This Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe is savory and delicious. It has been handed down for generations from my Italian great-grandma, so it’s 100% authentic!
Spaghetti and meatballs is a go-to dinner for so many families.
Most make it with a jar of spaghetti sauce and pre-made meatballs.
While this method is definitely easier, the traditional flavor for spaghetti and meatballs just isn’t there.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a quick and easy dinner, but sometimes it’s nice to make the real thing.
This Italian spaghetti and meatballs recipe came from my Italian great-grandmother. It’s 100% authentic and tastes like it came straight from a traditional Italian restaurant.
It does take some time for the sauce to simmer, so this is perfect for a Sunday dinner when you have time to let the sauce cook all day.
Step-by-Step Instructions
BROWN 2 cloves of minced garlic in a small amount of olive oil in a large saucepan.
ADD 2 (6 ounce) cans of tomato paste and 2 (8 ounce) cans of tomato sauce to the pan.
THEN add 1 can of water for each can of paste and sauce used (for a total of 4 cans or 28 ounces).
SPRINKLE in a pinch each of dried mint, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper and stir well.
SIMMER uncovered on low heat for 4-5 hours.
WHILE the sauce is simmering mix 1 pound of hamburger, 1 teaspoon of salt, a dash of pepper, 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, 1 egg, and a pinch each of dried parsley, basil, and mint.
FORM the mixture into 16 gold-ball sized balls.
FRY the balls in a bit of oil in a large frying pan rotating after each side is done cooking to keep the ball shape.
PLACE the meatballs in the sauce to finish slow cooking.
COOK spaghetti according to package directions and serve meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
The first time I made this recipe, I really messed up the sauce. It did not taste good. The sauce needs to simmer uncovered for the full 4-5 hours. I just put it on the back burner on my stove and turn it down to between 2 and 3 on my gas burner and let it go.
The sauce will make a bit of a mess, so be sure to clear the space around the stove unless you want things splattered with sauce!
The best tool for mixing the meatball mixture is your bare hands!
The trick to keeping the meatballs round is to rotate them after 30 seconds on each side. They don’t need to fully cook. You’re just giving them a nice browned crust, so rotate them as soon as one side is browned.
Use a wooden spatula to rotate each meatball to the side touching the one you just browned. So instead of flipping it over like you would a steak or piece of chicken, you should just push it to the next closest side.
The meatballs won’t be a perfect ball, so if you’d like them to keep their shape, you can bake them in the oven.
Once you put the meatballs in the sauce, don’t touch them again or you may end up with meat sauce instead of meatballs.
If you’re out of some of the ingredients you can try these:
Any leftover spaghetti will keep in refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can even freeze leftovers to enjoy months later!
More Like This
Looking for more delicious pasta recipes? You’ll love these!
- Simple Chicken and Asparagus Pasta Bake
- Cheesy Chicken and Linguine Recipe
- Lasagna made with Cottage Cheese
- Creamy Pasta Bake
- Lemon Basil Pasta
FAQs
Italian meatballs are traditionally served with longer pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, angel hair, or linguine.
These longer kinds of pasta allow you to twirl some on your fork and then grab a pit of meatball at the same time. The smaller kinds of pasta are more difficult to maneuver once you’ve got them on your fork, so if you want to serve those, make smaller meatballs!
You can, but you may end up with meat sauce instead of meatballs.
The benefit of frying the meatballs is to give them a nice browned texture that holds up well in the simmering sauce.
That’s up to you!
Frying the meatballs is quicker and allows the meat to slow cook in the sauce.
If you bake the meatballs, you’ll save some calories by omitting the oil and the meatballs may retain their shape a little better. You should start baking the meatballs about 30 minutes before the sauce is done. Here is a great tutorial on how to bake meatballs.
If you leave your meatballs in sauce for several hours on end, it’s possible that they may start falling apart.
The right amount of time is between 3.5 – 4 hours (or the time it takes for you to get the meatballs mixed, formed, and fried while the sauce is simmering).
I love to keep this meal as traditional as possible, so we eat spaghetti and meatballs with a green salad, green vegetable, and some sort of bread.
Here are a few ideas:
– Green beans
– Roasted broccoli and cauliflower
– Scrambled eggs and zucchini
– Caesar salad
– Spinach salad with strawberries and balsamic dressing
– Garlic bread
– Crusty bread, like a baguette
– Artisan bread
– Breadsticks
I hope your family loves this Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe! If you make it, be sure to take a picture and tag me on Instagram with @ashcroftfamilytable and use the hashtag #ashcroftfamilytable!
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Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
Spaghetti Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces canned tomato paste
- 16 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 28 ounces water, 3 1/2 cups
- ⅛ teaspoon dried mint
- ⅛ teaspoon dried basil
- ⅛ teaspoon dried parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- ⅛ teaspoon dried mint
- ⅛ teaspoon dried basil
- ⅛ teaspoon dried parsley
- 16 ounces spaghetti
Instructions
- Brown garlic in olive oil in a large saucepan over low heat.
- Add tomato paste and tomato sauce to the saucepan.
- Then add 1 can of water for each can of paste and sauce used, for a total of 28 ounces.
- Sprinkle in mint, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper, and stir well.
- Simmer the sauce uncovered on low heat for 4-5 hours.
- While the sauce is simmering, mix hamburger, salt, pepper, bread crumbs, egg, and dried parsley, basil, and mint together in a medium mixing bowl.
- Form the mixture into 16 gold-ball sized balls.
- Fry the balls in a bit of oil in a large frying pan rotating after each side is done cooking to keep the ball shape.
- Place the meatballs in the sauce to finish slow cooking for 3-4 hours.
- 15 minutes before serving, cook spaghetti according to package directions
- Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti.