Description
A classic Italian-American recipe featuring tender and flavorful meatballs simmered in a rich and aromatic tomato sauce, served over perfectly cooked spaghetti. This hearty dish combines savory herbs, garlic, and parmesan for a satisfying family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce:
- 2 (28 ounce) cans whole tomatoes (with juices)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Meatballs:
- 1/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1 pound ground beef (80-85% lean)
- 1/2 pound ground pork or ground Italian sausage
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- Pepper to taste
For serving:
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
- Torn/chopped fresh basil (optional, to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Mince all garlic cloves at once for efficiency. Drain the canned whole tomatoes into a large bowl; using your hands, break the tomatoes into smaller pieces but keep some texture.
- Start the Sauce: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add Garlic & Tomatoes: Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the broken-up tomatoes with juices, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, granulated sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer the Sauce: Bring the sauce to a gentle bubble. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and reduce heat to medium-low or low to maintain a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Make Meatballs: In a large mixing bowl, combine Italian seasoned breadcrumbs and milk; mix until paste forms. Add ground beef, ground pork or sausage, egg, parmesan cheese, parsley, minced garlic, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Mix gently using your hands until just combined; avoid over-mixing.
- Form Meatballs: Shape mixture into 18 meatballs, about 1 ½ inches each. Place on plates or a parchment-lined baking sheet to avoid sticking.
- Add Meatballs to Sauce: Give the sauce a stir, then gently place meatballs into the simmering sauce. Arrange meatballs to be submerged. Continue to simmer with lid slightly open for 35-45 minutes, until meatballs reach internal temperature of 165°F. Adjust heat as needed to maintain simmer.
- Season and Serve: Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper as desired. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti, topped with extra parmesan and fresh basil if desired.
Notes
- Meatball prep time overlaps with sauce cooking time, so it’s included in total cook time.
- Use San Marzano plum tomatoes for best sauce flavor.
- Choose ground meat with 80-85% lean for moist, flavorful meatballs.
- Optionally, brown meatballs in a skillet before adding to sauce for added texture, though this step is not necessary.
- 1 pound of spaghetti typically serves 6; adjust quantities if not serving all at once.
- Boil fresh pasta when reheating leftover meatballs and sauce for best texture.
- Nutritional info includes spaghetti portion approximately 2.5 oz uncooked per serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe with 2.5 oz uncooked spaghetti
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
