Easiest Spaghetti and Meatballs
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Everyday Food, March 2009
- Prep Time 30 minutes
- Total Time 30 minutes
- Yield Serves 4
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Ingredients
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound ground beef chuck
- 1/4 cup plain dried breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
- 3/4 pound spaghetti
Directions
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Set a large pot of salted water to boil. In a bowl, combine Parmesan, parsley, garlic, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add beef and breadcrumbs; mix gently. Form into 16 balls.
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In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium. Add meatballs, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover partially, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
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Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente. Drain, and return to pot; add meatballs and sauce, and toss gently. Serve with Parmesan.
This recipe was so good and tasty and easy....my mom and boyfriend could not get enough of it. Only thing I did different was added onion to the meat mixture and I drained a bit of the fat before putting in tomatoes...I think the olive oil really gives it a great taste...
It was my first time to make meatballs with this recipe, and I was so amazed at how easy it was to make meatballs. (I used to buy them!) Whenever I repeat this recipe, I use spaghetti sauce in a jar: "Spiinach and Cheese," to sneak in some extra veggies. Sometimes I add finely choped carrots and fresh spinach to the meatball mixture too. This is a family favorite!
As promised, this recipe was extremely easy and was one of those rare dishes that required a shopping list of only two or three items. Try adding a teaspoon or so of red pepper flakes for a bit of spice---definitely kicks up the dish.
Very yummy and easy to make. Added mushrooms, herbs and garlic to the sauce. Oh, and broccoli too.
anyone tried this with ground turkey? I can't have beef....... curious.
I made these for lunch today and we really liked it. It's very easy and fast and has an amazing taste for those few ingredients. We used everything fresh (Parmesan, Parsley..) and I only added some basil and oregano to the sauce, but it tasted pretty good without it too. We'll definitely make those again. Thank you for this easy-breezy recipe. :)
Delicious and easy. Will definitely make again.
This is really good and my kids love it. I sometimes double it so we have plenty for leftovers.
I made this for my family and we loved it. Be sure to add more salt to the sauce as it simmers. I think it brings out the flavor more.
Easy, but maybe a little too basic. Probably a good recipe for kiids.
Actually the EASIEST spaghetti and meatballs is Franco American!! haha! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) I'll have to try this! :-)
To be honest I didn't really care for this recipe. The meat balls to me were lacking in something.
This is a new family favorite! The only tough part about it is that the meatballs stick to the bottom of the pan when cooking. But they do loosen up once you add the tomato sauce. I added a little bit of Italian seasoning, but really, I think it's unnecessary. So tasty (and just as good the next day)!
These meatballs are very freezer-friendly. Just freeze on a pan individually then toss in a plastic bag. You don't even need to defrost them before cooking!
The hubby loves spaghetti and meatballs so I made this for him tonight. Honestly, I was skeptical because the sauce is just tomatoes and there aren't any spices, and isn't Italiian food supposed to have tons of basil and oregano??? But this was sooo GOOD! I still can't figure out how or why, but, hey, it works and it's easy so I'm not going to question it.
This is how I've always made this dish and my family loves it. I saw a Rachel Ray show the other day that used baseball size meat balls that were baked in the oven and finished in under 30 minutes. For four people she made eight balls serving two per person. They looked yummy. I didn't know there was a longer version. Does anyone have that recipe? I'd be interested just for history sake to see it.
Made this last night and fam loved it! I even cheated and used jar sauce b/c I didn't have the tomatoes on hand. SOOO EASY!! I never thought I'd make homemade meatballs in 30 mins!
Delish! I made this after getting home from Mardi Gras celebrating on Tuesday (I decided it was time to actually fix the children a meal!) and it was so quick and easy and tasty. Very nice when you are craving this dish but don't have time for the long version..