Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs just the way mom makes them. Just a handful of ingredients makes the perfect tomato sauce.

 

Gather This

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to make this homemade spaghetti and meatballs. My recipe doesn’t require egg or bread crumbs. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil– For a simple sauce like this, good ingredients can make a world of difference. This is a recipe that deserves a good, quality olive oil, not the triple pressed, bottom of the barrel stuff.
• Yellow Onion – I use a medium size which equals about 1 cup per onion. Yellow, or Spanish onions. Yellow onions cook down to be slightly sweet and not as pungent. If you want a forward onion flavor, swap with white onions.
• Fresh Garlic Cloves- Under no circumstances should you substitute the jarred minced garlic in your sauce. It is sweet and with garlic being one of the primary flavors, it just won’t taste right. Add more if you really like garlic.
• Crushed and diced tomatoes– You’ll get both cans and the reasoning is that they are different textures. You’ll also find varying textures and flavors from brand to brand. Tuttorosso and Cento are my best picks for grocery store options. If you can find an Italian grocery, grab San Marzano style- these are actually my first pick, but hard to find.
• Fresh Oregano- I use oregano seeing that my sauce is much more savory and even a little zesty, as opposed to some sauces that use fresh basil and are sweet. My mother always used dry, which is also an option. One teaspoon of dried equals one tablespoon of fresh.
• Ground black pepper- Try using freshly ground instead of the pre-ground stuff that tastes like sawdust.
• Bay leaves- Dried are actually better! Fresh bay leaves are often bitter.
• Meatballs and Sausage- see notes above and make your own or use store-bought.
• Canned mushrooms- And here we go… all of the haters are about to tell me that sauce doesn’t have mushrooms. Well, both my family’s (from Fasano) and my husband’s (from Formicola) DO. And to save time, I buy canned instead of sweating my own down.

Wait? Where is the salt, sugar and cheese?

Other ingredients that many classic recipes have that I omit are salt and sugar. Sugar balances out the acidity, but I don’t find mine to ever be overly acidic. The tomatoes themselves have enough salt.

Cheese is delicious, but you can always top it with parmesan cheese before serving! Aged parmesan or pecorino romano are always good options. As is fresh parsley for some green.

Meatballs & Sausage

I like to take the time to make meatballs and even sometimes my own sausage. Homemade Meatballs can be all beef or any combination of ground pork, beef and even sometimes lamb. Try to avoid lean ground beef, you need some fat to hold it together and season the sauce.

I almost always make my own meatball recipe, although now that I have young kids, I break down and buy the Italian sausage. Essentially braising all day will make the most tender meatballs you’ve ever tasted!

Do I have to use meat? While I use meatballs and sausage to flavor my sauce, some use many other types of meat. My mother in law likes to use pork butt and my grandmother in law likes neck bones and more!

Feel free to use frozen meatballs and store bought sausage. I won’t be offended. They will still add flavor and depth to your sauce. It is really the simmering of flavors that is important.

Let’s Make It!

Making homemade spaghetti and meatballs might be easier than you think! Just follow these simple steps.

1. Sauté onions and garlic. In a large Dutch oven or large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, sauteing until translucent.
2. Add tomatoes. Add the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes, juice and all. Everything that is in the can.
3. Stir in seasoning, meats and mushrooms. Stir in the oregano, ground black pepper and bay leaves. Add the meatballs, sausage and mushrooms.
4. Cover and simmer. Lower to the least amount of heat possible. Cover with the lid ajar for steam to release. Simmer for 4-6 hours, stirring every so often to prevent scorching.
5. Cook pasta and remove bay leaves. When ready to serve, cook desired pasta. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
6. Serve over pasta. Spoon over pasta and top with cheese or crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Some folks have asked if you can make it in a slow cooker and answer the is yes, but you’ll need to sauté the onions and garlic first, then transfer it AND you’ll need an extremely large slow cooker or two standard sized ones to accommodate this recipe. You can also cut the recipe in half.

Make it A Meal

Because homemade spaghetti and meatballs is so carb heavy and filling, I like to serve mine with a nice green side salad or a caesar salad. And don’t forget about a bold glass (or two) of red wine.

I also like to soak up all that extra sauce with some bread! Garlic bread is the obvious choice, but a slice of crusty italian bread would be wonderful too!

Storage and Freezing

How to Store

I do store the sauce separate from the pasta. Plenty of people like to mix the two, but I find that leftover pasta gets gummy and soggy, so I store them separately.

I also save some for lunches and just eat meatballs and sausage with sauce and no pasta. It will stay good in the fridge for about 5 days if in an airtight container and can be easily microwaved.

How to Reheat

As mentioned, I store the sauce separately from the pasta. You can, of course, microwave the pasta, but it will drastically change the texture.

Instead, I like to boil a pot of water, lightly salt it and drop my cold pasta in for about 1-2 minutes. It won’t be perfectly al dente like it was the first time around, but it won’t be soggy, gummy or overcooked either.

Can I Freeze Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs?

By all, means yes! As I mentioned above, this is a time consuming recipe. I try to make a double and triple batch of homemade sauce (even though this recipe feeds 12-15) and then store it in the freezer in smaller batches.

More Delicious Italian Recipes

Coming from an Italian family, pastas are easily one of our most-loved dishes around here. Here are some of our favorites.