In a large bowl, add the beef, pork, onion, garlic, parmesan, and fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add the soaked breadcrumbs into the mince, discarding any excess milk and combine well.
In a large bowl, add the beef, pork, onion, garlic, parmesan, and fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add the soaked breadcrumbs into the mince, discarding any excess milk and combine well.
3
Divide the meatball mince into 6-8 equal portions. Using the palms of your hands, form the mince into round, even balls and place them on a plate or baking sheet.
Divide the meatball mince into 6-8 equal portions. Using the palms of your hands, form the mince into round, even balls and place them on a plate or baking sheet.
4
Heat a pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. Cook the meatballs until evenly browned on the top and bottom.
Heat a pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. Cook the meatballs until evenly browned on the top and bottom.

To assemble the dish

1
While the meatballs are cooking, heat a large pot of water to cook the spaghetti. Once the water comes up to a boil, season generously with salt and cook spaghetti for about 7 minutes, just under al dente.
While the meatballs are cooking, heat a large pot of water to cook the spaghetti. Once the water comes up to a boil, season generously with salt and cook spaghetti for about 7 minutes, just under al dente.
2
Heat marinara sauce in a large sauce pan and once the meatballs have been seared, add the meatballs to the sauce. Give the pan a gently shake to lightly coat the meatballs with the sauce.
Heat marinara sauce in a large sauce pan and once the meatballs have been seared, add the meatballs to the sauce. Give the pan a gently shake to lightly coat the meatballs with the sauce.
3
Once the sauce comes up to a simmer, lower heat and gently cook for 7-10 minutes. You can check the internal temperature of the meatballs using an instant read thermometer, the temperature should be 160 F.
Once the sauce comes up to a simmer, lower heat and gently cook for 7-10 minutes. You can check the internal temperature of the meatballs using an instant read thermometer, the temperature should be 160°F (71°C).
4
Once the pasta is cooked, add the pasta into the pan and toss to combine. Reserve some of the pasta water for use later. Add the butter and simmer pasta with the sauce and meatballs for 1-2 minutes (or until spaghetti is cooked to al dente). If the sauce is too thick, use the reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency.
Once the pasta is cooked, add the pasta into the pan and toss to combine. Reserve some of the pasta water for use later. Add the butter and simmer pasta with the sauce and meatballs for 1-2 minutes (or until spaghetti is cooked to al dente). If the sauce is too thick, use the reserved pasta water to adjust the consistency.
5
Top the pasta with fresh basil and finely grated parmesan cheese. Serve hot and enjoy.
Top the pasta with fresh basil and finely grated parmesan cheese. Serve hot and enjoy.

Notes

•You can apply some oil or water on your hands to avoid the meat from sticking while you form the meatballsCook a little bit of the meatball mince in a pan, lightly coated with olive oil to check for seasoning. Use a tablespoon to help flip the meatballs, the small size will help have a greater control and help the meatballs keep their shape.

Nutrition per serving

1221

Calories

56g

Protein

148g

Carbs

44g

Fat

10g

Fiber

20g

Sugar

3291mg

Sodium

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Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen

Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients for the Best Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe