There are a few incredibly simple but crucial steps to making the perfect spaghetti and meatballs – once you make it this way, you’ll never make it any other way again!
I’ve been perfecting this recipe for years and I’m beyond excited to share it with you! Follow me…
Simply the BEST Spaghetti & Meatballs
When I tell you this is one of my go-to recipes to impress at the dinner table, I truly mean it. Not only because it’s absolutely delicious, but because when you make it once, you’ll realise it’s completely fool-proof too. Here’s why you’re going to love it:
- Truly Soft – No false promises here! These meatballs are truly soft and delicious.
- Mouthwateringly Juicy – Right through to the core, these meatballs are juicy with every bite.
- Flavour – Both the meatballs and sauce are absolutely packed with flavour.
So, without further ado, here are my top tips for the BEST spaghetti meatballs.
Homemade Meatballs
There really is nothing more disappointing in life than biting into a meatball and it being tough and dry. It’s truly devastating across the board, especially if you’ve been looking forward to them for dinner. To avoid this, when preparing the meatballs, here are some crucial steps you’ll need to consider:
Using a Panade
A panade is essentially a mixture of starch and liquid that you add to meat to keep it moist. Here, and in many other authentic meatball recipes, the panade is usually made up of milk and bread (not to be confused with dry breadcrumbs).
How does a Panade work?
By allowing the pieces of bread to soak up the milk, it locks in moisture and keeps the meatballs juicy throughout the cooking process. This will keep your meatballs much juicier than just using regular breadcrumbs. Using breadcrumbs results in far denser meatballs in comparison to using small pieces of bread.
Choosing your meat
A combination of pork and beef works perfectly and I find that a straight 50/50 ratio produces delicious meatballs. What’s most important is using high-fat meat (20%+). This is crucial not only for flavour, but also to ensure the meatballs come out super juicy.
Process shots: add bread, milk, grated onion & Worcestershire sauce to bowl (photo 1), mash (photo 2), add parmesan, parsley and seasoning (photo 3), mix then stir in egg (photo 4), add meat (5), mix (photo 6).
Recipe Tip #1
When you mix in the meat, don’t overwork it and squeeze it into oblivion. You’ll see in the photos above I’ve already mixed together all the ingredients bar the meat. This is merely to reduce the amount of mixing you have to do to get an even spread of ingredients. Overworked ground meat simply results in a really solid, dense and dry meatball, which is certainly not what we want.
How to cook the meatballs
For the softest meatballs, the best method is to poach them in the sauce. However, the limitation with that is there’s nowhere near as much flavour in comparison to a meatball that’s been browned. So, here are 3 alternative cooking options for homemade meatballs, from my least favourite to my favourite method.
a) Baked Meatballs (worst method)
Baked meatballs are great because they require the least amount of effort. However, it’s difficult to get a really good browning on them. By the time they’re properly browned on the outside, they’re totally cooked through the centre, which isn’t what we want. In fact, what we want to do is only have them browned on the outside (for flavour), then to have them finish cooking by poaching in the sauce (so they stay soft in the centre).
b) Fried Meatballs (good method)
With frying, you can do exactly that. Fry them over medium-high heat to get a good browning on the outside, then have them finish poaching in the sauce. The only limitations with frying however, are 1. It’s difficult to keep the meatballs in uniform shape, 2. You’ll probably have to work in batches because they won’t all fit in the pan, and 3. You risk them sticking to the pan. This is still a great method though, just not quite as good as…
c) Grilled/Broiled Meatballs (best method)
Grilling/broiling the meatballs means you can get a good colour on the outside, you get to finish cooking in the sauce AND you get to cook them all at the same time. Winner!
Process shots: scoop out meat and add to tray (photo 1), roll (photo 2), spray with oil (photo 3), grill/broil (photo 4).
Recipe Tip #2
The best way to roll meatballs is to evenly scoop out chunks of the mixture with a 1 tbsp measuring spoon and place on a tray. Once you’ve got all the chunks of meat out, wet your hands a roll one by one. Much easier and far more uniformed than scooping the meat out with your hand and rolling.
Spaghetti and Meatballs Sauce
We might have ourselves some awesome meatballs, but what are awesome meatballs if they’re not coated in an awesome sauce? Here are some tips to making the perfect meatball sauce:
- Meatball fat – Don’t waste the excess fat from the meatballs; fry your onion in some of it for extra flavour.
- Wine – I love reducing down some red wine for a gorgeous depth of flavour.
- Passata – This results in a lovely, thick sauce that clings to the pasta.
- Simmer – A nice long simmer WITH the meatballs in the sauce is crucial to develop and deepen the flavour.
- Butter – Finishing by stirring through some butter is an elite move, resulting in a luxurious, glossy sauce.
Process shots: fry onion, garlic and chilli flakes (photo 1), reduce wine (photo 2), add passata and basil (photo 3), simmer with meatballs (photo 4), stir in butter (photo 5), toss in spaghetti and parmesan (photo 6).
How to Serve Spaghetti and Meatballs
For the longest time, I used to serve the meatballs plonked on top of the spaghetti. Now, I realise my sins (better late than never). Tossing the spaghetti through the sauce allows it to cling to the spaghetti. Everything marries together beautifully. The excess pasta water also binds everything together and turns the sauce gorgeously silky.
