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5 from 8 votes

Spaghetti and Meatballs

This comforting Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe is here for us when we need it most! These meatballs are light-as-a-feather, initially roasted and then braised in sauce. This combination makes leftovers, which reheat like a dream.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Diet: Low Salt
Servings: 4
Author: Adrianna Adarme
Cost: $20

Ingredients

Meatballs:

  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (like canola, vegetable, avocado oil)
  • 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 1/2 ounces grated Parmesan Reggiano (1/2 cup grated Parmesan)
  • 1/2 yellow onion peeled and roughly chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1/3 cup Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground beef (I used grass-fed)
  • 1 (28) ounce jarred tomato sauce

Pasta:

  • 1 pound spaghetti (or pasta of choice)
  • 1 (28) ounce jarred tomato sauce (see notes below)

Instructions

To Assemble the Meatballs:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush a half baking sheet with the neutral oil and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk. Let them stand for about 5 minutes.
  • Next, add the Parmesan chunks to the food processor. (If you’re using grated, skip this step.) And pulse until the Parmesan is in little bits. And then, add the chopped onion, garlic, parsley leaves, egg, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and reserved bread crumb mixture. Pulse until totally cohesive, scraping down the sides as needed, and then blending one last time.
  • *If you don’t own a food processor, no biggie, you can grate the Parmesan (or buy grated Parmesan), and mince up the onion, garlic, parsley with a knife. And then mix everything in a bowl vigorously until cohesive.
  • Add the ground pork and ground beef to a bowl. Pour the onion combination and mix together gently until everything is combined. I definitely, like, squeezed the meat between my fingers to get everything thoroughly combined.
  • Divide the meatballs into 2-ounce portions and roll each portion into a ball and place them on the prepared baking sheet. I used a 2-ounce cookie scoop to portion out the meatballs and then went back and rolled them with my palms.

To Cook the Meatballs:

  • Transfer to the oven to roast for 15 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, pour the jarred tomato sauce in a pot and warm it up over low heat and cover so it’s ready and waiting for the meatballs.
  • Open the oven and remove the baking sheet. The meatballs will have browned slightly and rendered out some of their fat—this is good! Transfer the meatballs, one by one, to the sauce. Bring the sauce to gentle simmer, lower the heat to low and cover. Cook the meatballs for an additional 10 minutes.
  • These meatballs can be cooled completely and then refrigerated or frozen for up to 3 months. This recipe makes enough meatballs to accommodate 2 pounds of pasta so if you make 1 pound of pasta, you’ll end up with meatball leftovers.

To Make the Pasta:

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the pasta in and cook according to the package’s instructions. I cooked my bucatini for about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander.
  • Pour the other 28-ounce jar of tomato sauce into the pot. Turn the heat to medium heat and allow the sauce to warm up for about 1 minute. Add the pasta and toss in the sauce.

To Serve:

  • Divide pasta amongst bowls. Top with 3 meatballs, a sprinkling of Parmesan-Reggiano and Italian parsley.

Notes

Tips and Tricks: 
  1. Meatball Sandwich - I love a meatball sub. You can absolutely just use this meatball recipe to make a sub. I like to add some sauce to the two sides of a hoagie, top the meatballs with slices of provolone and fresh basil. Pop it in a warm oven until melty. Divine.
  2. Jarred Marinara Sauce - I love the brands Rao's, Angelini Osteria or Carbone. . Feel free to make your own if you want!
  3. Cook pasta until al dente - Al dente means the pasta is cooked until just done. Don't overcook the pasta and absolutely do not rinse it. Follow those two rules and you'll have perfectly textured pasta.
  4. Save Your Pasta Water - I love to save a bit of pasta water when I drain the pasta so I can add it to the pasta and marinara, if needed. The starchy water is truly the secret to a delicious, saucey pasta.

Nutrition

Serving: 6g | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 124mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 14IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 4mg