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    Spaghetti and Meatballs

    Updated April 14, 2025 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    Tender homemade Italian meatballs simmered in rich tomato sauce, like Grandma used to make, served over a big bowl of spaghetti. Meet your new favorite spaghetti and meatballs recipe.

    A platter of homemade spaghetti and meatballs topped with freshly grated Parmesan and parsley with a serving fork and spoon

    Who doesn’t love spaghetti and meatballs? Tender and juicy meatballs simmered in a rich, simple tomato sauce, spooned over perfectly-cooked spaghetti is a please-everyone Italian meal that our families ask for on the regular. Best of all? This recipe is so easy to make, and you’ll get zero complaints. Even the pickiest folks can be quieted (just put a few plain noodles on that high chair tray and call it a day), so what are you waiting for? 

    Canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, onions, butter, ground beef & pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan & spices in bowls

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • It’s crowd pleasing! You’ll hear nothing but “YUM!” when you serve this recipe. Everyone loves Italian comfort food (think Baked Ziti, Lasagna, or even Fettucine Alfredo). 
    • It serves a lot of people (it makes about 45 meatballs!) and you can double the recipe easily to serve even more. This is a classic way to feed a big crowd. Just add a big Italian salad and some Garlic Bread, and you’re golden.
    • It features the best, easiest homemade tomato sauce! Our tomato sauce recipe comes from Marcella Hazan, the famous Italian cook who calls for only three ingredients in her classic, velvety, rich tomato sauce (a sauce that inspired our SpaghettiOs recipe, too!). Canned tomatoes, butter, and onions. 
    • Cook the meatballs in the sauce! Simmer beef and pork meatballs in the tomato sauce for the most moist, juicy meatballs ever.
    A large mixing bowl filled with fresh meatball ingredients: beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan and spices
    A large mixing bowl filled with fresh meatball ingredients: beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan and spices
    Raw Italian meatballs on a sheet pan made with beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper
    Hand crushing whole canned tomatoes into a pot to make homemade spaghetti sauce

    Key Ingredients For Spaghetti And Meatballs

    For the homemade tomato sauce

    • Tomatoes: Specifically, canned whole tomatoes (you’ll crush these up a bit with your hands as you add them, which is a lot of fun to do) AND canned tomato sauce. You want a little texture, but not too much. 
    • White onions: Sharper in flavor than yellow onions, we love the punchy flavor that white onions give this sauce. 
    • Salted butter: If you’ve never made buttery tomato sauce before, you’re in for a treat. Salted butter makes a this basic tomato sauce taste incredible. 

    For the Italian meatballs

    • Meat: Our meatball recipe is THE BEST thanks to a combination of ground beef and ground pork. We just love the richness that the added pork gives to the meatballs. However, you could use all beef, if you prefer. 
    • Eggs: Eggs make the meatballs super moist and help them hold together. 
    • Italian-style breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs hold the meatballs together and they also stretch the meat a little further. Classic Italian recipes usually are thrifty like this! Who doesn’t love that? “Italian-style” just means that these are the kind of breadcrumbs with some Italian herbs mixed in. 
    • Fresh parsley: We add even more fresh parsley, though, because you want the meatballs to taste really homemade (after all, you’re doing all that work!) and fresh herbs are a great way to do that. 
    • Parmesan cheese: Salty, earthy Parm! Don’t make meatballs without it. 
    • Garlic: Of course, our Italian meatballs have tons of garlic in them! 
    A pot filled with tomato sauce, crushed whole tomatoes, white onions and 2 sticks of butter to make homemade spaghetti sauce
    homemade spaghetti sauce cooking in a pot made with tomato sauce, crushed whole tomatoes, onions and butter

    How to Make Classic Spaghetti & Meatballs

    1. Make tomato sauce in a large pot and we do mean LARGE. This recipe makes a lot of sauce and then you’ll need room to add the meatballs, too. 
    2. Let the sauce simmer for 40 minutes, then take the onions out. 
    3. Gently mix all the meatball ingredients in a big bowl. 
    4. Roll the meatballs. We usually aim for golf ball sized meatballs. 
    5. Add the meatballs to the sauce. 
    6. Simmer the meatballs in the tomato sauce for about 30 minutes. 
    7. In the last 10 minutes or so of the simmer, cook the spaghetti until it is perfectly al dente. Usually this is about 1-2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time on the pasta packaging. 
    8. Serve the meatballs and tomato sauce over spaghetti topped with additional parsley and Parmesan.
    homemade pork and beef Italian meatballs simmering in a large pot filled with homemade spaghetti sauce
    A platter of homemade spaghetti and meatballs topped with freshly grated Parmesan and parsley with a serving fork and spoon

    Tips For Making Perfect Meatballs

    We’re big meatball fans (as long time readers will know!) and we’ve perfected the process! Here are our best tips for no more messy hands, and perfectly tidy meatballs that are tender every time: 

    • Work with a small bowl of water next to you as you roll the meatballs. Keep your palms damp (not wet but damp) so that the meatball mixture doesn’t stick to your hands while you roll. 
    • You can eye-ball the meatball sizing, or use a small scoop (either ¾ ounce or 1 ounce size) to measure. 
    • Make the meatballs as evenly-sized as you can. That way, they’ll cook evenly and will all be perfectly cooked, rather than having some undercooked or overcooked. 
    • Use your hands to gently mix your meatball mixture. This will prevent over-mixing, which can make meatballs tough. 
    • Don’t use pre-shredded Parmesan. Grate it yourself with your trusty microplane grater for Parm that melds seamlessly into the meatballs. 
    • For even more meatball recipe ideas (we’ve got TONS), check out our favorite Meatball Recipes! 
    A platter of homemade spaghetti and meatballs topped with freshly grated Parmesan and parsley with a serving fork and spoon

