Anyone who says spaghetti and meatballs are the world’s best comfort food dish is almost right, except for one thing. When you make a spaghetti and meatball bake, you take it up a notch. This is the meal you make after the kids have a rough day at school, you’ve had a rotten day at work or the rain has been falling all week and you just need some warmth in your tummy.
On the other hand, a spaghetti meatball bake is so welcome and tasty that you can also serve it on happier occasions like a holiday dinner or birthday party. Frankly, we can’t think of any time this dinner won’t be welcome on the table, so let’s get it cooking.
Spaghetti Meatball Bake Ingredients
- Dry bread crumbs: Bread crumbs do much more for dishes than people realize, but you’ll surely notice and appreciate them here. Remember to keep the portions divided — and generous.
- Eggs: The eggs should be lightly beaten, just whisked until they combine.
- Spaghetti: Use 3 ounces of uncooked noodles, cook them per package instructions, give a quick rinse with cool water and coarsely chop the pasta.
- Garlic cloves: Be sure the garlic is well-minced.
- Dried basil:Â Heap on the dried basil, an essential ingredient in great meatballs.
- Salt:Â Note that this does not account for the water being salted when you cook the pasta, but do salt that water!
- Dried oregano:Â Oregano is another key player in the meatballs.
- Pepper:Â Salt’s counterpart black pepper is always welcome.
- Ground beef:Â The recipe makes 10 servings, for reference.
Sauce:
- Meatless pasta sauce: Use two jars of your favorite meatless pasta sauce — you’ll need 24 ounces total.
- Onion: The yellow or white onion needs to be finely chopped or pulsed in a food processor.
- Garlic cloves:Â These additional garlic cloves, for the sauce, need to be well-minced as well.
- Dried basil:Â A superstar in the meatballs, basil is also a star in the sauce.
- Dried oregano:Â And so is this additional oregano.
- Mozzarella cheese: Two cups of shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese top things off here.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the meatballs
First, preheat the oven to 375°F. Then place one cup of the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, chopped spaghetti, garlic, seasonings, and the remaining bread crumbs. Then add the beef, mixing gently but thoroughly. Shape the mixture into 1-1/2 inch meatballs.
Step 2: Bread and bake the meatballs
Roll the meatballs in the one cup of bread crumbs sat aside and place them in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Bake the meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are cooked.
Step 3: Prepare the sauce, top the meatballs, then add cheese and bake
While the meatballs cook, combine the pasta sauce, onion, garlic and seasonings in a large saucepan. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Pour the sauce over the cooked meatballs, then sprinkle over the cheese. Bake the dish for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned.
Spaghetti Meatball Bake Variations
- Use ground turkey: You can follow this same recipe using ground turkey instead of ground beef. It will come out tasting great, a bit less greasy and lower in fat content.
- Add some heat: If you like your dishes on the spicy side, add 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the meatballs and another 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper to the pasta sauce.
- Skip the spaghetti: If you’re looking for a basic meatball recipe, follow this one to the letter but leave out the cooked chopped pasta.
How to Store Spaghetti Meatball Bake
This dish will keep well in the fridge for two to three days. Store it covered in an airtight wrap or airtight container and reheat it in the oven. Consider tossing a bit of olive oil over the dish and mixing it in once warmed to mitigate any drying out.
Can you freeze a spaghetti meatball bake?
Yes, this dish can be frozen if you have extra, though it is best fresh. Wrap leftovers in airtight wrapping and then in foil and store them in the freezer for up to two months. To reheat this dish, bake it at 350º until it has warmed to 160º internally.
Spaghetti Meatball Bake Tips
What should I serve with this spaghetti meatball dish?
Ironically, perhaps, the perfect pairing is more spaghetti. There’s not much pasta in the meatballs, so go ahead and serve them with platefuls of spaghetti, just be sure you have more sauce to ladle over.
Can you use panko breadcrumbs for this dish?
While traditional breadcrumbs work best here, Panko is fine if need be. If you are using Panko breadcrumbs, take a moment to grind and pulverize the portion you’ll use to coat the exterior of the meatballs.
Can I use a different pasta for these meatballs?
Yes. Any cooked pasta works just fine in this dish but spaghetti is very easy to chop. You could also use rigatoni, linguini, or any noodle. Just cook it properly and make sure to chop it evenly.
