We may earn a commission when you click on the affiliate links in this post.
You can’t go wrong with this classic Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe. Complete with a rich, flavorful sauce and tender meatballs, it just can’t be beat. I have been making spaghetti and meatballs this way for over 20 years and it’s perfect every. single. time.
Why This Spaghetti and Meatballs Is The Best Ever
This spaghetti and meatballs recipe is about as classic comfort food as you can get. It’s what I make most in my family dinner rotation because every single person in my family absolutely loves it. The rich tomato sauce is where it’s at. It’s rich, tomato-y, and has a little secret ingredient you may not expect (but trust me, you’ll love it). The meatballs are made with a beef/pork mix so they are extra tender, especially after simmering in the sauce. Even if you have made spaghetti and meatballs before, I promise once you give this a try it will become your new favorite family recipe!
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
- Why This Spaghetti and Meatballs Is The Best Ever
- Key Ingredients for Spaghetti and Meatballs
- How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs
- CrockPot vs. Stove Top Methods
- Pro Tips for Making Spaghetti and Meatballs
- What to Serve With Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Frequently Asked Questions
- All The Best Spaghetti Recipes
- Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Key Ingredients for Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Spaghetti noodles – Any kind of spaghetti noodle works great here. You can use regular, thick, or angel hair (my husband’s favorite). If you want to go wider you can always use linguine or even fettuccine noodles.
- Vegetables – For the veggies in the sauce I always add onion and chopped mushrooms. You can also add finely chopped celery and grated carrot if you want to give it more of a sofrito flavor.
- San Marzano tomatoes -These are a must. If I can’t use fresh tomatoes (like in my Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes recipe), I always opt for real San Marzano tomatoes. I have even written an entire post on the best canned tomatoes and why it matters because it really does make a big difference!
- Seasoning – The seasonings for this sauce are simple: garlic, oregano, a little brown sugar, and some salt and pepper. Nothing too crazy, except for our secret ingredient, which is…
- Soy sauce – Yes, you read that right but trust me! This is a trick I actually learned from chef. The soy sauce brings out the bright, acidic flavor of the tomatoes and makes it taste so good. I promise you won’t even taste the soy-saucy-ness. It just deepens the flavors and blends with the tomatoes. Seriously, don’t skip it!
- Meatballs – I love making my meatballs with a mixture of both ground beef and pork. It gives it just the right texture. I also add grated onion, an egg, breadcrumbs, garlic, a little flour, salt, and pepper. I love making my meatballs in bulk once a month and then freezing them (pictured above). That way I can just pull out what I need and add it to the sauce. Add them fresh or frozen, they will taste amazing either way. The important thing is making them homemade for the best flavor. Check out my post on how to freeze meatballs for all the best tips and tricks!
How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs
This recipe is so easy when made in the Crock Pot but it can also easily be made on the stovetop. Here are the steps for the CrockPot method. In the recipe card below you will find both methods so you can choose which one is best for you!
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the mushrooms. Cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding the soy sauce and garlic. Continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender and golden.
- Pour the canned tomatoes into the Crock Pot and use a wooden spoon to gently break them up. Stir in the cooked onion and mushroom mixture along with the basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook the sauce on HIGH for 3 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- About halfway through the cooking time, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients and mix just until combined. Try not to overmix or the meatballs can turn out tough. Roll the meat mixture into 1-inch balls using a cookie scoop or your hands and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, then transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any extra grease.
- Add the baked meatballs to the Crock Pot about 1 hour before serving so they can finish cooking in the sauce. Prepare the spaghetti according to package directions and serve topped with plenty of sauce and meatballs.
CrockPot vs. Stove Top Methods
Both methods work great for this spaghetti and meatballs recipe, it really just depends on how you want to cook that day. The CrockPot method is perfect if you want to prep everything earlier in the day and let the sauce slowly cook while you go about your day. It gives the flavors plenty of time to blend together with very little hands-on work. The stovetop method is a little faster and gives you more control over the consistency of the sauce as it simmers. I love the stovetop version when I’m home and want the smell of spaghetti sauce filling the kitchen all afternoon. You really can’t go wrong! Either way, you’ll end up with a rich, hearty, tomato-y sauce and tender homemade meatballs.
