Grandma's tender and juicy meatball recipe simmered in a delicious tomato sauce and served with spaghetti noodles, classic Italian food.
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT120M
Total time: PT150M
Rating
4.87 stars (3109 reviews)
Keywords
italian meatballs, meatball recipe, spaghetti with meatballs
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup minced yellow onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 ounces tomato paste
7 cups crushed canned tomatoes
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds ground beef (80% to 85% lean )
2 large eggs
1 cup plain breadcrumbs (or Italian-style)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup finely minced yellow onion
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup sliced basil
Categories
Entree
Cuisine
Italian
Steps
Make the Tomato Sauce - In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered, with lid slightly ajar to prevent splattering for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Heat the Oven - Set the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Heat the oven to broil. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it with olive oil. Set aside.
Make the Meatball Mixture - In a large bowl, add the ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, minced onion, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Use your hands to mix thoroughly until combined.
Shape the Meatballs - Measure out 1/3 cup of the ground beef mixture (3 ounces), about the size of an egg, then roll it into a ball. Evenly space them on the prepared baking sheet. This should yield 14 to 15 meatballs.
Broil the Meatballs - Transfer the meatballs to the lower-middle position in the oven. Cook until the surface is browned, about 10 to 12 minutes. Flip the meatballs and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to lightly brown the other side.
Simmer - Transfer the meatballs to the tomato sauce. Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer on low heat for at least 1 ½ hours, checking and stirring every 20 minutes, or as needed. The meatballs should be fork-tender when sliced.
To Serve - If needed, adjust the consistency of the sauce with water, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve meatballs topped with sauce, sliced basil, and Parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 216 kcal
Carbohydrates: 9 g
Protein: 19 g
Fat: 11 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 44 mg
Sodium: 810 mg
Sugar: 2 g
Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
Reviews
Ashley Cutting on 2026-04-14 (5 stars): Great ❤️
Patti Bondar on 2026-04-12 (5 stars): Married 50 years this July, my husband said these meatballs were the best I ever made. I followed recipe exactly. Just excellent.
Jerome on 2026-04-07 (5 stars): I made these tonight and they live up to the name. If not THE best, they are certainly very near the top of any list of meatballs I've tried in my life. I paired them with some angel hair pasta and topped them with Parmesan cheese.
Debra on 2026-04-06 (5 stars): I just made this for the second time and my family keeps raving!
Shannon on 2026-04-02 (5 stars): Made this last night and it was EXCELLENT!
Wolf on 2026-03-25 (5 stars): Grazie fantastic recipe I will try today! Genuine italian! Great, great, great! 🇮🇹😺❤️
Katt D on 2026-03-17 (4 stars): Good solid recipe...I never brown my meatballs, I just put them into the simmering sauce and let them imbue all their juices into the sauce.... makes a truly meaty, delicious sauce, and no oil splatter!..its the way we've always done it, but I use very lean beef now( no big oil slick!)...
Sri on 2026-03-12 (5 stars): Hands down the best meatball recipe ever! I made smaller meatballs and got 26. Broiling the meatballs and braising in sauce is what sets this apart! I served it to my teenaged kidS on toasted subs with provolone, and a side salad, and got rave reviews!
