Quick and easy spaghetti and meatballs is a delicious, rich and comforting 30-minute weeknight dinner that the whole family will love. Tender beef meatballs are simmered in a savoury tomato sauce and tossed with spaghetti noodles. It's a recipe that everyone should have in their back pocket.
You really can't go wrong with a 30-minute meal that actually tastes good. Our family enjoys this one regularly, as well as a few others that we always make including creamy lemon chicken piccata, stovetop mac and cheese with white cheddar, healthy lemon chicken and glazed honey balsamic pork chops.
Ingredients
To make classic spaghetti and meatballs, you will need:
- spaghetti noodles - boiled in salted water until al dente.
- meatballs - made with ground beef, Panko bread crumbs, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper.
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- medium tomato
- bay leaves
- tomato sauce and tomato paste
- salt and pepper
You will also need a large cooking pot. I used my 4 qt. Dutch oven.
How to Make the Best Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Boil the spaghetti noodles. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and cook for 8-12 minutes until al dente (firm to the bite), or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Make the meatballs. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well to form into uniform consistency. Take 2 spoonfuls of the beef mixture at a time and roll into meatballs. Set aside on a plate. Repeat until all the beef mixture is used up.
- Brown the meatballs. Heat oil in a large pot (or 4 qt.Dutch oven) over medium high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil sizzles and shimmers. Carefully add the meatballs and gently stir to cook until the meatballs are brown on all sides. Make sure to stir gently to prevent meatballs from breaking apart. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside. Note that the meatballs are not fully cooked at this point.
- Make the sauce. In the same pot, add onion, garlic, tomato and bay leaves. Stir to cook for 4 minutes until the onion and tomatoes are soft. Add the meatballs back into the pot and pour in tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to mix and bring the sauce mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover the lid, turn heat to low and let the mixture simmer for 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked.
- Toss in spaghetti. Turn off the heat and add in cooked spaghetti. Toss well to combine. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and grated Parmesan on top.
How to Serve Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serve spaghetti and meatballs with a side of crusty garlicky bread to soak up all that delicious sauce. Some of my favourites to serve with this are pull apart garlic bread, rosemary garlic focaccia bread, sourdough bread, and sliced french baguettes.
This pasta also pairs really well with a fresh salad on the side. Try an easy Greek salad, Mediterranean chickpea wedge salad, or tomato cucumber avocado salad.
Tips for Storing
- How to store: Store spaghetti and meatballs in the pot with the lid on or in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply reheat in the pot over the stove or reheat a smaller portion in a shallow saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through (or in the microwave). You may need to add a little water if the sauce thickened up too much in the refrigerator.
- How to freeze: Freeze the meatball sauce before tossing it in the spaghetti. Let it cool down, then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container (leave an inch from the top to allow for expansion). Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat from frozen: Allow the meatball sauce to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first, then reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through.
More Pasta Recipes
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Cheesy Tortellini and Sausage Bake
- Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo Pasta Bake
- Creamy White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
- Spaghetti Alfredo with Spinach and Mushrooms
- Easy Meat Lasagna
- Farfalle Pasta with Light Creamy Mushroom Rose Sauce
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Recipe
Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
Quick and easy spaghetti and meatballs is delicious, rich, comforting with tender beef meatballs simmered in a savoury tomato sauce. Make it in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. dry spaghetti noodles
For the meatballs:
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ⅓ cup Panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 egg
- ½ tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon ground black pepper
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 medium tomato, sliced
- 3-4 bay leaves
- 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add spaghetti and cook for 8-12 minutes until al dente (firm to the bite), or according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well to form into uniform consistency. Take 2 spoonfuls of the beef mixture at a time and roll into meatballs. Set aside on a plate. Repeat until all the beef mixture is used up.
- Heat oil in a large pot (or 4 qt.Dutch oven) over medium high heat for 2 minutes until the hot oil sizzles and shimmers. Carefully add the meatballs and gently stir to cook until the meatballs are brown on all sides. Make sure to stir gently to prevent meatballs from breaking apart. Transfer the meatballs to a plate and set aside. Note that the meatballs are not fully cooked at this point.
- In the same pot, add onion, garlic, tomato and bay leaves. Stir to cook for 4 minutes until the onion and tomatoes are soft.
- Add the meatballs back into the pot and pour in tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir to mix and bring the sauce mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cover the lid, turn the heat down to low and let the mixture simmer for 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are fully cooked.
- Turn off the heat and add in cooked spaghetti. Toss well to combine. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and grated Parmesan on top.
Notes
How to store: Store spaghetti and meatballs in the pot with the lid on or in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply reheat in the pot over the stove or reheat a smaller portion in a shallow saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through (or in the microwave). You may need to add a little water if the sauce thickened up too much in the refrigerator.
How to freeze: Freeze the meatball sauce before tossing it in the spaghetti. Let it cool down, then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container (leave an inch from the top to allow for expansion). Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to reheat from frozen: Allow the meatball sauce to thaw overnight in the refrigerator first, then reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until warmed through.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Katie says
This looks amazing! I know my family would love this.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks Katie! Let me know if you try it.
Lisalia says
What a delicious classic! So easy to make. The whole family loved it
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks Lisalia! So happy you all loved it!