Spaghetti and Meatballs

These are the meatballs that go on top of spaghetti. Garlicky, studded with herbs, they’re right at home in a simple red sauce. It’s homestyle comfort food that’s easy and familiar.

So, there are different methods for making meatballs. And sure, some might offer marginal improvements in flavor, texture, and presentation. But my approach is always to find a good balance between ease and quality for recipes that are doable and delicious.

Key Ingredients

Ground beef is my go-to for bold flavor. Though if I’m making a double batch, I’ll add some ground pork for the sweet flavor and tenderness it brings. Dry bread crumbs offer convenience because they’re in the pantry and easy to distribute evenly. Buttermilk brings richness and moisture, with some help from Parmesan. Garlic and oregano are customary. Fennel seeds are a fun flex, a nod to Italian sausage.

Oven Roasting

RoastIng is my preferred cooking method. It’s easier than tending to a pan of hot oil on the stove top. Just load the meatballs onto a roasting pan and slide into a hot oven. They cook through quickly and brown nicely on top. You get tender meatballs with minimal fuss.

While the meatballs are in the oven, you’ve got time to make a quick sauce and boil your pasta. Once they’re done, transfer the meatballs into the waiting red sauce so they get a nice saucy coating. They’re soon ready to pile on top of pasta.

Change up the texture of sauce by varying the canned tomato product you choose. For a smooth sauce that’s family friendly, use tomato sauce. For a chunkier tomato vibe, use crushed tomatoes. Canned whole tomatoes make a velvety sauce with nuggety tomato pieces, but need a bit more time and effort to break up the tomatoes.

If your love language includes hearty and homestyle food for your family, then spaghetti and meatballs send the right message. Roasting the meatballs in the oven combined with a quickie red sauce makes it easy to serve up a satisfying bowl of happy!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

These are the meatballs that go on top of spaghetti. Garlicky and fragrant with oregano, they're right at home in a bare-bones red sauce. RoastIng in a hot oven is fast. And easier than tending to a pan of hot oil on the stove top. While the meatballs cook, there's time to get your sauce and pasta going. Just the thing when you're craving twirly pasta and fork-tender meatballs. Recipe makes enough meatballs and sauce for one pound of dry pasta.

5 from 1 vote

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Author Margie

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Servings 15 meatballs

EQUIPMENT

• 1 large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

  

Meatballs

• 1 pound ground beef (80% lean)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 large egg
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds

Sauce

• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, quartered, root end intact
• 1 28-oz can tomato sauce (OR crushed tomatoes OR whole tomatoes)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Pasta

• 1 pound spaghetti
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated for serving

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (Please see note #1 regarding oven temperature if you are using a dark colored pan for the meatballs.)
• In a large bowl, add ground beef, bread crumbs, buttermilk, Parmesan, egg, garlic, salt, oregano, basil, and fennel seeds. Use a folding motion to combine until all ingredients are thoroughly distributed throughout the ground beef.
• Form meatballs about 1 ¾ inch in diameter, using about 3 Tablespoons of meat mixture per meatball. I usually get 15 meatballs per batch.
• Place meatballs onto a large roasting pan. Put meatballs in the oven and roast for 15 – 20 minutes or until meatballs are browned and thoroughly cooked.
• While the meatballs are roasting, prepare the tomato sauce. Heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat in large sauté pan. Add the onion pieces to the pan; leaving the root end intact makes it easy to remove the onion later.
• When the butter and oil are hot, add tomato sauce, and salt. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and correct for salt if needed. (I also might add a pinch of sugar, if the tomato sauce is tart.) Remove onion and discard (or refrigerate and save for another use).
• Transfer the cooked meatballs to the sauce. Cook uncovered at a bare simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente according to package directions. Drain pasta.
• Combine spaghetti with sauce and meatballs. Please note that a really large sauté pan is required to accommodate everything. You may need to use the pasta cooking pot instead. Toss spaghetti to coat with sauce.
• Serve spaghetti topped with meatballs. Sprinkle with freshly shredded parmesan.

Notes

1. I use a light colored baking sheet and the meatballs brown evenly on top and bottom. If your baking sheet is dark colored, I suggest reducing the oven temperature to prevent over browning on the bottoms of the meatballs and adjusting cooking time if needed. 
2. Rather than infusing the sauce with onion and subsequently removing it as outlined in the recipe, I sometimes want more onion. For a marinara style sauce with bits of onion, dice an onion and sauté in the oil and butter until translucent before adding tomatoes. 
3. Vary the consistency of the sauce from smooth to chunky based on the canned tomato product you choose. Use tomato sauce for a thick smooth red sauce. Or use crushed tomatoes for a looser more textured sauce. I like the nubbly texture that comes from using canned whole tomatoes, but the sauce requires more a bit more cooking time for softening and breaking up the tomatoes. 
4. A fresh herb garnish brings some flair to the presentation. Skip it if you’re not feeling fancy, but a sprinkling of fresh parsley or basil is a nice accent. 
5. Given my empty nest, I might only use half the meatballs and sauce on a half-pound of pasta, and save the remainder for another meal. Refrigerate or freeze leftover meatballs and sauce to use later. Change up the menu by using leftovers in a meatball sandwich or serve up saucy meatballs with a side of garlic bread. 

 

More Please?

• If, like me, you grew up in the 70’s, you might understand why meatballs “on top of spaghetti” always cues this song in my mind.
• And even if you’re not that old, you might share my aspiration to make FRESH spaghetti by hand like this Italian Grandma.