Juicy, tender meatballs simmered with marinara and then tossed with spaghetti noodles. These homemade spaghetti and meatballs taste like they came straight from an Italian restaurant!
Prep Time: 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 20 minutesminutes
Total Time: 35 minutesminutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1pound80% lean ground beef (or sub half with half ground pork)
For serving (optional): Fresh chopped basil, Grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together the meat, egg, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, cheese, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper using your hands or a wooden spoon until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Add water, as needed, to keep the mixture moist.
Using a medium cookie scoop or spoon, scoop the meat onto the baking sheet. Roll into 1 1/2-inch balls.
Bake uncovered 17 to 20 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle. Flip the meatballs halfway through the cooking time, so the bottoms don't brown.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring sauce to a light boil. Reduce heat to low and add meatballs. Simmer 10 minutes.
In a large pot filled with water, add remaining 1 Tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook noodles according to package directions.
Transfer drained noodles to the sauce and stir until coated. Top with basil or parmesan, if desired, to serve.
Notes
Fry meatballs: You can also cook in a pan with 2 Tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat for 7 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Substitutes: You can use 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder and onion powder if you do not have fresh garlic cloves and onions. If I have pork on hand, I like to use 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound ground pork. It creates juicier meatballs.