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 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.
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!!
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!!
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!
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!
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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!
Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients
- Marinara Sauce:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 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
- 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- Italian Meatballs:
- 2 1/2 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
- 1/2 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.
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
Wonderful Theresa, these are our favorite meatballs too. Glad they remind you of your Grandmother 🙂
I’ve never had meatballs in a very long time! They’re generally very hard to make, and to stop eating!
Really want to stress I am just delighted I stumbled in your page!.
I don’t eat meat but it looks yummy.. I need to find out veggie version of it.
I will create one soon!
Looks so yummy.. thanks for sharing!
Looks so yummy! thanks for sharing..
Thank you
We love meatballs for lunch and dinner so I’ll have to try these out!
yummy looks so good.
thank you !
These sound so good. I love meatballs! My family loves meatballs.
I hope you try it and enjoy
Oooh. I have been craving Italian meat balls lately. I’ll have to try out your recipe!.
I hope you enjoy – let me know how you liked them
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.
I love meat sauce as well
I’ve never tried the itallian meatballs, I love super sweet and a little bit of sour. Your recipe looks fantastic!
Thank you – I hope you try it and enjoy!
That looks amazing. We love meatballs and I would love to try your recipe.
Thank ytou – I hope you enjoy!
looks tasty! must try during my free time 🙂
those look amazing! i love meatballs. i will have to make my husband make me this soon.
I’m a sucker for meatballs with tons of parmesan on them. Looks really tasty.
Thank you Daniele
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!
LOVE meatballs, especially the homemade variety! Thanks for sharing the recipe. They are so good for pasta and for meatball subs!
I am so glad you like it – hope you enjoy
I always brown them in a pan first, but then I like them cooked all the way in a sauce like you do.
less fat by just putting in the pot – they are juicy and delish – hope you try it this way
There is seriously, absolutely NOTHING better than an amazing meatball.
agree totally
This looks like a great recipe! Meatballs are a favourite in our house!
I tend to get heartburn whenever I have minced meat but I just cannot resist a good meatball! Must try this recipe! 🙂
I love a good meatball as well
These look absolutely delicious!
Thank you
I love making meatballs for my family and add it in the Spaghetti sauce. I would try this Italian meatballs.
These look really tasty! I love meatballs with pasta or as a sandwich! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
This recipe looks fantastic and delicious.. I can’t wait to try it out. My kids love meatballs
I hope you all enjoy
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.
My mother always made meatballs when I was a child one of my favorite dish. thanks for sharing.
I have not made meatballs in forever. Need to pin this so I can reference it later.
These look realy yummy. I cook meatballs each week as well
They are so versatile and easy
Love Italian Meatballs. Yours look awesome. I cook mine on low heat also.
Yum. These sound delicious. Great tip about making extra to freeze.
I would make these with turkey for my family.
Tara – these are fantastic with turkey!
I love meatballs. Like you I always make extras for another meal down the road. I like to use different meats in my recipe.
Patty – It is always great to make extra! These are great with turkey or chicken also
These meatballs look delicious I would replace it with Quorn.
I am from a big Italian family and the meatballs made the meal!
They sure do Robin
I love meatballs will be trying this recipe next time I make them x
Great – I hope you enjoy!
Mmmm, these look delicious! My daughter loves meatballs, so these’ll be a hit!
Thank you Marsha! I hope your daughter enjoys them!
I love making meatballs for the kids so am going to try this recipe tonight. ?
So happy that you like this recipe – enjoy!
These look fantastic! Definitely adding these to my list of things to make. Thanks for posting it!
Thank you so much Sara! I hope you enjoy – let me know when you make them – shoot me a pic on instagram!
Thank you for sharing the Italian meatball recipe. I’m going to print this and share it with my cooking club.
Thank you so much Noel! I hope they all enjoy!