Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe (VIDEO)
Spaghetti and Meatballs in homemade marinara sauce. These are amazing “WOW”-inducing MEATBALLS – so tasty and juicy and BIG! We’re sharing all of our secrets for incredibly tender and flavorful meatballs.
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Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe:
The secret to getting uber tender meatballs is bread; yes, bread. And the secret to getting uber flavorful meatballs is in the combination of meats – I’m talking about lean ground beef with sweet Italian sausage.
You’ll finish these up by simmering them in the super yummy and easy home-made marinara sauce. This are seriously the best spaghetti meatball recipe I’ve ever tried.
Store-bought meatballs can’t touch these (in an MC Hammer kind of way) – I have no idea why I keep referencing Mr. Hammer? I think I grew up in the 90’s, in Seattle.
Ingredients for Meatballs (makes 22-23 meatballs):
- White bread is best but you can use whole wheat or other soft sliced bread
- Use lean ground beef – 7% to 15% fat content
- If you aren’t able to find Italian sausage meat only, use sausages and remove casings
- Use freshly grated parmesan or finely shredded pre-packaged
- Do not skimp on the garlic in the meatballs or the sauce
Ingredients for Marinara Sauce:
- It seems like alot of chopped yellow onion but it shrinks considerably
- If you use “Crushed tomatoes with basil” you can omit the fresh basil if desired
- Bay leaves are nice, but optional if you don’t have them on hand
How to Make the Best Italian Meatballs:
1. Combine diced crustless bread pieces with 2/3 cup water and set aside for 5 minutes then mash together with a fork.
2. In a large mixing bowl (I use my KitchenAid mixer to do the work), add: 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb sausage, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 egg and the mashed moist bread crumbs. Mix until well combined.
3. Form into 1 1/2″ meatballs (about a flat ice cream scoop’s worth of meat). Dredge/roll meatballs in flour. Heat a deep, large, heavy skillet or a Dutch oven over medium heat with about 3 Tbsp oil. Add meatballs in batches so you don’t crowd the pan and saute until browned on all sides (6 min total or 2 min per side). Remove meatballs to a separate dish and set aside (don’t worry about cooking through at this point).
How to Make Marinara Sauce:
1. In the same skillet over medium heat, add more oil if needed and saute 1 cup chopped onion stirring often until soft and golden (5 min). Add 4 cloves minced garlic and stir 1 minute.
2. Stir in 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a light boil (stir to make sure it’s actually boiling and hot and not just letting bubbles to the surface).
3. Add meatballs back into the pan with tomato sauce, partially cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 min, turning the meatballs occasionally. Meatballs will be tender and sauce will be thickened. 5 minutes before your sauce is done, stir in chopped fresh basil and add salt and pepper to taste.
Finishing Details:
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions until aldente or softer if your family loves it that way! Truth be told, I love slightly overcooked pasta. Drain pasta and return to the empty pot.
2. Pour sauce and meatballs over spaghetti and toss gently to combine. To serve family-style, transfer to a large platter, garnish with more parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves if desired and serve hot.
More Family-Favorite Pasta Recipes:
Creamy Shrimp Pasta – so creamy with plump juicy shrimp
Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo – Mom’s classic recipe
Chicken Tetrazzini – creamy, cheesy and easy with rotisserie chicken
Watch Natasha Make Spaghetti and Meatballs:
This recipe is also great for meal prep and to-go lunches since it freezes and reheats really well. I hope this becomes a new favorite recipe for you!
Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Meatballs (makes 22-23 meatballs):
- 3 slices white bread, (crusts removed), diced or torn to pieces
- 2/3 cup cold water
- 1 lb lean ground beef, (7%-15% fat)
- 1 lb Sweet Ground Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, to dredge meatballs
- 3 Tbsp Light olive oil to saute, or use vegetable oil
Ingredients for Sauce:
- 1 medium yellow onion, (1 cup chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 56 oz crushed tomatoes, (from 2 - 28 oz cans)
- 2 bay leaves, optional
- Salt & pepper , to taste
- 2 Tbsp basil, finely minced*
Other Ingredients:
- 1 lb spaghetti
Instructions
How to Make the Best Italian Meatballs:
- Combine bread pieces with 2/3 cup water and set aside 5 min then mash with a fork.
