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    Home » Pasta

    Spaghetti and Meatballs

    Published: Jan 21, 2021 · Modified: Feb 15, 2021 by Genevieve

    Jump to Recipe

    Comfort food at it's finest. A family-favourite dinner, this spaghetti and meatballs dish is one that is not only delicious but a complete joy to eat. It's rich, it's moreish, it's satisfying and... it's meatballs! Be amazed at how flavourful and delicious the meatballs are in this recipe. Who's ready for an Italian dinner!?

    Love spaghetti? Check out my classic spaghetti bolognese recipe where I share my secret weapon for out of this world tender beef bolognese.

    Close up side profile of spaghetti and meatballs

    The meatballs in this recipe are packed with flavour and are at the perfect consistency. They're also really easy to make! In this recipe, I add a dash of worcestershire sauce which makes these meatballs extra delicious.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Making the meatballs
    • Making the homemade marinara
    • Side dish suggestions
    • More family favourite dishes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    Overhead shot of all ingredients required for this recipe
    • Worcestershire sauce is a flavour bomb. It adds depth to a dish and magic happens when you combine two different types of acidity - with tomatoes. Traditionally, Worcestershire sauce is made of vinegar, molasses, tamarind, anchovies, salt, sugar and bunch of other flavouring ingredients. Now, vegetarian/vegan Worcestershire sauces are widely available at major supermarkets. Substitute: balsamic vinegar.
    • Passata is added to in addition to crushed tomatoes as it helps add volume/thickness to the marinara.
    • Dark brown sugar is used a lot in my recipes (instead of white sugar) due to its rich, molasses flavour. A little sugar helps balance and bring all the ingredients together.
    • Breadcrumbs I like using panko breadcrumbs instead of normal breadcrumbs as they're lighter and (if frying) can achieve amazing crunch as I've raved about (and went into more detail as to why panko is preferred) in this amazing Panko Chicken Schnitzel recipe.
    • Eggs used as a binder for the meatballs
    • Fatty beef mince (ground beef) is used in this recipe. But! Get creative! Mix things up: pork and veal is a popular combo or half beef mince and half sausage mince will be awesome too.

    Making the meatballs

    Here are a few tips to keep meatballs moist and tender. Go for fatty beef mince (ground beef) when making meatballs for juiciness.

    This recipe calls for half a grated onion for 2 reasons. It'll add delicious flavour and juicy onions adds moisture into the meatballs.

    One other way of adding moisture (therefore, tenderness to the meatballs) is by adding a little milk or water into the mixture. Milk or water is not in this recipe (as I found the meatballs were pretty good without) however add a splash if desired.

    The breadcrumbs will soak up all the liquids, making the meatballs nice and tender.

    Step by step of how to make meatballs

    The key thing to note when making meatballs is to mix the mince mixture until just combined. Be careful not to over mix! This will toughen the meat and you end up with meatballs on the dense side.

    So to avoid over mixing, best use your hands to loosely combine (FEEELL the food you're making!). Form the balls quickly and not handle it too much.

    Do I have to pan-sear the meatballs?

    Searing meatballs on the pan adds flavour to the meat. Colour = flavour. Especially beef. If you want to avoid a little oil splatter, pop them into the oven on the top shelf to achieve the same result.

    Oven method: evenly spread the meatballs apart on a lined baking tray and bake on grill setting (on high) for about 5 - 10 minutes. This will give the meatballs a nice colour otherwise achievable through pan-searing.

    Tip for pan-searing meatballs: Use a non-stick pan. Simply place the perfectly formed meatballs onto a dry pan. The meatballs will release fat naturally so there's no need to add any oil onto the pan.

    The meatballs do not have to be completely cooked through in either method. They'll be simmering away in the marinara for 25-30 minutes.

    Making the homemade marinara

    Homemade does not mean complexity nor hard. Making marinara is really simple. Pretty much soften the onions, add garlic and once super fragrant, add all other ingredients. There's not much else to it! Too easy.

    Step by step of how to make homemade marinara

    It's important to soften the onions on low heat for about 5 - 7 minutes. The acidity in the tomatoes will pretty much put a halt to softening onions. So if the tomatoes are added before the onions are nice and soft, you'll end up with little crunchy onions! Hmmm.. no thanks!

    Once the meatballs have been added into this super simple marinara, simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes on low heat, no lid. This will allow the marinara to develop the beloved rich flavour and achieve a thick, delicious consistency that's perfect with spaghetti!

    Half eaten plate of spaghetti and meatballs

    Side dish suggestions

    Spaghetti and Meatballs are quite rich and heavy (and omg so satisfying!) so serve with something light such as pan-seared asparagus or green beans. Otherwise, a side of refreshing salad like a Red Cabbage Salad will be great too!

