Garlic and Italian herbs make these meatballs delicious, and the perfect blend of ingredients guarantees the best texture. My family loves this spaghetti and meatballs recipe and I cannot wait for you to try it! For this easy recipe, you’ll bake the meatballs in the oven and finish them in our from scratch simple spaghetti sauce. For larger meatballs, see our Italian meatballs recipe, which makes 4 meatballs for 1 pound of meat.
Key Ingredients
Ground beef and ground pork: Use ground beef that’s at least 15% fat (85/15). The beef keeps our meatballs juicy, while the pork adds flavor and tenderness. Saltine crackers and milk: The secret to the best meatballs is panade made from saltine crackers and milk. We do the same when making our best meatloaf and these juicy Italian meatballs. It’s a game-changer. Onion and garlic: Add moisture and flavor to the meatball mixture. Fennel seeds and parsley: Make these taste authentic and Italian. Don’t skimp on the fennel. It makes such a difference in flavor. Parmesan: I use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese in these meatballs, and I love it! Homemade sauce: Our sauce is so simple that you can make it in the time the meatballs take to bake — about 15 minutes. It’s light and flavorful, thanks to shallot, garlic, Italian seasoning, white wine, canned tomatoes, and fresh basil.
How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs
To make the meatball mixture, you will combine crushed saltines and milk, and set aside. Then move on to cooking the onion, garlic, and fennel seeds in olive oil until soft and fragrant. Combine the cooked onion mixture with the ground beef, ground pork, parsley, cheese, salt, and pepper. I love using my hands to mix meatball ingredients – it’s the best way to combine everything without overworking the meat. I do the same when making meatloaf. Then, you’ll add the saltine and milk mixture. It seems too wet at first, but the milk absorbs beautifully into the meatball mixture, making the meatballs tender. Watch our video to see what my mixture looked like. I usually get around 16 meatballs from this meatball recipe, perfect for four servings. You can adjust the size to your liking. I bake the meatballs until lightly browned, then finish them in the sauce for extra tenderness. See our recipe for Italian Meatballs for large meatballs (one meatball per person, large). While the meatballs bake, I whip up a quick marinara with shallots, garlic, white wine, chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil. It takes about 15 minutes! This is also a good time to cook your spaghetti (or favorite pasta.) When baked, add the meatballs to your sauce to simmer for a few more minutes. When your spaghetti is cooked, toss it directly into the sauce! It absorbs so much more flavor than just spooning the sauce on top. We use the same trick when making this spaghetti recipe with meat sauce.
What to Serve with Spaghetti and Meatballs
I love a classic Caesar salad or Caprese salad served next to spaghetti and meatballs. For more variety, add a hearty Italian chopped salad. Of course, garlic bread or homemade focaccia is a must for soaking up the sauce, and a side of sautéed spinach is perfect for adding some extra veggies. 8 ounces (225g) ground beef, use 85/15 or 80/20 8 ounces (225g) ground pork 4 tablespoons (25g) saltine cracker crumbs from 8 crackers 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon (135g) whole milk 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup (60g) minced onion 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon ground fennel 1/4 cup (10g) chopped parsley 6 tablespoons (1.5oz) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 6 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1/4 cup (60ml) dry white wine 1/3 cup (80ml) chicken stock 1 (28oz) can of crushed tomatoes, we like canned crushed tomatoes with basil 1/2 cup (15g) chopped fresh basil 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 2Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and fennel. Cook until softened, but before they brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. 3In a large bowl, combine ground beef, pork, parsley, cheese, salt, pepper, and the cooked onion mixture. Add the soaked saltine mixture and mix well (hands work best!). 4Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C). Lightly oil a parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape the meatball mixture into four large meatballs. Place on the baking sheet and bake until browned on top, 10 to 12 minutes. 2Add wine and simmer until almost dry. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over the shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 3Stir in stock, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Bring to a low simmer. 2Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat until meatballs reach 160°F internally (5 to 10 minutes). 3Toss in the cooked spaghetti, then leave for a minute so the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. If the sauce needs thinning out, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss again, and then serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
