House Spaghetti Made & Meatballs Recipe

Soak breadcrumbs

Combine the plain breadcrumbs and whole milk in a medium bowl. Let sit 5 minutes until milk is absorbed and mixture is slightly cohesive.

Mix meatball ingredients

Add ground beef, ground pork, grated Parmesan, minced garlic, chopped parsley, egg, salt, black pepper, and dried oregano to the breadcrumb mixture. Use your hands or a fork to gently combine until just incorporated—avoid overmixing to keep meatballs tender.

Form meatballs

Portion the mixture into 1 1/4-inch (about 2 tbsp) portions and roll into uniform meatballs. You should get approximately 18–20 meatballs.

Brown meatballs

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs in a single layer without crowding (work in batches if needed). Cook 2–3 minutes per side, turning gently until all sides are nicely browned but not fully cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside. Reserve any pan drippings.

Sweat aromatics

In a large saucepan or the same skillet (wipe out excess oil leaving browned bits), heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and cook 5–7 minutes until translucent and softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Build the sauce

Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen flavor. Add crushed tomatoes, beef or chicken stock, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, sugar (if using), salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.

Add meatballs and simmer

Return the browned meatballs and any accumulated juices to the sauce, nestling them into the tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover partially and simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through (internal temperature 160°F/71°C) and flavors meld. If sauce thickens too much, stir in up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water or additional stock to reach desired consistency.

Finish sauce

Stir in torn fresh basil leaves (if using) in the last 2 minutes of simmering. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or a pinch more sugar if tomatoes are too acidic.

Cook spaghetti

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tbsp salt. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti.

Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained spaghetti to the sauce and meatballs (or place sauce over plated spaghetti). Toss gently to coat, adding reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if needed to help the sauce cling and reach desired consistency.

Serve

Divide spaghetti and meatballs among plates or family-style in a large serving dish. Sprinkle each serving with grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley or basil. Serve immediately.