What to serve with spaghetti and meatballs?
- Roasted Garlic Bread
- Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread
- Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Feta Bruschetta
- Caprese Bread
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this spaghetti and meatballs shall we?!
How to make Spaghetti & Meatballs (Full Recipe & Video)
Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Box Grater (for grating onion/parmesan)
- Large Mixing Bowl (to make meatballs)
- Large Baking Tray & Parchment/Baking Paper (to cook meatballs)
- Large Deep Pan & Wooden Spoon (combining sauce and meatballs)
- Large Pot & Tongs (for spaghetti)
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 2 thin slices Plain White Bread, crusts removed & sliced into small cubes (~40g/1.4oz)
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Milk (I use semi-skimmed)
- 1/2 medium White Onion, grated on a box grater (other 1/2 used for sauce)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 small bunch of Fresh Parsley, large stalks removed and very finely diced (1 small bunch is typically 30g/1oz)
- 1/2 cup / 40g freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced (or finely grated)
- 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Egg
- 9oz / 250g Ground/Minced Beef (must be 20% – see notes)
- 9oz / 250g Ground/Minced Pork (must be 20%)
- Oil Spray, as needed
Spaghetti
- 1/2 medium White Onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, finely diced
- 1/4 tsp Chilli Flakes (optional)
- 1/2 cup / 120ml Red Wine (see notes)
- 1x 690g/24oz jar of Tomato Passata (see notes)
- 1 small bunch of Fresh Basil, finely diced (typically 30g/1oz)
- 11.4oz / 325g Spaghetti
- 2 tbsp / 30g Unsalted Butter
- 1/3 cup / 30g freshly grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
Instructions
Meatballs
- Preheat the broiler/grill to high (or as high as it goes without smoking the kitchen out).
- In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to mix the bread, milk, grated onion and Worcestershire until combined. Leave to sit for a few mins for the bread to fully absorb the moisture. Mix in the parsley, parmesan, garlic and seasoning until combined, then mix in the egg until beaten.
- Add the pork and beef and use your hands to mix until everything is evenly dispersed. Don't squeeze the mixture; rather, use your fingers to gently mix it. Whilst it's important that everything is properly combined, it's more important that you don't overwork the meat and squeeze it into oblivion, otherwise the meatballs will come out tough and dry.
- Line a large baking tray with baking/parchment paper, then use a 1 tbsp measuring spoon to scoop out chunks of the mixture and spread them out on the tray (you should get 24 chunks). One by one, roll the chunks of meat into meatballs, then spray with oil (consider wetting your hands if they're sticking).
- Place the meatballs under the grill/broiler and cook until browned all over (I typically turn them once halfway). You're not looking to cook them all the way through at this point, although naturally they probably will. This is just to brown the outside and develop some flavour. Depending on how hot your grill/broiler is and how close you can get the meatballs, it'll likely take around 15 minutes (just be vigilant though, as timings may vary).
Spaghetti
- Place a large, deep pan over medium heat and pour in 2 tbsp of the fat from the meatballs (just eyeball it). Add the onion and fry until soft and golden, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and fry for another 20 seconds or so. Pour in the wine, turn the heat up slightly and simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce it right down. This is important to burn off the alcohol.
- Lower the heat to medium again and pour in the passata. Swill the jar out with 1/4 cup water and add that too, then stir in the basil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the meatballs, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat, just so they're gently bubbling away (nothing too aggressive). Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Around 8 minutes before the sauce is done, add your spaghetti to salted boiling water and cook until al dente.
- Once the sauce is done, stir through the butter until it binds with the sauce, then check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.
Serving
- Use your tongs to transfer the cooked spaghetti right from the pot into the pan and toss to combine. Add the parmesan and toss until it melts. If your sauce dries up, toss in some of the leftover pasta water to loosen it up (discard if not).
- Serve individual portions with more parmesan if desired, then tuck in and enjoy!
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
Spaghetti Meatballs FAQ
Absolutely! Rolling out your meatballs ahead of time is a great idea to get ahead of the game for dinner. Just space them out in a casserole dish or tray and cover with cling film.
Fridge – Make up to one day in advance and cook straight from fridge as you usually would.
Freezer – Store in freezer up to one month then thaw overnight in fridge and cook as stated in recipe (see how to store meatballs in freezer for best method).
If you have any leftover meatballs or, want to cook them in advance, you can store them in the fridge. Just allow them to cool, then cover and place in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the sauce on the stove until piping hot through the centre.
Allow the meatballs to cool, then if they are in sauce, pop everything in a large airtight container and leave in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stove until piping hot through the centre. If the meatballs are without sauce, space them out on a tray and freeze, then take out and pop in ziplock bags and pop back in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw in fridge overnight then reheat in sauce until piping hot in the centre.
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Meatballs and Rice
- Gnocchi and Sausage Meatballs
- Chicken Meatballs and Orzo
- Skillet Meatballs
How brilliant! Really useful and useable, relevant advice. I will try this within the week. Thank you!
Thanks Andy! Hope they go down well. C.
My family love meatballs can you cook these in a slow cooker
I have never made these in the slow cooker unfortunately. I go through why I chose to grill/broil them in the post 🙂 C.