Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs, my recipe contains juicy pork and beef balls with Parmesan and pine nuts and a superb but surprising tomato sauce.
Cooking my version of this modern classic dish takes around 40 minutes, and prep takes around 10-15, but all of the preparation can be done in advance!
Meatball Pasta My Way
You only have to mention spaghetti and meatballs on social media, and eventually, a tedious gatekeeping bore will turn up and lecture on how "un-Italian" it is.
As if this somehow devalues what is an obviously loved, delicious and hearty meal for millions around the world.
Meatballs are magic, and I love them; they feature here all of the time.
I have everything from minted lamb meatballs to pork meatballs in a beer sauce. And beefy teriyaki meatballs to meatball pasta bake. Oh, yeah, chicken, I have a chicken kofta meatball curry and keftedes Greek meatballs, too!
My version of this modern classic features a mix of beef and pork mince. They are packed with toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
The tomato sauce is incredibly simple, and it gets a punch of flavour and spice from some reduced Worcestershire sauce.
It gives it a whole "bloody mary" vibe that I love!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have any recommendations on the meat for this recipe?
I prefer fattier cuts of both types of meat for my meatballs.
Aim for around 15% fat, or you will end up with dry meatballs. No amount of tomato sauce can cover up dry balls!
What is tomato passata?
A question often asked by my US-based readers, it is nothing more than sieved tomatoes, and in the US, it is called tomato puree.
If all you have are tinned tomatoes, blend them well and pass them through a sieve because I like a smooth sauce in this recipe.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, the sauce and meatballs will save perfectly well in the fridge for 2-3 days, all you then need to do is cook some pasta and combine it all.
Will the meatballs freeze well?
Definitely! Mix them up and drop them into a freezer bag, squeeze out any air and finally drop them in the freezer.
They will be fine for up to 3 months. I personally prefer to defrost mine before cooking them.
Can I freeze the meatballs in the pasta?
Yes, although it is not an approach that I favour, reheating the meatballs can lead to them drying out a little.
The sauce also becomes a little "duller", and I personally prefer the sauce to be cooked fresh.
But the freezing process is the same as for the raw meatballs, just drop them in a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and drop them in the freezer.
Again, I would defrost them before reheating, and I would reheat them gently in a saucepan with a lid over a low heat.
Serving Suggestions
As far as I am concerned, spaghetti and meatballs are all that is needed here; no sides are required!
My wife kinda likes to add garlic bread, and to be fair, that sentence could equally be appended to any of my recipes!
I do, however, think that the sauce must be stirred through the pasta.
Undressed pasta is not good to eat, and pasta needs to be dressed whilst hot.
So please, for the love of all that is good, stir your sauce through your pasta before putting it on the plate... or don't, it's your dinner after all!
Equipment Used
I only recommend specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- 28-30cm (11-12") frying pan.
- 20cm (8") saucepan.
- Mixing bowl.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
- Grater.
Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 150 g Minced Beef 5oz
- 150 g Minced Pork 5oz
- 30 g Pine Nuts ¼ Cup
- 1 Small Onion 50g
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 10 g Fresh Parsley ¼ Cup
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 25 g Dried Bread Crumbs ⅓ Cup
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 50 g Parmesan Cheese ⅓ Cup (plus extra for garnish)
For the Sauce
- 225 g Tomato Passata 1 Cup
- 50 ml Worcestershire Sauce 3 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- ½ teaspoon Onion Salt
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 12 Fresh Basil Leaves (plus extra for garnish)
- 175 g Spaghetti 6oz
Instructions
- Peel and grate the onion.
- Peel and mash the garlic cloves.
- Finely chop the parsley.
- Toast the pinenuts in a heavy-based frying pan or skillet (28-30cm or 11-12") over a high heat for 2-3 minutes
- Add all of the ingredients for the meatballs into a bowl and just bring them together to form a large ball. Then roll into 10, 45g, or 35mm (1½") meatballs.
- Add the oil to the pan and sear the meatballs until coloured on all sides for around 4-5 minutes.Remove the meatballs from the pan and drain off all but a scant covering of oil before returning to the heat.
- Pour in the Worcestershire sauce and then reduce for a minute and a half or so, scraping the base of the pan as you go.When the Worcestershire sauce has reduced significantly, reduce the temperature to medium.
- Pour in the tomato passata, and add the dried basil, oregano and garlic salt.
- Return the meatballs to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Add a lid, reduce to a low simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- After the meatballs have been cooking for 10 minutes, cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water in a 20cm or 8" saucepan. (I use 1½-2 teaspoons of water in a pan this size).Drain the pasta, reserving 75ml (⅓ Cup) of the pasta water.
- Remove the meatballs from the sauce and add the drained pasta and stir, adding the cooking water as you go to form a nice coating.
- Finely shred the fresh basil leaves and stir them through the sauce.
- Serve the spaghetti, topped with your meatballs and then sprinkle with as much freshly grated parmesan as you like.
This is a beautiful bowl of spaghetti and meatballs! WOW!!! Talk about comfort food. This looks fantastic.
This is a beautiful bowl of spaghetti and meatballs! WOW!!! Talk about comfort food. This looks fantastic.
Thanks Katie, the pine nuts in them add so much to the dish, we love these meatballs!
I've never had pine nuts in my meatballs, but I think I am definitely going to have to give it a try! I could eat meatballs as a meal by themselves, though.
They really work apparently it is a really old idea to add pine nuts and I love it... With you on munching down on a big plate of meatballs!
There are three things about this dish that I'm totally digging - the beef, the pork, and the pine nuts. Great looking dish!
Teehee, thanks Byron 🙂
The Godfather is resident "meat expert" around here, and I'm leaving the tab open to share this recipe with him! We need to try pine nuts in the meatballs, I bet it's delicious! So far we've done ground almond, hazelnut, and macadamia as a way to use up the bits of flour from my baking, but we haven't blended beef and pork, or added some of the other flavors (I don't think... I don't really pay attention to him when he's working to be honest). Looks delicious!
Haha, thank you, I hope it met with approval, I love mixing pork with beef for meatballs... Pork has a far superior fat quality and quantity for me and beef a superior flavour, so the best of both worlds 🙂
Ugh; perfect. Wish I could dig into this right now!!
Thank you 🙂
I can´t tell you how good this looks!!!
Thank Johlene, it tasted great 🙂
Spaghetti is my all time favorite food and my Italian friend taught me to use both pork and beef for the meatballs. This looks so darn delicious, Brian, and after seeing these pics this morning I know I won't be satisfied until I make this sometime this week. Thanks for a fabulous recipe!
Btw, I don't think I've ever landed on your home page until today and just love your layout - beautiful!
I hope you enjoy them Robyn, thank you for your kind words about my homepage layout... The joys of running this sort of site means that it rarely gets much love so really grateful you took the time to mention it 🙂
That picture is beautiful enough to make me wanna eat it, so I think you did a damn good job! Looks (and sounds) wonderful!
Thanks Whitney
My roommates obsession with spaghetti and meatballs is real. I'm passing this along so we can try it asap!
Sneaky, pass it on and get someone else to cook, nice job!
I know what you mean about wanting to eat the food vs. wanting to eat it. But your photographs are always so beautiful; I'm glad you persist!
It aint too much of a hardship, making a dish 2-3 times to refine the recipe and then a couple more to get the shots makes my belly very happy 😉
I love pine nuts...and I can only imagine that they taste completely amazing in these meatballs! YUM!!!!
Me too, they are costly but I like treating ourselves occasionally 😀