The greatest meatballs ever are crafted from a mixture of ground beef, spicy Italian sausage, a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, and aromatic spices, all bound together with egg. Simmered to tender perfection in a homemade tomato sauce, they are ready to dress up any pasta shape! You can change the protein and use a leaner choice for a healthier meal. Either way, this recipe for the ultimate comfort food will transform your pasta night and elevate it to a whole new level of deliciousness!
How Do You Make Perfect Meatballs?
The most perfect and delicious meatballs are made with a mixture of ground beef and zesty Italian sausage. This mixture not only makes them super tasty, but also gives them great texture. Adding Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, minced dry onion, garlic powder, breadcrumbs, and egg makes them tender and very flavorful.
All meatballs need a bit of liquid, and since we are adding cheese to ours, the liquid of choice will be water. It is very important not to overwork the meat!
How To Keep Meatballs From Sticking To Your Hands?
If you overwork the meat, you will separate the fat from the protein and this makes the meatballs stick to your hands. Remember to mix all the ingredients just until they are well distributed among the meat mixture, but don’t overwork it. Wet your hands before forming each ball so they won’t stick to your hands.
What is The Best Pasta For Meatballs?
The classic dish is spaghetti and meatballs, but you can use any pasta shape you like or have at hand. These meatballs with tomato sauce are good with any pasta!
Other Ground Beef Recipes For You:
- Korean Ground Beef and Rice Bowls
- Ground Beef Casserole
- Easy Creamy Beef and Shells
- Black Pepper Beef and Cabbage Stir Fry
- Easy Beefy Mexican Rice Soup
Best Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb bulk Italian Sausage (sweet or spicy)
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp dried minced onion
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 cup flour for dredging
- ¼ cup light olive oil for frying
For the sauce:
- 3 tbsp light olive oil
- 1 medium-sized onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2- 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 16 oz cooked spaghetti
Instructions
- Place the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hand, mix everything together until well combined, but do not overmix it.
- Wet your hands, and divide the mixture into balls approximately the size of a small ice cream scoop.
- Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the balls in the flour removing any excess.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and brown the meatballs on all sides.
- Very gently remove them and transfer them to a plate. Don’t worry about cooking them fully because they will cook in the sauce.
- Add 3 more tablespoons of oil to the Dutch oven and saute the chopped onion and minced garlic, scraping any bits and pieces of meatballs that stuck to the bottom.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, spices, salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Place the meatballs into the sauce and cook them for 20 minutes.
- Serve over freshly cooked spaghetti.
Notes
- DO NOT overwork the meat mixture or the fat will separate from the protein.
- Wet your hands before forming each meatball so they don’t stick to your hands.
- Make sure the Dutch oven and oil are hot before placing the meatballs inside or they will not brown properly.
- Don’t overcrowd the Dutch oven with meatballs, or they won’t brown, they will just cook. Brown them in batches.
