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Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti

Published: Aug 9, 2016 · Modified: Mar 29, 2019 by Eileen xo

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A delicious homemade recipe for Italian meatballs and spaghetti in a marinara sauce recipe! A family favorite that is easy to prepare and I always make extra to freeze meatballs for another meal!  Authentic Italian meatball and spaghetti dinner, you won't be disappointed, these are delicious!

Italian meatballs and spaghetti

Italian meatballs always remind me of my Mom!  Why would Italian meatballs remind me of an Irish-American Mother, because my Mom taught me how to make these when I was a little girl. My Mom is a self-taught cook who has always made great food but her Mama Murphy meatballs are always amazing. Mom got her original recipe idea from a neighbor on our block who was a great Italian cook. No measuring was really every done but they were always incredibly tasty and a family favorite!  I have changed my recipe slightly over the years and I have different versions of my Italian meatballs.  I go back and forth with the ingredients because I am extremely conscientious of my family's cholesterol intake so I am always changing the egg combination and type of breadcrumb that I use to make these.  This particular recipe is using 90% lean ground meat!  I use an eggs,  low-fat milk, and seasoned Italian breadcrumbs.

Italian meatballs and spaghetti

Everyday tip -  I always make extra meatballs to freeze a batch for another meal! These are perfect in the slow-cooker!  When I am making extra meatballs to be frozen, I spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray,  I  place the extra meatball on the cookie sheet,  and bake at 350 for about a half hour and let them cool and place into freezer bags for future meals!!

Italian meatballs and spaghetti

I know many who like to fry their meatballs.  I confess, I do not like my meatballs fried.  I like to make a marinara sauce and add in my meatballs and let them simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes.  Then I gently stir occasionally until the meatballs are cooked, 45-60 minutes, major deliciousness!!   The key to a tender meatball is to not overwork the meat mixture as you form the meatballs!!

Italian meatballs

These can be made the night before you would like to serve them.  I personally feel they taste even better the second day.  Serve these Italian meatballs with a pound of whole wheat or fiber-enriched spaghetti and a side salad like Weight Watchers Caesar Salad with Poblano Dressing!!  I made these at the end of last week and I think I am going to take a few frozen meatballs out of the freezer for dinner tomorrow!  These pictures are making me hungry!  

Italian meatballs and spaghetti

I would love to hear how you make your meatballs! What type of meat do you use? What's your cooking method?  I hope you try mine and enjoy!

When you make one of my recipes, tag me with #everydayeileen so I can see what you are making I will share it too!

I hope you like this recipe, and if so, please share the love on Facebook, Pinterest, or your favorite way of relating to your friends and family, and please continue connecting with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Bloglovin, Google Plus !

Thank you for always sharing my passion and love for food and family!

xo!    Eileen

 

 

 

#This recipe was originally published in September 2015, I have made some updates to the original recipe!

 

healthy Italian meatballs and homemade marinara over spaghetti

Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti

A delicious homemade recipe for Italian meatballs and spaghetti in a Marinara sauce! Super easy to prepare and a perfect recipe to make extra Italian meatballs to freeze for later! A tasty old family recipe!
4.50 from 2 votes
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Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 546kcal
Author: Eileen xo

Equipment Needed:

Ingredients

  • Marinara Sauce:
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup dry red wine
  • 2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 1 ounce can diced tomatoes liquid drained
  • 1 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1 6 oz can water use the tomato paste can
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon ground fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Italian Meatballs:
  • 2 ½ pounds lean sirloin
  • 2 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 cup low-fat milk
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 pound spaghetti cooked according to package
  • ½ teaspoons fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 small onion diced finely
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Marinara Sauce
  • In a large pan, over medium heat, add olive oil. Add the onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir about another minute.
  • Add the red wine and stir for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, bay leaf, ground fennel seeds, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper.
  • Let simmer over low heat while preparing the Italian meatballs.
  • Italian Meatballs
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, milk, Parmesan cheese, beaten eggs, finely minced garlic, finely minced onion, salt, and pepper.
  • Use your hands to form meatballs, around 2 inches each.
  • Add the formed meatball to the Marinara Sauce, cover pot and allow to simmer around 15 minutes.
  • Gently stir the meatballs, being careful not to break any of the meatballs.Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally for another 44-60 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through.
  • Remove bay leaf. Check seasoning.
  • Serve over spaghetti.

