Spaghetti with Italian Meatballs

Total Time

Prep: 20 min. Cook: 1 hour

Makes

10 servings

Updated: Jan. 06, 2023
Sharon Crider sends this hearty spaghetti dinner from Junction City, Kansas. "It's one of my family's favorite recipes," she writes. "We enjoy servings of the sauce with a variety of pasta."

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 can (28 ounces) Italian crushed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • MEATBALLS:
  • 4 slices white bread, torn
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, cook onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, soak bread in 1/2 cup water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess liquid. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, garlic, basil, parsley, salt and bread. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls.
  3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. In batches, brown meatballs, adding more oil as needed. Add meatballs to sauce; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Serve with meatballs and sauce.

Nutrition Facts

1/2 cup sauce with 3 meatballs and 2/3 cup cooked spaghetti: 385 calories, 11g fat (3g saturated fat), 69mg cholesterol, 612mg sodium, 49g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 4g fiber), 21g protein.