How To Make Spaghetti And Meatballs With Homemade Marinara Sauce From Scratch

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is lower in fat, while ground pork is often less expensive.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated cheese blend

Nutritional yeast is lower in calories and adds a cheesy flavor, while a cheese blend can be more budget-friendly.

Mince garlic and dice onions.

In a large bowl, add ground beef and hot italian pork sausage, and mix together.

Add diced onions and minced garlic to the meat mixture.

Season with salt, pepper, chopped parsley, grated parmesan cheese, and add 2 eggs.

Crush saltine crackers finely and add to the bowl.

Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated.

Fry a small portion of the mixture in a pan to taste for seasoning; adjust if necessary.

Roll the mixture into meatballs of even size.

Place meatballs in an 11 by 15 glass baking dish, adding a little water at the bottom to keep them moist, and cover with tin foil.

Cook meatballs in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.

While meatballs are cooking, drizzle olive oil into a pot and add minced garlic, cooking on low heat to avoid burning.

Add 1 can of tomato paste to the pot and sauté to enhance flavor.

Add 2 cans of tomato sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 2 teaspoons italian seasoning; adjust seasoning to taste.

Cover the pot and let the sauce cook for several hours, adding water if it thickens too much.

Once meatballs are done, add them to the sauce one by one.

Prepare pasta by seasoning water with salt and adding noodles; cook a whole box for leftovers.

Drain pasta without rinsing.

Serve pasta with meatballs and sauce, optionally with garlic bread or salad.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens