Classic spaghetti and meatballs | Olive & Mango

Updated 8th April 2024

This classic spaghetti and meatballs recipe is my absolute favourite. It’s made with an Old fashioned Sicilian and Southern Italian style marina sauce and super flavourful tender meatballs which are seared then finished off in the sauce. Searing the meatballs caramelizes the outer surface and lends a richer flavor to the finished meal.

This sauce recipe is a variation of Giada De Laurentiis recipe and one I love using for spaghetti and meatballs because it is so flavourful and not overly acidic and goes so well with the tender delicious Italian style meatballs. It will require some chopping and simmering but this recipe yields a great sauce – which can be made days ahead of time if you want to prepare parts of the dish ahead this is a great option. The meatballs are super flavorful and so nice and fork-tender. I love them. My friend is married to an Italian and she ate my meatballs once and asked “how do you get your meatballs to taste so Italian?” Well the answer is ask an Italian how they make their meatballs and follow suit! This is a very basic meatball recipe. It’s also a very flexible one too. The ratio of bread and breadcrumbs can be altered to taste. Some people don’t like adding the Parmesan cheese to them and that is fine. And you can play up the herbs a little too. You could also add a third meat like many do. Often added is ground veal and or ground pork. So feel free to add it in or even do all ground beef if you don’t have the pork. This is the way I like mine. You could change and add things to your personal taste.

Marinara Sauce Ingredients

Of course this recipe can be made with any store-bought pasta sauce or marinara sauce like Rao ‘s but I like to make my own when I can. The sauce can easily be made a couple of days in advance. Here is what you will need for the homemade Marinara Sauce:

• OLIVE OIL: I use extra virgin olive oil
• SOFFRITTO: An aromatic mix of diced/minced onions, carrots, and celery. I also like to add garlic for more flavour.
• BAY LEAVES: These add a subtle but distinct flavor that can enhance the overall taste of the sauce
• CRUSHED TOMATOES: Get good quality canned crushed tomatoes or get canned whole San Marzano tomatoes and blend them.
• SALT & PEPPER: Season with as much as you like
• FRESH HERBS: I stir in some chopped fresh parsley or basil at the end – but feel free to add a sprig or two of each while the sauce simmers then discard when it’s done

Meatball Ingredients

These meatballs are nice and tender and full of flavour – a great Italian style meatball. They are made with a panade which is a milk-and-bread paste commonly incorporated into ground meats to keep them extra tender and moist during the cooking process. Here is what you will need:

• BREAD CRUMBS: I always use dry plain bread crumbs with no added seasonings
• MILK: I recommend using whole milk instead of water to soak the breadcrumbs, as whole milk adds more flavor and rich moisture than using plain water. But based on your dietary preference, you can also use almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, or low-sodium beef broth to soak the breadcrumbs instead.
• MEAT: Chuck ground beef is a good choice which has a large amount of fat and flavor, and ground pork/italian sausage are a great combo for juicy tender meatballs. Avoid using extra lean meats if at all possible. If I’m going lean I will simply go lean with the ground beef not extra lean. The fat is a core component in making the beef meatballs tender and juicy, in the same fashion as hamburger patties. If you are using different proteins keep that in mind like ground turkey or “meatloaf mix” (equal parts ground beef, pork and veal)
• ONION & GARLIC: Many recipes call for sautéing these ingredients, but I personally find that so long as these aromatics are finely chopped or grated, they blend in just perfectly to the mixture.
• EGG: You will only need 1 large egg for this recipe.
• SPICES & DRIED HERBS: I like to use a blend of chili pepper flakes, dried oregano, dried basil and of course salt and black pepper. If you prefer to use Italian seasoning blend instead feel free to
• PARMESAN CHEESE: Freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano is what I recommend for best flavor – I grate mine very fine so it blends well into the meatballs.
• FRESH PARSLEY: You will need 1 tablespoon of finely minced fresh parsley. Use fresh parsley for best flavour but in a pinch you could substitute with 1 teaspoon dried parsley.
• OLIVE OIL: I prefer to use olive oil bt you technically can use any other neutral oil for pan frying / searing the meatballs

How To Make Italian Style Spaghetti & Meatballs

1. MAKE SAUCE: Saute the sofritto until the veggies are nicely tender and then add the tomatoes, broth and bay leaves and simmer for 1 hour. Stir in chopped fresh herbs to finish off sauce. (Marinara sauce can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.)
2. MAKE MEATBALLS: Combine the meatball ingredients, form into balls, sear and set a side
3. SIMMER MEATBALLS: Gently place the seared meatballs into the low simmering sauce and simmer on low for 20-30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
4. COOK PASTA: Cook pasta til al dente according to package instructions save some pasta water before draining the pasta and putting pasta back in the pot
5. COMBINE: Toss pasta in pot with a few ladle fulls of sauce, thin out with a little pasta water as needed – serve out pasta onto plates or bowls and top with meatballs and sauce

Spaghetti & Meatballs Tips

• Mixing the meatballs: It’s important to not over-mix a meatball and to not form them too tightly. Use wet hands and roll the meatballs by hand until there are no cracks.
• Don’t stir pot: Once the meatballs are in the pot try not to stir or move them around too much so they don’t break apart if you need to stir simply grab the pot and give it a gentle shake or swirl
• Thicken sauce: With or without paste the sauce can be thickened by simply opening the lid to allow quicker evaporation. Conversely, to slow the thickening process keep the sauce pot fully covered.
• Size: You can make the meatballs larger or smaller than suggested; just be sure to adjust cooking time as needed. Use a cookie scoop to keep the size consistent.

Spaghetti & Meatballs Make Ahead, Storage & Freezing

• MAKE AHEAD SAUCE: Sauce can be made and cooled to room temperature then stored in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before warming up.
• MAKE AHEAD MEATBALLS: You can refrigerate raw meatball mixture overnight and shape it the next day, or freeze the raw mixture for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before shaping into meatballs if freezing.
• STORAGE: The meatballs and sauce can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheated on the stove-top. If the sauce is a little too thick, just add a touch of water to loosen it up.
• FREEZING SAUCE WITH MEATBALLS: The cooked meatballs can be frozen, in their sauce, for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat on the stovetop until the meatballs are warmed through in the center.
• FREEZING MEATBALLS WITHOUT SAUCE: Simply cook them as per regular instructions except cook them right through (not partially) and let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They will be good for up to 3 months in the freezer. To serve, simply thaw them in the fridge overnight and reheat them at 350°F for 8-10 minutes in the oven or 3-5 minutes in the air fryer or warm through in sauce.

More Recipes You Will Love