    Close up of a bitten meatball
    Flavourful meatballs are my jam!

    I personally like to have the spaghetti and meatballs as is but cheese is always a good idea. Go ahead and grate as much parmesan cheese to serve! Oh and some fresh basil leaves because it is fragrant and looks pro 😉

    More family favourite dishes

    • Vegetarian bolognese ft. roasted pumpkins - hearty & delicious meat-free meal
    • Oven-baked chicken and rice - simple & easy. Super juicy chicken but the real hero here is the rice!
    • Soy sauce chicken serve with rice and simple greens
    • Greek-style chicken and potato bake - flavourful and mouthwatering can't get enough

    Thank you for checking out my recipes! Let me know what you think and/or if you have any questions, thoughts, drop me a note in the comments section below. 🙂

    Happy cooking!

    Gen

    📖 Recipe

    close up of spaghetti and meatballs

    Spaghetti and meatballs

    Comfort food at it's finest. A family-favourite dinner, this spaghetti and meatballs dish one that is not only delicious but a complete joy to eat! This recipe makes sure that the meatballs are nothing short of flavour!
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Spaghetti meatballs
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour
    Servings: 5 -6 people
    Calories: 687kcal
    Author: Genevieve

    Ingredients

    Meatballs

    • 500 g /1 lbs fatty beef mince (note 1)
    • ½ cup panko breadcrumbs substitute: normal breadcrumbs
    • 1 egg
    • ½ onion grated
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
    • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
    • ½ teaspoon dried thyme or dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper

    Marinara

    • 1 can crushed tomatoes
    • 1½ cups passata
    • 1 cup stock beef or chicken
    • 1 onion finely diced
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
    • 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt adjust depending on saltiness of stock used
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper

    To serve

    • 400 g /14oz dried spaghetti
    • fresh basil leaves optional
    • freshly grated parmesan cheese optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Making the meatballs

    • In a medium-large bowl, combine all the meatball ingredients and mix with one hand until just combined. (note 2)
    • With both hands, shape the meatballs to about the size of a golf ball or slightly larger. Makes about 14-15.
    • Place meatballs into a large non-stick pan or lightly oiled skillet. Sear on medium-high heat. (note 3 for oven method)
    • Once brown (about 5-6 minutes), turn the meatballs with a pair of tongs and brown the other side then remove from the pan.

    Making meatball marinara

    • In a heavy-based pot, add olive oil and onions. Cook on medium-low heat until onions have turned soft. This will take about 6-7 minutes.
    • Add garlic and stir through until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
    • Add remaining marinara ingredients into the pot and turn the heat up to high and bring to boil.
    • Gently add meatballs into the pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes on low heat and no lid. Stirring every 10 minutes. (note 4)

    To serve

    • With 10 minutes before meatball marinara is ready, cook spaghetti according to packet instructions.
    • Place spaghetti onto a serving plate and top with 3 to 4 meatballs with marinara sauce per serve.
    • optional: sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.

    Notes

    Note 1. Fatty beef mince (ground beef) is used in this recipe. But feel free to get creative! Mix things up: pork and veal is a popular combo or half beef mince and half sausage mince will be awesome too.
    Note 2. Mix till just combined, do not over mix the meatballs. Be careful not to over mix! This will toughen the meat and you'll end up with meatballs on the dense side. Form the balls quickly with your hands and avoid handling it too much.
    Note 3. Optional oven method: skip the pan-searing instructions and evenly spread the meatballs apart on a lined baking tray and grill/broil on high for about 5 - 10 minutes. This will give the meatballs a nice colour otherwise achievable through pan-searing.
    Note 4. Taste and adjust for seasoning stocks have varying levels of saltiness. Before adding salt in this step, mix then taste the sauce and make changes to the amount of salt to add where necessary for your preference. 
    Freezer friendly keeps well in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @Casuallypeckish or tag #casuallypeckish!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 687kcal | Carbohydrates: 82.4g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 24.2g | Saturated Fat: 8.6g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Potassium: 773mg | Fiber: 5.7g | Sugar: 8.1g | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 7mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jere Cassidy

      January 22, 2021 at 2:31 pm

      5 stars
      I love a good dinner of spaghetti and meatballs. Just good comfort food.

      Reply
      • Genevieve

        January 22, 2021 at 4:53 pm

        Me too! 😀

        Reply

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    All in for a "what's for dinner" conversation. When I'm not at the gym exercising or grocery shopping, I'm making a mess in the kitchen and creating something yum along the way.

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