Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

My version of the Best Spaghetti and Meatballs mixes both beef and pork and echoes the flavours of good Italian sausage in the tender, juicy meatballs, while keeping the tomato sauce as simple as possible.

The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

First published Feb 2016.

Maybe every family has their own version of the best spaghetti and meatballs. If you don’t, or think yours could use a flavour boost , this recipe is well worth a shot.

I’ve seen many traditional Italian cooks take the same approach as I do in making the meatballs that are so integral to getting this dish right. Many that I know use ground veal and pork, but veal is not very commonly available in these parts.

Coarse grind your own pork if possible.

I use lean ground beef most of the time. I trim and grind my own pork shoulder or pork sirloin for my meatballs.

Italian Sausage meat, ground beef and ground pork.

It is often more economical than buying pre-ground pork. You can also control the fat content by trimming the pork cuts yourself.

Beef before grinding.

As well, I find it important to be able to control the coarseness of the grind. I like the pork & beef more coarsely ground for better, meatier texture in the finished meatballs.

Finished mix for the Meatballs.

Getting the flavour right.

In watching many TV chefs make meatballs over the years, I came to the conclusion that the recipes I liked best echo the flavours found in very good Italian sausage. You can’t really go wrong with that approach.

I borrowed a couple of other ideas, like soaking the breadcrumbs in milk, adding grated parmesan cheese and including a little spicy kick to the meatballs.

The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

After tweaking meatball recipes for years, I’m now sticking with this one because our family simply loves them and plates are always cleaned.

The sauce we keep as simple as possible with just a few common ingredients. We use canned San Marzano tomatoes in a very uncomplicated sauce. If they are available, I highly recommend that you use them too for a very authentic taste of Italy.

The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Freezing Meatballs for whenever you’d like to enjoy them.

I made this following suggestion in my recent recipe for Pineapple Pork Meatballs and it is just as applicable here.

We often make and freeze extra tomato sauce as well, to enjoy a second meal of spaghetti and meatballs whenever we want. Better yet, it takes next to no time.

Italian Sausage Meatballs ready for the oven

Make a double batch! You’ll thank yourself later!

One thing I always recommend when making meatballs is to make a double batch to freeze for another meal a few weeks down the line. This recipe makes about 2 1/2 dozen meatballs which is sufficient for 8 servings or more, depending on if you are serving small kids.

I make double the amount of the meatball recipe. Once they are formed into balls, I place half of them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and place the sheet in the freezer for a few hours. Once frozen, I transfer the balls to a Ziploc bag and label them with the date.

The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

I again thaw the meatballs on a parchment lined baking sheet. Then I brown them as directed and add them to a fresh or previously frozen batch of sauce.

Italian Sausage Meatballs fully cooked.

It really is a great way to get a jump on a delicious dinner on a busy day in a few weeks time when you are sure to appreciate that little bit of pre-planning.

For an even bigger jump on dinner, if you have a vacuum sealer, you can cook and freeze the meatballs as well.

Vacuum sealed Italian Sausage Meatballs ready for the freezer.

All that’s required at that point is to boil some pasta, heat the frozen balls up in the sauce and voila, Spaghetti and Meatballs in no time at all.

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The Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Best Spaghetti and Meatballs

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

My version of the Best Spaghetti and Meatballs mixes both beef and pork and echoes the flavours of good Italian sausage in the tender, juicy meatballs, while keeping the tomato sauce as simple as possible.

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Ingredients

For the Tomato Sauce

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• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 6 cups canned San Marzano Tomatoes, pureed (I mostly buy whole or chopped canned tomatoes and puree them myself in the food processor or blender)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• pinch chili flakes, or to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

For the Meatballs

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• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes, or to taste
• 1 tsp paprika, or smoked paprika
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds. (I crush them with a mortar and pestle but you can crush them in a sandwich bag using a mallet or hammer if you can't find pre-ground.)

You will also need

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• pound About 1 of dry spaghetti pasta, cooked to al dente in plenty of salted boiling water. Drain but do not rinse the pasta before serving.

Instructions

1. Prepare the sauce first so that it can simmer and reduce while you prepare the meatballs.

To prepare the Tomato Sauce

1. In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat add the garlic and onions and sauté together until the onions have softened but not browned.
2. Add all of the remaining ingredients for the sauce and simmer on low heat while you prepare the meatballs.

To prepare the meatballs

1. Pour the milk over the breadcrumb and let them soak while you gather the other ingredients in the meatball recipe.
2. Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together well.
3. Form into 2 1/2 inch balls. Keeping your hands wet with cold water prevents the mixture from sticking to your hands.
4. Brown the meatballs on all sides in a non stick frying pan for about 10 minutes. You want to get some good colour on them.
5. Add the meatballs to the simmering sauce in the dutch oven.
6. Simmer slowly for about 30 minutes before serving over al dente cooked spaghetti with a garnish of additional Parmesan cheese.

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Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

g
Amount Per Serving Calories 832Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 209mgSodium 1088mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 5gSugar 11gProtein 58g

The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.

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