Easy Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe
This Easy Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe is the perfect weeknight family dinner! The meatballs are juicy, and oven baked. The red sauce is easy to whip up, takes 10 minutes and is so tasty! It all comes together to make a really easy weeknight family favourite!
Table of Contents
My favourite thing about this Easy Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe
One of the things I’m obsessed with adding to my red sauce lately is a small pinch of chilli flakes! I’m not into spicy food, but it just ads a little background heat that is really nice. I probably wouldn’t add it if I was serving it to a child though. All in all though this is a really quick meal that comes together in about 25-30 minutes. Even quicker if someone is helping make the sauce or meatballs.
What does this Easy Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe taste like?
So yum! The red sauce is spiced and perfectly seasoned. The meatballs are juicy and tasty. The spaghetti, if cooked perfectly is al dente! Serve it up and slurp it up!
The ingredients you’ll need to make this Easy Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe
Meatballs
Bread – I never have stale bread sitting around the house, so I just toasted mine in the oven for about 10 minutes until it was crispy and then let it cool down before using. The stale or toasted bread helps moisten the meatballs and glue everything together.
Parmesan cheese – I used regular parmesan cheese. You can leave it out if you like.
Parsley – I used fresh parsley. Dried will work.
Oregano – I used fresh oregano. Dried will work.
Basil – I used fresh basil. Dried will work.
Brown onion – Red or white onion will work as well. I would recommend dicing your onion for both the sauce and for the meatball mixture. Especial for the meatball mixture.
Beef Mince – It’s important to for with a medium fat grade beef mince. Meaning, not a beef mince high in fat (30% fat content) which is more suited to a meat sauce, but preferably one that is leaner in fat (10% fat) or sits somewhere in the middle. 15 – 20% fat content is ideal. Otherwise, you’ll end up with meatballs that taste and feal way too greasy.
Milk – I used almond milk but any milk will work.
Egg – I used a large egg.
Salt and pepper – I used fine salt and cracked pepper.
Pasta Sauce
Olive oil – I used extra virgin olive oil.
Garlic cloves – finely minced.
Red or white wine – If you can’t or don’t want to use alcohol, simply replace it with more stock. Just keep in mind, the alcohol cooks out. So nobody is getting drunk here.
Passata – you could use the same amount of canned crushed or chopped tomatoes for a chunkier sauce.
Vegetable stock – beef stock will also work.
Worcestershire sauce – this helps deepen the Unami flavour in the sauce.
Italian herbs – I used a ready mix.
Chilli flakes – option, but helps add a little bit of heat.
Tomato paste – any type will work. It helps deepen the tomato flavour.
Spaghetti – Follow the package instructions when cooking.
How to make this Easy Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe. Let’s go through each step.
Meatballs
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F. Add the bread, parmesan, parsley, oregano, basil and onion to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse until you reach a crumb that looks like stuffing.
- Add the mixture to a large bowl along with the beef mince, milk, egg and salt and pepper.
- Use clean hands to mix until well combined.
- Roll into about 28 meatballs. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 20 minutes. Once baked, set aside.
Pasta Sauce
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Drizzle with olive oil and add the onion and garlic.
- Stir for 30 seconds before adding the remaining ingredients. Wine, vegetable stock, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Italian herbs, chilli flakes, oregano, parsley, basil and tomato paste. Stir until mixture begins to bubble.
- Add the meatballs and place the lid on top. Lower to medium heat and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
- Take the meatballs out of the sauce.
- Add the cooked spaghetti (use packet instructions) spaghetti, stir to coat in the sauce.
- Add the meatballs back before serving,
- shave some parmesan on top and garnish with basil before serving.
My Top Tips!
Storage
Spaghetti and meatballs can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for up to three days.
Bread
I never have stale bread sitting around the house, so I just toasted mine in the oven for about 10 minutes until it was crispy and then let it cool down before using. The stale or toasted bread helps moisten the meatballs and glue everything together.
Red or White wine
If you can’t or don’t want to use alcohol, simply replace it with more stock. Just keep in mind, the alcohol cooks out. So nobody is getting drunk here.
Beef Mince
It’s important to for with a medium fat grade beef mince. Meaning, not a beef mince high in fat (30% fat content) which is more suited to a meat sauce, but preferably one that is leaner in fat (10% fat) or sits somewhere in the middle. 15 – 20% fat content is ideal. Otherwise, you’ll end up with meatballs that taste and feal way too greasy.
Other Recipes You Might Like!
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Easy Spaghetti And Meatballs Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 3 slices stale or toasted bread see notes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tbsp (50 g) parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp parsley freshly chopped
- 1 tbsp oregano freshly chopped (or dried)
- 1 tbsp basil freshly chopped
- 1 brown onion diced
- 500 g (500 g) beef mince see notes
- 1/4 cup milk can be plant based
- 1 egg
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Pasta Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) red or white wine see notes
- 2 cups (500 ml) passata (tomato puree)
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable stock
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp Italian herbs
- Pinch of chilli flakes optional
- 1 tbsp oregano freshly chopped (or dried)
- 1 tbsp parsley freshly chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 500 g (500 g) spaghetti
- Extra parmesan to shave
- Basil to garnish
Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F. Add the bread, parmesan, parsley, oregano, basil and onion to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you reach a crumb that looks like stuffing.
- Add the mixture to a large bowl along with the beef mince, milk, egg and salt and pepper. Use clean hands to mix until well combined. Roll into about 28 meatballs. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 20 minutes. Once baked, set aside.
Pasta Sauce
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Drizzle with olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds before adding the remaining ingredients. Wine, vegetable stock, salt and pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Italian herbs, chilli flakes, oregano, parsley, basil and tomato paste. Stir until mixture begins to bubble. Add the meatballs and place the lid on top. Lower to medium heat and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
- Take the meatballs out of the sauce, add the cooked spaghetti (use packet instructions) spaghetti, stir to coat in the sauce. Add the meatballs back before serving, shave some parmesan on top and garnish with basil before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