- In a large mixing bowl add: 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb sausage, 1/4 cup parmesan, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 egg and mashed bread crumbs. Mix until well combined.
- Form into 1 1/2" meatballs (about a flat ice cream scoop of meat). Dredge/roll meatballs in flour, dusting off excess. Heat a deep, large, heavy skillet or a Dutch oven over medium heat with about 3 Tbsp oil. Add meatballs in 2 batches without crowding the pan and saute until browned on all sides (about 6 min total or 2 min per side). Remove meatballs and set aside (don't worry about cooking through at this point).
How to Make Easy Marinara Sauce:
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add more oil if needed and saute 1 cup chopped onion stirring often until soft and golden (5 min). Add 4 cloves minced garlic and stir 1-2 min until fragrant.
- Stir in 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and 2 bay leaves. Bring to a light boil (stir to make sure it's actually boiling and not just sending bubbles to the surface).
- Add meatballs back into the pan with tomato sauce, partially cover with lid or cover with a splatter screen to reduce splatter and cook at a gentle simmer for 30 min, turning the meatballs occasionally. Meatballs will be tender and sauce will be thickened. Five minutes before sauce is done, stir in chopped fresh basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until aldente (or to desired doneness), drain and return to the empty pot.
- Pour sauce and meatballs over spaghetti and toss gently to combine. To serve family-style, transfer to a large platter, garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh basil and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥
Shown in this post: (nope, no one paid us to write this; just stuff we love):
* The Le Creuset French Ovens are made to last a lifetime. They’re lovely too.
* These glass bowls by pyrex are perfect for prepping & serving. Love them!
* These Joseph Joseph utensils sit next to the stove and they get used. ALOT!
What is your all-time favorite comfort food?
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
Followed the meatball recipe to the t and just didn’t have a great flavor overall. I could taste the white bread. I think using breadcrumbs would’ve probably rendered a better result!
HI Tawana, usually soaking the bread crumbs would cause them to disintegrate enough that you can’t really tell they are there. I wonder if they needed a little more soaking or a little more liquid?
Very dry. Add more sauce. Meatballs very dry also. Disappointed.
Hi Mary! Did you make any substitutions to the recipe? I have never had these be too dry. Did you use leaner meat by chance, overwork the meat mixture, or overcook the meatballs? These are all common issues that can cause them to be dry and tough. You can add more sauce if you’d like. I have found this to be a personal preference.
Finally found your recipe that I used before. My husband usually doesn’t eat meatballs but he loves these. This time I mark down your recipe so I wouldn’t lose it. They taste wonderful
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Gail!
The meatballs had a great savory flavor. I ended up using store-bought marinara sauce but will try this recipe again with homemade sauce.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, KJ!
what can i substitute the sausage and cheese with? I cant cook with port and cheese.
Hi Elena, a substitute may work, keep in mind if it’s not sausage, you would likely need some more seasoning as Italian sausage is more flavorful than ground chicken. Our readers have mentioned trying ground beef, ground chicken. Etc. I have not tested this without parmesan cheese but feel free to do an experiment with a dairy free substitute. Please share with us how it goes if you give that a try!
Can I combine the meatballs and spaghetti fully cooked and freeze them in a plastic bag so I have a complete meal when I thaw them
Hi William. We prefer to make fresh noodles but generally it’s recommended to freeze spaghetti separate from the sauce for best texture.
Looks great! Can I substitute ground turkey and turkey sausage?
Hi Beth! Yes, that should be fine. Just keep in mind that if your Turkey is lean, the meatballs will be more dry.
Great recipe when you’re short on time and need to “get those darn meatballs” done! 🙂
Yes indeed! Thanks for this great review!
