This Spaghetti and Meatball recipe will be your new go to weeknight family dinner! This is the best recipe for super tender beef and pork meatballs and a home made tomato marinara sauce is an easy, timeless recipe that you'll be making again and again.
Add unseasoned breadcrumbs to a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, grated parmesan, garlic, parsley, oregano. Stir to combine then add milk and mix through with your hands until the breadcrumbs are moist and softened.
Add the ground beef and ground pork, egg, and olive oil and mix until thoroughly combined. Take 4 ounces of the meat mixture and roll them into balls with your hands. Lay them on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze them for 15 minutes to allow the meatballs to firm up and hold their shape.
In a non stick pan over medium high heat, add 4 tbsp of olive oil and sear meatballs for 3-4 minutes until golden brown on all sides. Remove from pan to a plate.
In the same oil, sauté onion and garlic over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add the San Marzano tomatoes. Crush until desired consistency then add crushed red pepper, sugar, dried oregano, dried thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes over medium heat.
Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce. Cover and let the meatballs simmer in the sauce for another 30 minutes until cooked through and tender. Cook the pasta to al dente, finish in the sauce and enjoy!
Notes
Hydrating the Breadcrumbs: Hydrating the breadcrumbs with a liquid like milk is KEY to juicy, moist meatballs! If you need to substitute the dairy, you can use chicken stock or beef stock instead.
San Marzano Tomatoes: Because there are not a lot of ingredients in the sauce, I highly recommend using a high quality tomato such San Marzano tomatoes - you will taste the difference!
Storage: You can make this sauce ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Simply heat it up in the pan, cook your pasta to al dente and finish it in the sauce once the meatballs are heated through! Dinner done in 20 minutes!
Seasonings: I opt for dried oregano, dried thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes for my sauce, but feel free to add additional seasonings such as chopped fresh basil or fresh basil leaves for a bright, fragrant burst of flavor!