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Spaghetti and meatballs stirred with pasta.
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Spaghetti and Meatballs

You can't go wrong with this classic Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe. I have been making spaghetti and meatballs this way for over 20 years and it's perfect every. single. time.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time2 hours 15 minutes
In Crock Pot:4 hours
Total Time2 hours 45 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Servings: 6
Calories: 567kcal
Author: Erica Walker

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
  • 1/2 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.
    Skillet with sautéed onions and mushrooms.
  • Pour canned tomatoes into the Crock Pot. Use a wooden spoon to gently break them apart.
    Crockpot of broken up canned tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
  • 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.
    Crockpot with mixed spaghetti sauce and wooden spoon.
  • While sauce is slow cooking, prepare meatballs. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix all meatball ingredients together. Avoid over mixing.
    A glass bowl with well mixed ingredients to make frozen meatballs
  • Using a cookie scoop or your hands, roll meat into 1" balls and place on a large parchment lined baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart.
    A cookie scoop scooping meat from a glass bowl with formed meatballs on a baking sheet ready to bake and freeze
  • 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.
    Stirring meatballs into crockpot spaghetti sauce.
  • Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti.
    Spaghetti and meatballs stirred with pasta in a bowl.

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 1/2 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

Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 1763mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 3mg