I’ve been using this recipe for the past couple of years. It’s easy and it turns out delicious, the whole family loves it when pops cooks “his” spaghetti dinner. I add mushrooms and black olives to the sauce and 1 16 ounce can of diced tomatoes. Plenty of leftovers that just get better over a day or 2. Thanks of the recipe. Pops
Hi Robert! Thank you for sharing. I’m glad to hear its being enjoyed!
I had to do quite a bit of doctoring with this recipe.
First, when I combined the ingredients needed for the meatballs, I was left with a sloppy wet mixture. Thankfully, I had breadcrumbs in my cabinet that I was able to use so they held together and I could make the meatballs. I do love the combination of ground beef and ground sweet sausage, but without those breadcrumbs the meatballs would have fallen apart.
Second, the crushed tomatoes on their own with nothing but onions and garlic was way too tangy. I needed to add the fresh basil, the onion and garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and sugar to the sauce for it to taste good. The sugar and salt saved this sauce.
Hi Joanna, different brands have varying amounts of salt so it’s always a great idea to add seasoning to taste at the end. Also, make sure to simmer the meatballs in sauce for the full time as indicated for the flavors to develop and will result in a very flavorful sauce
What to make this tomorrow for a birthday. Can I use Panko bread crumbs instead of the bread? If yes, how much should I use?
Hi Amber, while I haven’t tried panko in this recipe, about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs or so would work to substitute the 3 slices of bread. You might add the liquid based on the texture of the bread. It should be moist but not wet.
Nice simple recipe that creates nice simple food.
This is my go to spaghetti and meatballs recipe now, it is delicious.
Hi Billy, great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
It was impossible to saute the meatballs, they pretty much fell apart as soon as I’d start turning them so I ended up cooking a pile of mush instead of meatballs 🙁
Hi Natalia! That shouldn’t happen unless the ratio of the ingredients was off. I would look over the recipe again and watch my process to see if anything was measured incorrectly or where your process looked differently.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I did make a few alterations though. First I added oregano and italian seasoning. Second, I cut the tomato sauce in half, which gave the sauce a lot more flavor. Overall very good recipe meatballs were amazing. Thanks
Hi Hayley! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing your experimentation with it.
Hi Natasha- I was planning on making these and bringing them hot to a family reunion. Do you think these could be made in a crockpot and if so would I put it on hi or low and for how long? Thank you!
Hi Shannon! I have not tested that to advise. But you should be able to keep it warm in a crock pot.
Hi Natasha, I was curious why you didn’t include oregano in the sauce. When I think sphagetti, I think oregano. Can I add some and if so how much? Gonna make this tonight thanks!
Hi Hayley, we didn’t feel the need to add oregano but one of our readers shared this comment “Added a half teaspoon of oregano this is my first time making home made sauce…absolutely delicious.” I hope that helps.
Maybe the best meatballs I’ve ever had – certainly the best I’ve ever made. The Italian sausage is the key!
Aaaw, thank you so much for this wonderful review!
How much salt and pepper do you usually add to the sauce? This looks so delicious!
Hi Cindy, I add it to taste, usually a sprinkle. I hope you love this recipe.
Can you freeze the uncooked meatballs and then proceed cooking them and adding them to the sauce?
You can prepare the meat and form the meatballs the next day before cooking them. You can also prepare them ahead and store them on parchment paper, covered in plastic, and refrigerate them until ready to use the next day. They also freeze very well
Came out amazing and this was my first time making anything. Very beginner friendly too. Big thumbs up.
That’s great, AJ! Thank you for the feedback. I’m glad you loved the recipe.
I made this recipe last night and it truly was delicious – we all loved it. This was the first of your recipes I’ve tried and I’m looking forward to discovering more great tasting food. This is definitely on my ‘make again’ list. Yum!
Great to hear that, Linda. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
Can I make these meatballs and use them to make Italian meatballs sub sandwiches?This recipe sounds amazing!
Hi Teresa! These meatballs would absolutely work in a meatball sub. Enjoy!
Looking forward to making these! Can I store fully cooked meatballs in fridge and reheat the next day? Will storing in fridge for a day ruin their texture?
Hi Mary! Yes, you can. They reheat great.