Notes

I prefer to use my mini food processor to finely chop the garlic and onion for the meatballs

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 1075mg | Potassium: 1283mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 18.5mg | Calcium: 322mg | Iron: 8.2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Everyday_Eileen or tag #everydayeileen!

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Comments

  1. Theresa G

    April 04, 2018 at 2:22 am

    5 stars
    Wow, these are amazing. I grew up on amazing meatballs from my Grandmother...I won't tell her, yours are better. delicious. thank you for bringing ,back to my grandparents food

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      April 04, 2018 at 10:45 am

      Wonderful Theresa, these are our favorite meatballs too. Glad they remind you of your Grandmother 🙂

      Reply
  2. Amelie Moore

    August 23, 2016 at 2:16 am

    4 stars
    I’ve never had meatballs in a very long time! They’re generally very hard to make, and to stop eating!

    Reply
  3. CSGO

    June 02, 2016 at 2:20 pm

    Really want to stress I am just delighted I stumbled in your page!.

    Reply
  4. Urvi

    October 28, 2015 at 4:15 pm

    I don't eat meat but it looks yummy.. I need to find out veggie version of it.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 28, 2015 at 4:53 pm

      I will create one soon!

      Reply
  5. rocky

    October 27, 2015 at 5:11 pm

    Looks so yummy.. thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  6. rocky

    October 27, 2015 at 5:10 pm

    Looks so yummy! thanks for sharing..

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 29, 2015 at 10:57 pm

      Thank you

      Reply
  7. Shannon

    October 25, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    We love meatballs for lunch and dinner so I'll have to try these out!

    Reply
  8. mya.k

    October 24, 2015 at 12:40 am

    yummy looks so good.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 24, 2015 at 6:28 pm

      thank you !

      Reply
  9. Amber Nelson

    October 23, 2015 at 11:21 pm

    These sound so good. I love meatballs! My family loves meatballs.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 23, 2015 at 11:32 pm

      I hope you try it and enjoy

      Reply
  10. Julia

    October 23, 2015 at 6:04 pm

    Oooh. I have been craving Italian meat balls lately. I'll have to try out your recipe!.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 23, 2015 at 11:41 pm

      I hope you enjoy - let me know how you liked them

      Reply
  11. Amanda || Growing Up Madison

    October 23, 2015 at 10:03 am

    I love your idea about freezing the meatballs. I love making my own but sometimes I'm so lazy that I just do a meatsauce instead.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 23, 2015 at 4:19 pm

      I love meat sauce as well

      Reply
  12. Lexie Lane

    October 23, 2015 at 8:01 am

    I've never tried the itallian meatballs, I love super sweet and a little bit of sour. Your recipe looks fantastic!

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 23, 2015 at 4:21 pm

      Thank you - I hope you try it and enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Mykidsguide

    October 23, 2015 at 6:21 am

    That looks amazing. We love meatballs and I would love to try your recipe.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 23, 2015 at 4:25 pm

      Thank ytou - I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  14. polenation

    October 23, 2015 at 3:51 am

    looks tasty! must try during my free time 🙂

    Reply
  15. katrina g

    October 22, 2015 at 9:54 am

    those look amazing! i love meatballs. i will have to make my husband make me this soon.

    Reply
  16. Danii

    October 22, 2015 at 7:32 am

    I'm a sucker for meatballs with tons of parmesan on them. Looks really tasty.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 23, 2015 at 12:17 am

      Thank you Daniele

      Reply
  17. Jonathan

    October 22, 2015 at 7:32 am

    Italian Meatballs sounds so yummy and easy to make! We love this kind of food in our family so may give it a try this weekend!

    Reply
  18. K. Lee Banks

    October 22, 2015 at 1:24 am

    LOVE meatballs, especially the homemade variety! Thanks for sharing the recipe. They are so good for pasta and for meatball subs!

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 23, 2015 at 12:19 am

      I am so glad you like it - hope you enjoy

      Reply
  19. Liz Mays

    October 22, 2015 at 12:42 am

    I always brown them in a pan first, but then I like them cooked all the way in a sauce like you do.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 23, 2015 at 12:20 am

      less fat by just putting in the pot - they are juicy and delish - hope you try it this way

      Reply
  20. LizZ H.

