Spaghetti and Meatballs
Flavorful Italian-style meatballs simmer in a classic spaghetti sauce that's easy to make at home.
Servings servings
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- ½ cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons dehydrated onion
- 4 eggs lightly beaten
- 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt See Notes section for substituting garlic bread seasoning
Sauce
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- Olive oil
- 2 28- ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 16 ounce tomato sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons sugar to taste
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pinch baking soda to help neutralize the acid
Instructions
Make the Meatballs
- Gently combine all meatball ingredients in a medium bowl: ground beef, sausage, bread crumbs, onion, beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Shape into balls, whatever size you like, but I prefer using my standard cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) to shape meat into balls and then roll it between my hands to make them even more round. Place on a large cookie sheet and broil until the meatballs start to brown. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to use (or freeze for later use).
Make the Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add remaining sauce ingredients: crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, granulated sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and baking soda.Combine well.
- Bring to a simmer and add meatballs. Simmer on low, uncovered, until desired consistency is reached--about 25-30 minutes for a sauce that's of medium consistency.
- Serve over hot pasta and top with fresh Parmesan if desired. Makes about 3 dozen meatballs and enough sauce to feed 6-8 people (or more if some of those people are kids).
FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare meatballs as directed, but divide the meatballs among two freezer-safe containers. Prepare sauce through adding all ingredients to the pan, but don't simmer; rather, divide the sauce among the two containers. Freeze until ready to use. When ready to use, place in slow cooker and cook on low for about 5-6 hours, although you'll want to keep an eye on the sauce and make sure it's not burning if you go for the whole 6 hours.
Notes
- Store leftover spaghetti and meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3-5 days for best results.
- This recipe feeds a crowd, and also makes great leftovers. In our house, there are never any left over, but you could eat half for dinner, and put the rest of the meatballs and sauce in the freezer for another day.
- I like to keep a box of nitrile gloves on hand for things like this. I definitely recommend them if you don’t want to use your bare hands to handle raw meat.
- If desired, you can replace the Parmesan, basil, parsley, garlic, and salt in the meatballs with 3 tablespoons homemade garlic bread seasoning found here.
- Nutrition information calculated for 1/8th recipe, without pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 442kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 162mg, Sodium: 1576mg, Potassium: 1208mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 825IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 174mg, Iron: 7mg
Calories: 442kcal
Cost: $25
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!