Hi,
I’m making for supper & only have mild Italian sausage not sweet Italian. Is that ok, woukd it alter the flavor?
Hi Donna, it’s best with sweet Italian, but it will still work with mild. I hope you love this recipe.
If there is 10 stars, I would’ve given it.
The meatballs is soooo unbelievably good. Moist, juicy, succulent.
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe.
xoxo
Wow, thank you! It means a lot to us.
The sauce sucks but the meatballs are really good. The sauce at the VERY least needs a spoonful of sugar to cut the tartness but otherwise it was just really bland. However the meatballs are amazing. I will make these meatballs again but with my own homeade sauce.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Korrin!
I made your spaghetti/meatballs and they were delicious! I will always use this recipe, we hurt ourselves eating this! 🤪😅😅
Thank you for sharing this with us! I use many of your recipes, I’m a Hugh fan!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Barbara! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha, I want to compliment you, from an italian(sicilian) guy, I can onestly tell you that this recipe is the closest one to our original recipe, keep going with the good work!
Thanks a lot for the compliment! I appreciate it.
How come a recipe says dredge and flour meatballs,and the other recipe says nothing about dredging of the meatballs?
Hi Mike, it’s a nice flavor addition to dredge and then sautee the meatballs.
Natasha, my son doesn’t eat anything fried could these be baked instead?
Hi Carolynn, this is what one of my readers said, “line a baking sheet with foil, spray with cooking spray, arranged the meatballs, and bake at 400 F. for about 30 minutes.”
Loved the recipe! What would you suggest adding to the meatballs to give them a little kick? Cayenne? Also, would it be okay to let the sauce and meatballs simmer for a few hours?
Thanks!
Hi Ashley! I’m glad you loved the recipe. I think adding some Cayenne would work fine, even crushed red peppers to the sauce would give this a nice kick. I don’t know about simmering the meatballs in the sauce for that long. Since they are in the sauce, the meatballs shouldn’t overcook easily but without having tested it, I don’t know at what point they could overcook. You’d have to experiment with it. Let us know how they turn out if you do.
These meatballs were a great hit with the family. I got all kinds of compliments. I will definitely make these again. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Tiena! I’m so glad they were a hit. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
When heating meatballs that were cooked and frozen. How would you do this, Thaw? Cook covered or uncovered? Etc etc
Many of my other readers have frozen them cooked and reheated them just fine. I think you could heat the frozen meatballs without thawing, it should work just fine.
Super the only thing I did different was instead of bread I used Ritz crackers. They were awesome.
Nice to know that you liked it!
Made this yesterday and made it gluten free. I was worried the gf bread wouldn’t hold meatballs together. It was fantastic.
Hi Sheila! That’s great to know, thank you for sharing with us.
would canola oil work isstead of vegetable oil to saute the vegetables?
Thanks!
Hi Wendy! Yes, that would be fine.
I’ve made many spaghetti and meatballs recipes and this is one of the best! The meatballs were perfect! I followed the recipe pretty closely. Was a hit!
Hi Lisa! That’s wonderful. I’m so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing.
This was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I’ve never gotten so many compliments from my family saying they were literally the best meatballs and sauce they’d EVER HAD. And 2 of them lived in Italy for a year! 🙂
Meatballs were so moist, so flavorful and so delish!
I made enough for 12 people and the ingredients and recipe translated great!
I opted to add some hot italian sausage as well – so I did 1/2 ground beef, 1/2 sweet italian sausage and 1/4 hot italian (i realize that’s more than half but that’s how it worked out with expanding recipe portions. I would add more HOT next time and half and half the sausage as i didn’t get any spice from the little amount of hot sausage I added!
These were great ! I made them with elk meat and it was fabulous. I even accidentally mixed the 3/4 cup of flour to the meatballs and they were still very moist ( even with dredging them after).
That’s great, Nicole! Thank you for sharing.
Meatballs were not very tender and the sweet Italian sausage was overpowering.
I made this tonight for Supper and the meatballs were so moist and delicious. The only thing I did different was I used my own homemade Salsa as I did not have any canned tomatoes in the house. It turned out perfect and I will make this again in the near future.
