Description
This Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe features juicy ground beef meatballs simmered in a rich marinara sauce, served over perfectly cooked spaghetti. It's a classic Italian-American comfort meal that's easy to prepare and perfect for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound spaghetti
Meatballs
- 1 pound 85-90% lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 garlic cloves (grated)
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (plus more for garnish)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Sauce and Cooking
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (25-ounce) jar marinara sauce
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot, then cover to keep warm.
- Prepare the Meatball Mixture: In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, grated garlic, Italian seasoning, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly using your hands until the mixture is moist and well blended.
- Form Meatballs: Shape the meat mixture into 16 evenly sized meatballs.
- Brown the Meatballs: Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes. The meatballs do not need to be fully cooked at this stage.
- Simmer in Sauce: Pour the marinara sauce over the browned meatballs in the skillet. Gently toss to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce until the sauce thickens and meatballs are cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve: Plate the cooked spaghetti and top with meatballs and marinara sauce. Garnish with extra chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- Using store-bought marinara sauce simplifies this recipe without sacrificing flavor.
- To keep meatballs moist, avoid overmixing the meat mixture.
- Cook the spaghetti until al dente for the ideal texture when combined with the sauce.
- For a lower-fat option, substitute ground turkey for ground beef.
- Leftover meatballs and sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 387 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 276 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 46 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
