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    Home » Easy Recipes » Main Dish

    Best Spaghetti Sauce and Italian Meatball Recipe.

    Published: Jun 3, 2017 · Modified: Jan 18, 2023 by Susan Moncrieff · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Why is this the best spaghetti sauce and Italian meatball recipe?

    Because this is my favorite meal on earth! Seriously, is there anything better than a good spaghetti sauce and meatballs recipe? And, although it takes a little time to make these scratch meatballs for my spaghetti sauce, I make them on rainy or stormy days, when I'm going to be inside anyway. It never hurts to have something you enjoy doing as a backup plan for those kinds of days.

    favorite meatball recipe for spaghetti

    This meatball recipe was shared with me during a girls weekend away many years ago. We all had cooking lessons in Italian recipes. I LOVE any kind of Italian pasta dish. I've altered this spaghetti sauce and meatball dish many times and the ingredients have changed to suit my family's taste.  Well, the girls got together just recently and we had this meal.  This recipe.  I knew we were making it when we were grocery shopping.  I recognized the ingredients.

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.

    Why are these spaghetti meatballs so good?

    But, back to the meatballs! The reason I love these meatballs is they are super moist. That is because of a few reasons. The riccota cheese that is in the meatballs helps with the moisture and the texture.  Also there is parmesan and some moistened breadcrumbs added to the ground pork and beef.  From the ingredients, can you see why they are Italian meatballs?  Plus, the main reason these spaghetti meatballs remain so moist is the fact that these are NOT baked first, they are cooked in the sauce.  They don't dry out!

    Ingredients for delicious and moist meatballs. The ingredients include ground beef and pork,ricotta cheese, moistened breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

    Also, these meatballs have some pork in them.  That's what makes them soft to bite into and also helps make these spaghetti meatballs so moist and delicious!

    A uncooked meatball being placed into spagetti sauce.

    I am including a 'cheater recipe' for the sauce. You need a lot of sauce and I've found that a certain mix of canned sauces adds up to the perfect flavor. I make a big batch of this spaghetti sauce and meatballs because it freezes well and is great to have on hand.

    Meatball making tip

    Make sure your meatballs are a consistent size so that they are all are cooked through in the same amount of time. I make them a little bigger than a golf ball. The easiest way to make them a consistent size, is to use a scoop.  It truly makes the meatballs more consistently in size and speeds up making them!

    How do you freeze your extra spaghetti sauce & Italian meatballs?

    I have a TON of mason jars! I use them to freeze extra spaghetti sauce and meatballs. Different sized jars are perfect for different numbers of portions.

    Freezing spagetti sauce and meatballs in mason jars

    Of course you can also store them in plastic containers or freezer bags.  I'm  on a mason jar kick right now.  I also love the plastic lids that you can buy now.  If you do buy plastic lids for your mason jars, make sure you buy the right size!  Check for the brand and the number of ounces the jar holds.

    spaghetti with meatballs on a white plate

    Here is the printable recipe!

    Meatballs covered in spagetti sauce, sitting on spagetti noodles.

    My Favorite Meatball Recipe.

    Delicious meatballs made like we were taught in an Italian restaurant!  Cooked in the sauce.  If you love spagetti and meatballs, these are the ones you want!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Calories:
    Author: Susan Moncrieff

    Ingredients

    Meatballs

    • 1 ½ lbs ground beef
    • 1 ½ lbs ground pork
    • ½ cup grated parmigano cheese
    • 1 cup breadcrumbs moisten with ⅓ cup water
    • 1 cup ricotta cheese
    • 3 eggs - lightly beaten

    Sauce (easy cheating version)

    • 1 45 oz jar Ragu Traditional
    • 1 29 oz can of Red Gold Crushed tomatoes
    • 2 14.5 oz Red Gold diced tomatoes Basil, Garlic and Oregano flavor My kids don't like 'tomato chunks' so I pulse in the blender until the consistency of the crushed tomatoes.)
    • Approx. 6-10 fresh basil leaves
    • Parmigiano cheese
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Heat sauce to a slow boil (you don't want it bubbling too hard).
    • As sauce heats up put your meatballs together
    • Mix first 5 ingredients together.
    • Form meatballs to be the size of golf balls
    • Gently place meatballs into the gently boiling sauce, making sure they are not too packed. I often cook the meatballs in the sauce in two batches. Meatballs need to be totally covered in the sauce to cook properly.
    • Stir meatballs very gently so they don't fall apart.
    • You know the meatballs are ready when they float to the top of the sauce.

    Do you have any other family favorite pasta dishes

    Of course, I do! Here are a few for you and your family to enjoy. They are all delicious and easy to make.  But the first recipe I'll share is for my homemade garlic bread.  The perfect side for spagetti and meatballs!!

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    Plus, take a peek at this mason jar storage idea post.  I think you'll come up with some new things you want to store in your mason jars!

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    1. Aracelis Marrerro

      March 03, 2021 at 6:22 am

      Can you brown the meatballs first then put them in the sauce? Also can l freeze them and fir how long?

      Reply
      • momcrieff

        April 03, 2021 at 1:28 pm

        You can brown the meatballs but then they won't be as moist when you cook them in the sauce. You can freeze them. I'm sure they would be fine longer, but I don't like freezing meat longer than a couple of months.

        Reply
    2. Tara

      March 24, 2019 at 2:15 pm

      Makes delicious tender and flavorful meatballs!

      Reply
    3. Veena Azmanov

      March 24, 2019 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely recipe and lovely Dinner option too. Everything in this dish looks perfect and delicious.

      Reply
      • momcrieff

        April 12, 2019 at 9:20 pm

        My family does love this spaghetti and meatball dish! Thanks for the nice comments.

        Reply
    4. Alyssa

      March 24, 2019 at 12:02 pm

      Ricotta is such a great way to add moisture! I've been looking for a way to make softer meatballs, so I can't wait to try this version.

      Reply
      • momcrieff

        April 12, 2019 at 9:22 pm

        Hope you and your family enjoy these meatballs! They are so good with spaghetti.

        Reply
    5. Rosa

      March 24, 2019 at 9:19 am

      5 stars
      This looks so wonderful and it's very nostalgic for me being of Italian decent and growing up with pasta and meatballs as a Sunday lunch tradition. Can't wait to try your recipe!

      Reply
      • momcrieff

        April 12, 2019 at 9:22 pm

        Thanks Rosa! Hope you enjoy this meatball recipe.

        Reply

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    I'm Susan Moncrieff! I love sharing easy recipes, especially those that take less than 30 minutes and have less than 5 ingredients. I'm passionate about gardening and creating flower planters. My home is 100 years old and sometimes you will see it in my posts! It was a true fixer upper and I love it!

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