    How to Store Leftovers 

    Leftovers should be eaten within 3-4 days, or you can freeze the meatballs in the sauce for up to three months. If you do want to freeze the meatballs in the sauce, let them cook completely first and then transfer the meatballs to a freezer safe container. Put a “good until” label on it, and pop it in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat them, defrost them in the fridge, then warm them gently on the stove top until they’re warmed through. 

    an Italian meatball cut in half with a fork on top of spaghetti and homemade sauce topped with parmesan and parsley

    More Easy, Classic Italian Dinners 

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    Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

    Updated April 14, 2025

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  8
    • Prep Time:  20 min
    • Cook Time:  1 hr 10 min
    • Calories:  659
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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    Ingredients

    • 3 (28-ounce) cans whole stewed tomatoes
    • 2 (28-ounce) cans tomato sauce
    • 3 large white onions, halved
    • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
    • 2 pounds 80/20 ground beef
    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
    • ¾ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for serving
    • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
    • 6 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
    • 2 pounds cooked spaghetti, for serving

    Method

    1. In a large pot, combine the whole tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you add them, tomato sauce, onions, and butter. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened, about 40 minutes. Using tongs, carefully discard the onions. See Note.

      A pot filled with tomato sauce, crushed whole tomatoes, white onions and 2 sticks of butter to make homemade spaghetti sauce

    2. While the sauce is simmering, make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well, then with wet hands, form golf ball–size balls (about 2 tablespoons each). You should have 40 to 45 meatballs.

      Raw Italian meatballs on a sheet pan made with beef, pork, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, salt, and pepper

    3. Carefully add the meatballs to the sauce. Return the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.

      homemade pork and beef Italian meatballs simmering in a large pot filled with homemade spaghetti sauce

    4. Serve the meatballs and tomato sauce over spaghetti topped with additional parsley and Parmesan.

      A platter of homemade spaghetti and meatballs topped with freshly grated Parmesan and parsley with a serving fork and spoon

    Notes

    If you prefer a smoother sauce, blend the sauce with an immersion blender after you remove the onions.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 659
    • Protein 33 g
    • Carbohydrates 54 g
    • Total Fat 35 g
    • Dietary Fiber 6 g
    • Cholesterol 149 mg
    • Sodium 1989 mg
    • Total Sugars 15 g

    Spaghetti and Meatballs

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Lisa

      If I want to start this recipe the evening before I plan on serving it... Can I make the meatballs and leave them raw in the fridge overnight?

      Absolutely. Hope you enjoy!

    • Nikki

      Hi! Meal prepping before baby and I want to freeze this meal. Can I split it into two separate servings? What are the instructions for freezing/cooking after freezing? Thanks!

      Let it fully cook then add to a freezer container. Can be frozen for about 3 months. Thaw in the fridge over night and reheat on the stove top on medium low until meatballs are warmed through. Congratulations on baby!

    • Sarah

      Does this recipe work well if you cut it in half?

      Should work fine, hope you enjoy Sarah!

    • Andrea

      Well, I made the meatballs and put half of them in the freezer before cooking them and then read the question 😔 will the meatballs be okay you think?

      They'll be ok! When you're ready to make them, let them fully thaw before cooking them.

    • Hannah

      Can you leave out the egg in the meatballs or is there a substitute? Trying to work around an allergy.

      You can leave it out. Texture won't be quite the same but it'll still work!

    • John

      Have made a few meatball recipes over the years and this will now be the go-to when we want a delicious and comforting meal. The meatballs were flavorful and perfectly tender, and the sauce had just the right amount of richness to it (do not skip this part by using jarred sauce!). Another review mentioned the sauce being watery but that wasn't at all the case for us - follow the recipe exactly as is and you won't be disappointed.

      Thanks John, we are so glad you loved it!

    • AE

      These meatballs are SO good! Great flavor.

      Thanks, so glad you loved them!

    • Megan

      I never leave recipe reviews, but this one deserved a shout out! It was not only delicious, but my picky toddler (who has refused to ever eat any form of meat) devoured these meatballs!! My husband and I loved it as well. The only change I made was cutting the recipe in half to accommodate our small family. 5 star meal!

      Thanks Megan, we are so happy you and your family loved it! (especially your toddler!)

    • Anna

      The amount of liquid was insane. My huge dutch oven was so full, I couldn't stir it without it over spilling. Thank god for surface tension when I wasn't stirring it. Sauce was like tomato water... but still GREAT meatballs...

      Hmmmm.... I've been making this recipe every Christmas Eve and a few times throughout for the last 4 years and I've never had it watery like you are describing. So sorry it wasn't a hit for you. The sauce is on the thinner side for sure, but mine normally looks just like the photo.

    • Hayley

      This recipe was unbelievably delicious!
      The sauce was rich and velvety and the meatballs were full of flavor.
      My teenage son has officially voted it as his favorite pasta and he is our family pasta connoisseur.
      Winner Winner Spaghetti and Meatballs Dinner!

      Thank you so much Hayley, we are so happy you and your family loved it! Be sure to thank your son for us as well!