Homemade Meatballs Recipe

Prep

Place breadcrumbs in a small bowl and pour milk over them. Stir, then let soak for 5 minutes until softened.

Mix

In a large bowl combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked breadcrumbs (with any remaining milk), grated Parmesan, chopped parsley, minced garlic, grated onion, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Use your hands or a fork to gently mix until just combined—avoid overworking to keep meatballs tender.

Shape

Portion mixture into 1 1/4-inch to 1 1/2-inch meatballs (about 1.5 tablespoons to 2 tablespoons each). You should get roughly 18–22 meatballs depending on size. Roll gently between palms to form smooth spheres; don’t compress tightly.

Brown

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, add meatballs without crowding and brown on all sides, about 6–8 minutes per batch. Use tongs to turn; meatballs will not be fully cooked through—just browned. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate lined with paper towel.

Sauté garlic

In a large saucepan or deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add thinly sliced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant and lightly golden but not burned.

Build sauce

Stir in tomato paste and cook 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, sugar (if using), salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine and bring sauce to a gentle simmer.

Simmer with meatballs

Carefully add the browned meatballs into the simmering sauce, nestling them into the sauce so they’re mostly covered. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 18–22 minutes until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 160–165°F / 71–74°C) and sauce has thickened slightly. Stir gently occasionally to prevent sticking and to coat meatballs with sauce.

Finish

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a pinch more sugar if needed. Stir in torn fresh basil leaves just before serving.

If serving with pasta: cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving a 1/2 cup of pasta water. Toss pasta with a few spoonfuls of the sauce to coat, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if needed to loosen.

Plate: serve meatballs over pasta or polenta, spoon extra sauce over them, and sprinkle with extra grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves.