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Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 111 reviews

This Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs recipe combines tender, flavorful meatballs with rich marinara sauce and perfectly cooked spaghetti for a classic Italian-American comfort meal that is simple to prepare and sure to please the whole family.

Ingredients

Scale

Meatballs

  • 1/2 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2 lb. Italian sausage meat
  • 2 and 1/2 tsp. salt, divided

Sauce

  • 1 large jar (24 oz) marinara sauce

Pasta

  • 12 oz. spaghetti

Instructions

  1. Boil Water: Fill a large pot with water and add 2 teaspoons of the salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat to prepare for cooking the spaghetti.
  2. Prepare Meat Mixture: While waiting for the water to boil, place the ground beef and Italian sausage meat into a large bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix gently with your hands until just combined, taking care not to overmix, which could toughen the meatballs.
  3. Shape Meatballs: Form the meat mixture into 16 golf-ball-sized meatballs, ensuring they are uniform in size for even cooking.
  4. Brown Meatballs: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook until they are browned on the underside, about 3 minutes. Flip the meatballs and brown the opposite side to develop a nice crust.
  5. Simmer Meatballs in Sauce: Pour the marinara sauce into the skillet with the browned meatballs and bring the mixture up to a gentle simmer while stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and no longer pink inside. After cooking, turn off the heat and cover the skillet with a lid to keep warm.
  6. Cook Spaghetti: As you start simmering the meatballs in sauce, add the spaghetti to the boiling salted water. Cook according to the package instructions or until al dente, then drain the pasta.
  7. Serve: Divide the cooked spaghetti evenly among four dinner plates. Remove the lid from the skillet, stir the meatballs and sauce briefly, then spoon the meatballs and sauce over the spaghetti on each plate. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Use fresh ground beef and Italian sausage for the best flavor in your meatballs.
  • Do not overmix the meat mixture to keep meatballs tender.
  • Adjust salt according to taste and dietary needs.
  • Make sure to brown the meatballs well to enhance their flavor and texture.
  • If preferred, substitute spaghetti with another pasta type such as linguine or fettuccine.
  • Leftover meatballs and sauce can be refrigerated and reheated later.

Keywords: spaghetti and meatballs, easy Italian recipe, classic meatballs, marinara sauce, pasta dinner

Find it online: https://kitchenbynora.com/easy-spaghetti-and-meatballs-recipe/