That’s great, Colleen! I’m so glad you loved it. Thank you for the review.
These meatballs are delicious!!!! I will definitley use this recipe for meatballs in the future, they held their shape and are tasty.
Love it! Thank you for your lovely comments and feedback, Kat.
Great recipe! I had 3 lbs of ground beef and sausage so adjusted the ingredients for the meatballs accordingly. Also added a nice cabernet and honey as I prefer a slightly sweeter sauce. Similar to other reviewers, I baked my meatballs in the oven before adding to the sauce.
Thank you for sharing, Jennifer! 🙂
This is a delicious recipe! Where can I find a link for the cheese grater?
Hi Christina! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! You can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
This recipe for spaghetti and meatballs is the best ever! I cooked the sauce with meatballs all day, slow n low! Didn’t change a thing! Having meatball hoagies with leftovers tonight! I will be making this again!
So glad you found a favorite to add to your rotation, Joanne! 🙂
Hi Natasha! – LOVE your recipes! I use them all the time!
I have a question. Following the recipe exactly, can I make the meatballs ahead of time (in the morning), then brown and then simmer later in the afternoon? Will having them prepped in the fridge change the consistency? I’m worried the gluten from the bread mash with rest too much in the fridge and make them tough. Thanks again!
Hi Lindsay! I’m glad you love my recipes. That would be fine. You can prepare the meat and form the meatballs the next day before cooking them. You can also prepare them ahead and store them on parchment paper, covered in plastic, and refrigerate them until ready to use the next day. They also freeze very well.
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! My husband raved about it as well. We paired it with fresh bucatini pasta from the farmer’s market. Will definitely be on permanent rotation at our house and it’s just the two of us!
Hi Ashley! That’s wonderful. So glad you found a new favorite to add to the menu. Thank you for the review.
Out of this world! I made this recipe for my Mom’s birthday this weekend and everyone raved about how delicious the sauce and meatballs were. Best meatballs ever made and the sauce – perfection!!! This now in my regular rotation for spaghetti dinners – the one recipe I’ll ever use.
What a great review and feedback! Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Karen.
every receipt that I make is delish…especially the Italian meatball that I am making again today…thank u thank u
sandie
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Sandie!
Natashas,
New to your blog, but I am loving it so far. On this recipe I baked the meat balls due to limiting any oil. It still turned out great.
Hi Robert! Welcome. I hope you find recipes you’ll love. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I will be making this as soon as weather cools down. It sounds so wonderful and my husband John love spaghetti and meatballs.
Sincerely Marjorie
Sounds great, Marjorie! I hope you both love this recipe as well. 🙂
So delicious! The meatballs were so moist and tasty. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Nadja!
Thank you for a great recipe! I made your meatballs and they were excellent! 😋 A definite keeper!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Laurie!
I only have ground beef, no pork or sausage. If I use just beef, any other adjustments you would recommend?
Hi Samanta, a substitute may work, keep in mind if it’s not sausage, you would likely need some more seasoning as Italian sausage is more flavorful than ground chicken. Our readers have mentioned trying ground beef, ground chicken. Etc.
We made it and loved it as we do with all your recipes. We always enjoy watching your videos and first discovered your channel from a friend in Germany! Since then, constantly use your recipes for every occasion. Thank you so much to you and your family.
That’s so heart warming for us, thank you for your support!
Hey Natasha,
I made your spaghetti and meatballs recipe. OMG!!!!!
So good. I have friend coming over to visit over the holidays , I will be making this for her. She loves spaghetti. Love your recipes.
Thanks 😊
Hi Peggy! Thank you. I hope your friend loves this recipe. 🙂
I am wondering if I can use frozen meatball? To shorten the cooking time. Thanks Natasha!
Hi Yelena, we prefer to make it fresh, but to shorten time what may work! I hope you love this recipe!
great meatballs but try adding tomato paste prior to tomatoes a richer will develop stir it in witht= those onions after they soften keep stirring until paste breaks down. just try it you will like it ” Good Eating “
Thanks for the tip, I”ll try that next time. We appreciate it!
