Go Back
Close-up of spaghetti and meatballs on a white plate with three tender meatballs in rich tomato sauce, topped with fresh basil and grated Parmesan

Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tender beef and pork meatballs simmered in rich San Marzano tomato sauce and served over perfectly cooked spaghetti. This classic Italian-American comfort dish features homemade meatballs with Parmigiano-Reggiano and fresh herbs, creating a restaurant-quality dinner that's surprisingly simple to master at home.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 793
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Meatballs
  • 500 g mixed ground meat 300g beef 80/20, 200g pork
  • 50 g Parmigiano-Reggiano finely grated
  • 40 g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 60 ml whole milk
  • 1 large egg 50g
  • 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
  • 8 g garlic 2 cloves, minced
  • 5 g fine sea salt
  • 2 g freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 g freshly grated nutmeg
  • 30 ml olive oil for browning
For the Tomato Sauce
  • 800 g canned San Marzano tomatoes crushed by hand
  • 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 12 g garlic 3 cloves, thinly sliced
  • 5 g fresh basil leaves torn
  • 4 g fine sea salt
  • 2 g red pepper flakes
  • 5 g granulated sugar
For the Pasta
  • 320 g dried spaghetti
  • 20 g fine sea salt for pasta water
  • 30 g Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving grated
  • 10 g fresh basil leaves for garnish

Method
 

Prepare the Meatball Mixture
  1. In a small bowl, combine 40g breadcrumbs with 60ml milk, stirring until completely saturated. Let stand for 5 minutes to form a panade. In a large mixing bowl, combine 300g ground beef, 200g ground pork, 50g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, the soaked breadcrumb mixture, 1 egg, 15g chopped parsley, 8g minced garlic, 5g salt, 2g black pepper, and 1g nutmeg. Using your hands, gently mix until just combined without overworking the meat.
Form and Brown the Meatballs
  1. With lightly moistened hands, portion the mixture into 12 equal meatballs (approximately 55g each), rolling each into smooth spheres. Heat 30ml olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add meatballs in a single layer and sear for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Build the Tomato Sauce
  1. Reduce heat to medium and add 30ml extra virgin olive oil to the same skillet, scraping up browned bits. Add 12g sliced garlic and 2g red pepper flakes, cooking for 45 seconds until fragrant. Add 800g crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 4g salt, and 5g sugar. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
Simmer the Meatballs in Sauce
  1. Nestle the browned meatballs into the tomato sauce. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, turning the meatballs halfway through. The meatballs will finish cooking while infusing the sauce with rich, savory flavor.
Cook the Spaghetti
  1. Bring a large pot with 4 liters of water to a rolling boil. Add 20g salt—the water should taste like the sea. Add 320g spaghetti and cook for 1 minute less than package directions (about 8-9 minutes) until al dente. Reserve 240ml pasta water, then drain.
Combine and Serve
  1. Add the drained spaghetti directly to the sauce with meatballs, tossing gently and adding reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky coating. Stir in 5g torn basil leaves. Divide among four plates, top each with 3 meatballs, and garnish with 30g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and 10g fresh basil leaves.

Notes

The panade (breadcrumb-milk mixture) is essential for tender meatballs—don't skip the 5-minute soaking time as it prevents dense, dry meatballs.
 
Browning the meatballs before simmering builds deep flavor through caramelization, but they don't need to be cooked through at this stage—they'll finish in the sauce.
 
Reserve pasta water before draining; its starch helps the sauce cling to the spaghetti and creates a cohesive dish when tossed together.