Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is a family dinner classic: tender baked meatballs simmered in marinara and served over pasta.

Baking the meatballs is less messy than frying and lets you cook the pasta and warm the sauce at the same time.

How to Make It

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt until just combined. Roll into about 18 meatballs and place on the baking sheet.
3. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the meatballs reach 160°F in the center.
4. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted water according to the package directions and warm the marinara in a large skillet.
5. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over the spaghetti with extra Parmesan and herbs.

Pro Tips

• Mix the meat gently; overmixing makes meatballs tough.
• Use a small scoop so the meatballs are the same size and cook evenly.

Storage

Refrigerate the meatballs and sauce for up to 4 days. Cooked meatballs in sauce freeze well for up to 3 months.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs is a family dinner classic: tender baked meatballs simmered in marinara and served over pasta.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 pound ground beef
• 0.5 cup breadcrumbs
• 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
• 1 large egg
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 24 ounces marinara sauce
• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley chopped

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt until just combined. Roll into about 18 meatballs and place on the baking sheet.
3. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the meatballs reach 160°F in the center.
4. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted water according to the package directions and warm the marinara in a large skillet.
5. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over the spaghetti with extra Parmesan and herbs.

Notes

Mix the meat gently; overmixing makes meatballs tough.

Use a small scoop so the meatballs are the same size and cook evenly.