The meatballs were the best I’ve ever had. I will always make them from now on.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Elaine!
We made this tonight. They were the best meatballs we ever made. We followed the recipe to a T and will not change anything when making it again.
Hi Diane! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the review.
Wow, amazing recipe. My husband, teenager and 2 year old adored it and gobbled it up like candy.
The only difference is I forgot to buy parmesan so I substituted with colby Jack.
The recipe directions are so well explained. This was by far the best spaghetti and meatballs I have ever had. Thank you Natasha! 🙂
Hi Gisele! That is great. So glad your family loved it.
Delicious! My only change was using breadcrumbs (eyeballed, but probably ~3/4 cup) instead of bread cubes. Will definitely make again.
Hi Alyssa, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Made the recipe, almost to a tee! I omitted the bread + egg because your meatballs should hold shape if they’ve been in the fridge long enough. Also, used 2 onions for the sauce and a whole garlic split between the meatballs and sauce (5-6 for the sauce, 5-6 for the meatballs).
Otherwise, the methodology remained the same. Fantastic base for a recipe which can you modify however you need!
Thanks for sharing your experience trying out this recipe, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for dinner yesterday and it was a hit! I used 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and a little bit of water and also added some minced onions to the meatball mix. I also cut up some mozzarella cheese sticks into small squares and placed them inside the meatballs to turn them into mozzarella stuffed meatballs. The recipe came out great!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for the feedback, Kayla.
I made the spaghetti and meatballs. It came out great. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re very welcome/ Thank you for sharing, Larry! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
This was so good. I kind of changed the recipe a bit, because I did not have Italian sausage, but it was still really good! Thank you, Natasha!
Hi Zoe, good to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing that with us!
These are so yummy! I cooked half the meatballs, and froze the rest of the meatballs uncooked. I’ve been looking for guidelines on cooking the frozen meatballs, but don’t seeany right now. Can you please walk me through it? Do they need to be pre-thawed? What else do I need to know? For some reason using frozen homemade food makes me nervous 😬
Thank you!
Hi Jessica. I haven’t frozen these meatballs uncooked. Many of my other readers have frozen them cooked and reheated them just fine. I think you could bake the frozen meatballs without thawing, but I would do a google search for some advise on this.
Thank you for your speedy reply… I’ll research this more and proceed accordingly. Next time I’ll just cook them first, before freezing!
This recipe looks amazing. My nephew is graduating and I’d like to make this for him – but he is allergic to dairy. Can I do these meatballs without the parmesan cheese? TIA!
Hi Cynthia, I have not tested this without parmesan cheese but feel free to do an experiment. Please share with us how it goes if you give that a try!
Hi, would i be able to prepare the meatballs same as advised; only cook them in the oven, rather than on the stove top?
Hi Gina, I imagine that will work. However, I have not tested it to advise of the changes that you will have to make. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Could I use Italian Bread Crumbs as a replacement for the cubed white bread? And if so, how much of the bread crumbs should I use in this recipe and how much water should I use in this recipe?
Hi Kayla, about 1/2 cup of bread crumbs would work. You might add the liquid based on the texture of the bread. It should be moist but not wet.
Natasha, out of all the cooking channels, you are my favorite. Everything I have made has been so good. I know I can depend on your recipes. Keep up the good work. I know it takes a lot of effort, and I appreciate it. Joyce
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
Delicious! Made for my hubby’s birthday with good rigatoni. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Sue. I’m glad you liked this recipe!
I tried this recipe and the meatballs were so juicy and delicious! 🙂
P.S. I’m 10 years old.
Great job, Emma! Good to hear that the recipe was a hit.
I tried this recipe and it was so juicy and delicious!
P.S. I’m 10 years old.
Good job! Keep up the excellent work, I’m sure your family is enjoying the recipes that you’ve been trying.
Just finished supper and oh my gosh. This is delicious. Thank you so much
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Glenda!
So easy and so delicious. If you can follow a recipe, you can’t fail. Your friends will think you’re more than a cook, you’re a food artist. Thank Nat.