    October 21, 2015 at 9:53 pm

    There is seriously, absolutely NOTHING better than an amazing meatball.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 23, 2015 at 12:21 am

      agree totally

      Reply
  21. Shaylee @ Data Nerds

    October 21, 2015 at 12:30 pm

    This looks like a great recipe! Meatballs are a favourite in our house!

    Reply
  22. Claudette

    October 21, 2015 at 11:03 am

    I tend to get heartburn whenever I have minced meat but I just cannot resist a good meatball! Must try this recipe! 🙂

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 21, 2015 at 7:06 pm

      I love a good meatball as well

      Reply
  23. Erika Couto

    October 21, 2015 at 10:14 am

    These look absolutely delicious!

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 21, 2015 at 7:07 pm

      Thank you

      Reply
  24. victoria

    October 21, 2015 at 6:42 am

    I love making meatballs for my family and add it in the Spaghetti sauce. I would try this Italian meatballs.

    Reply
  25. Elizabeth O.

    October 21, 2015 at 4:59 am

    These look really tasty! I love meatballs with pasta or as a sandwich! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
  26. rika

    October 21, 2015 at 4:50 am

    This recipe looks fantastic and delicious.. I can't wait to try it out. My kids love meatballs

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 21, 2015 at 7:06 am

      I hope you all enjoy

      Reply
  27. Ourfamilyworld

    October 21, 2015 at 4:22 am

    That looks so delicious. I didn't know that the secret to a tender meatball is to not overwork the meat mixture as you form the meatballs. I will keep this in mind.

    Reply
  28. Patrice M Foster

    October 21, 2015 at 1:19 am

    My mother always made meatballs when I was a child one of my favorite dish. thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  29. Chanelle

    October 21, 2015 at 12:53 am

    I have not made meatballs in forever. Need to pin this so I can reference it later.

    Reply
  30. dana vento

    October 20, 2015 at 10:10 pm

    These look realy yummy. I cook meatballs each week as well

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 21, 2015 at 12:08 am

      They are so versatile and easy

      Reply
  31. Debbie Denny

    October 20, 2015 at 8:38 pm

    Love Italian Meatballs. Yours look awesome. I cook mine on low heat also.

    Reply
  32. Shann

    October 20, 2015 at 8:13 pm

    Yum. These sound delicious. Great tip about making extra to freeze.

    Reply
  33. tara pittman

    October 20, 2015 at 7:19 pm

    I would make these with turkey for my family.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 20, 2015 at 8:00 pm

      Tara - these are fantastic with turkey!

      Reply
  34. Patty

    October 20, 2015 at 6:59 pm

    I love meatballs. Like you I always make extras for another meal down the road. I like to use different meats in my recipe.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 20, 2015 at 8:01 pm

      Patty - It is always great to make extra! These are great with turkey or chicken also

      Reply
  35. Ana

    October 20, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    These meatballs look delicious I would replace it with Quorn.

    Reply
  36. Robin Rue (@massholemommy)

    October 20, 2015 at 4:33 pm

    I am from a big Italian family and the meatballs made the meal!

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      October 20, 2015 at 6:17 pm

      They sure do Robin

      Reply
  37. StressedMum

    September 21, 2015 at 11:20 am

    I love meatballs will be trying this recipe next time I make them x

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      September 21, 2015 at 2:49 pm

      Great - I hope you enjoy!

      Reply
  38. Marsha @ Marsha's Baking Addiction

    September 21, 2015 at 4:24 am

    Mmmm, these look delicious! My daughter loves meatballs, so these'll be a hit!

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      September 21, 2015 at 2:51 pm

      Thank you Marsha! I hope your daughter enjoys them!

      Reply
  39. Gillian

    September 21, 2015 at 2:01 am

    I love making meatballs for the kids so am going to try this recipe tonight. ?

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      September 21, 2015 at 2:26 am

      So happy that you like this recipe - enjoy!

      Reply
  40. Sara

    September 16, 2015 at 11:04 pm

    These look fantastic! Definitely adding these to my list of things to make. Thanks for posting it!

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      September 17, 2015 at 1:57 am

      Thank you so much Sara! I hope you enjoy - let me know when you make them - shoot me a pic on instagram!

      Reply
  41. Noel Lorenza

    September 16, 2015 at 10:39 pm

    Thank you for sharing the Italian meatball recipe. I'm going to print this and share it with my cooking club.

    Reply
    • Eileen xo

      September 16, 2015 at 10:47 pm

      Thank you so much Noel! I hope they all enjoy!

      Reply

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