Pro Tips for Making Spaghetti and Meatballs
Try pan frying the meatballs: I usually like baking the meatballs instead of frying because it’s easier, less messy, and they still get plenty of flavor once they finish cooking in the sauce. However, pan frying gives the meatballs a nice flavorful little crispy coating. If you prefer to pan fry the meatballs, cook them in a little oil over medium heat, turning often until browned on all sides and cooked through. Then transfer them right into the sauce to finish simmering.
Save some pasta water: Save a little pasta water before draining the spaghetti. A splash mixed into the sauce helps it cling better to the noodles and it can also help thin the sauce if it gets too thick. I always set aside a little pasta water, just in case!
Simmer that sauce: The longer the sauce simmers, the deeper the flavor gets. If you have extra time, let it go a little longer on low heat.
Take the lid off the CrockPot: When I’m making this in the CrockPot, I will keep the CrockPot on LOW and take off the lid for the last hour. This helps the sauce cook down and really bumps up the flavor. Keep an eye on it and stir often, adding a little beef broth or pasta water to thin if needed.
What to Serve With Spaghetti and Meatballs
For me, I like to keep things simple. I usually serve this with some garlic bread or breadsticks, and a simple Caesar salad with homemade Caesar dressing. Sometimes I will also serve it with some simple cooked peas, which may sound weird but my kids love them!
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually it comes from overmixing the meat mixture. I always mix just until everything comes together because overworking the meat can make the meatballs dense instead of tender. The grated onion also helps keep them tender and juicy.
Honestly, both work great. I usually bake them because it’s easier, less messy, and I can cook a whole batch at once. If you want a deeper browned crust on the outside, pan frying gives you a little more caramelization and flavor. Either way, they finish cooking in the sauce so they stay tender.
Yes! The meatballs and sauce freeze really well. Just thaw in the fridge overnight and warm everything up on the stove. Cook up fresh noodles when ready to serve.
Just a little brown sugar helps balance the acidity from the tomatoes without making the sauce taste sweet. It rounds out the flavor and gives the sauce a richer taste. If you want a more natural flavor, shred up a carrot and add it to the sauce, you will get the sweet flavor without the added sugar.
All The Best Spaghetti Recipes
Have you tried this Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below and let me know how you liked it. And don’t forget to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @favoritefamilyrecipes! 📸🍝
Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
Spaghetti Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 28-ounce San Marzano tomatoes
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 10-12 leaves fresh basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- beef broth, optional for stovetop method
Meatballs
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1/2 onion, grated
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
Crockpot Method:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté until they become soft and transparent. Stir in mushrooms and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce and garlic and continue to cook until mushrooms become soft.
- Pour canned tomatoes into the Crock Pot. Use a wooden spoon to gently break them apart.
- Add sauteéd onions and mushrooms, basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or on LOW for 6 hours.
- While sauce is slow cooking, prepare meatballs. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix all meatball ingredients together. Avoid over mixing.
- Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll meat into 1" balls and place on a large parchment lined baking sheet about ½ inch apart.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place meatballs on a paper towel to absorb excess grease. Add meatballs to the sauce in the Crock Pot 1 hour prior to serving.Tip: Leave the lid off the CrockPot for the last hour and let it simmer down on LOW to allow the sauce to simmer and thicken. Check it often and stir until it's nice and thick, adding beef broth to thin if it gets too thick.
- Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti.
Stovetop Method:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onions and sauté until they become soft and transparent. Stir in mushrooms and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce and garlic and continue to cook until mushrooms become soft.
- Add canned tomatoes. Use a wooden spoon to gently break the whole tomatoes apart. They will continue to break down as they simmer.
- Stir in basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt and pepper.
- Simmer covered for 1-2 hours, stirring every 5-10 minutes to prevent sticking. If you notice the sauce is getting too thick you can add water or beef broth a little at a time to loosen it up again.
- While sauce simmers, prepare meatballs. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix all meatball ingredients together. Avoid over mixing.
- Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll meat into 1" balls and place on a large parchment lined baking sheet about ½ inch apart.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place meatballs on a paper towel to absorb excess grease.
- Add the prepared meatballs to the sauce. Simmer, uncovered 30 minutes before serving. Stir every 5-10 minutes to prevent sticking or burning, adding water or broth as needed if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions.
- Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe?
We want to hear from you! Please leave a review.