Thank you, I appreciate that!
Do you think I can prepare the meatballs (raw) the night before to cook the following day?
Hi Brenda, that would be fine. You can prepare the meat and form the meatballs the next day before cooking them. You can also prepare them ahead and store them on parchement paper, covered in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use the next day. They also freeze very well.
It was finally time to comment since I’ve made this dozens of times. It’s perfection, and my 3 & 5 y/o’s favorite. My brother in law said it was the best spaghetti and meatballs he’d ever had. I make it with fresh basil and dried depending on what I have and it’s great either way. Thank you for all your great recipes, I am so grateful for your site.
I’m so happy you love the spaghetti and meatballs recipe. It sounds like it has become a favorite in your family – that is wonderful!
It was finally time to comment since I’ve made this dozens of times. It’s perfection, and my 3 & 5 y/o’s favorite. My brother in law said it was the best spaghetti and meatballs he’d ever had. I make it with fresh basil and dried depending on what I have and it’s great either way. Thank you for all your great recipes, I am so grateful for your site.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Stefanie!
This was absolutely delicious. I divided everything by half and also used fresh tomatoes instead of canned, but the meatballs were so juicy and delicious. I’ll definitely make this again.
Sounds perfect, great to hear that you loved the result!
What brand name bread do you use for the crumbs ?
I don’t care for sausage should I put in pork or more hamburg ?
Please advise
Hi Joanne, we haven’t really been sticking to a specific brand of bread. I don’t recall what it was when I took these photos. You could put in ground pork, that should work.
After 24 years of being fairly indifferent to spaghetti, my wife tells me she “likes” spaghetti and meatballs. So I made this recipe tonight. After several minutes of yummy noises (no speaking) she smiled and said “This is great, the meatballs are so tender!” Nothing makes me happier than seeing my wife smile.
That is lovely feedback, Rick. I can’t imagine how happy you were when your wife smiled and enjoyed what you prepared for her. Thank you for sharing that with us.
Very sweet review especially that you like to see your wife smile!
Added a half teaspoon of oregano this is my first time making home made sauce…absolutely delicious.
Hello Scot, great to hear that you loved it!
I found the meatball recipe was too moist so they didn’t really form a ball and fell apart during cooking. I think 2/3 c. water was too much. next time I would try just bread crumbs…no water.
Hi Donna, sorry to hear that. They should stick together well. Did you omit or make any changes to the meatball recipe?
I also found that mine were way too moist! Something told me to “drain” the water that was still sitting around the bread but I did not. Next time that is what I will do. I think it also may come down to the size of the bread pieces.
Another stellar recipe! I’ve only made meatballs once before and it wasn’t very successful. This recipe is very easy to follow and made for a wonderful, tasty meal! My store didn’t have Italian sausage so I just used regular pork sausage and added some Italian seasoning. Followed the rest of the recipe as is and it was perfect! I wanted to step away from just opening a spaghetti sauce jar with noodles and this was an easy and very tasty way to do it.
I’m so glad you gave meatballs another try! This recipe is a treat and I’m so happy you loved it!
Today was a NatashaKitchen.com day in my house. First Chicken Pot Pie soup and biscuits for lunch and spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. Seriously these are amazing. I added the bay leaves to my marinara sauce along with a bit of sugar and a good splash of a full body red wine in addition to the rest of the ingredients in the recipe. While waiting for husband to get home I had to do a taste test of the meatballs. 10/10. They could be a meal by themselves they are that good. Now I have to figure out which recipe I’ll make tomorrow. So many to choose from. Thank you Natasha for taking the time to post videos and recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Heather! That sounds like a DELICIOUS day!
I just made this dinner tonight and it cabe out wonderful. I used fresh parsley and added 2 tbs of sugar. Besides this I followed it to the T. The meatballs came out better than I ever would have expected. Yummm!! Thank you so much. Will keep this on rotation.
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Michi. Thank you for the review!
The meatballs have so much flavor! Thank you for this recipe, it was enjoyed by all!
You’re welcome, JB! Great to hear that the recipe was a hit.