Spaghetti Meatballs Or Meat Sauce Recipe
With marinara and homemade meatballs served over spaghetti.
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Ingredients
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For the marinara sauce
For the meatballs
For the spaghetti and finishing
Method
For the marinara sauce
Sauté aromatics
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to brown at the edges, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30–45 seconds, being careful not to burn it.
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes to caramelize slightly. Add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, sugar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine. Add 1 cup water or broth to thin a bit if desired.
Simmer
Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, reduce heat to low, and partially cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20–25 minutes to develop flavor. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water later to loosen. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in torn fresh basil leaves at the end if using.
For the meatballs
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk; let sit 2–3 minutes until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk.
Mix the meatball ingredients
In a medium bowl, add the ground meat, soaked breadcrumbs, beaten egg, grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Using clean hands, gently mix until just combined. Do not overwork (about 20–30 strokes).
Form the meatballs
Portion the mixture into evenly sized meatballs—about 1 1/4 inches in diameter—using roughly 1.5 tbs of mixture per meatball to yield about 18–20 meatballs (serves 4). Roll gently between your palms to form smooth balls.
Brown the meatballs
Heat 2 tbs olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the meatballs in a single layer (don't crowd). Brown on all sides, turning carefully, about 6–8 minutes total until nicely caramelized but not cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels.
Finish cooking in the sauce
Carefully add the browned meatballs to the simmering marinara (nestle them into the sauce). Cover and simmer gently for 12–15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through to 160°F (71°C) internal temperature. Spoon sauce over meatballs occasionally to keep them moist.
For the spaghetti and finishing
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tbsp salt and the dried spaghetti. Cook according to package instructions until al dente (usually 8–10 minutes). Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti.
Combine pasta and sauce
If you prefer, remove some marinara to toss with the pasta: add the drained spaghetti to the skillet with several ladlefuls of marinara (or use a separate large pan). Toss over medium heat, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to loosen and help the sauce cling to the pasta, until the spaghetti is evenly coated, about 1–2 minutes.