{"title":"How to Make Spaghetti and Meatballs","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/cooking/how-to-make-spaghetti","category":{"slug":"cooking","name":"Cooking"},"creator":{"name":"Natashas Kitchen","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-pC1xsFPzcrL09DaW4jlBA","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyCRnAZ4eCc"},"tldr":"Tender homemade meatballs in marinara over spaghetti. An 8-step weeknight recipe using the panade trick (bread soaked in milk) for melt-in-your-mouth texture.","totalDurationSeconds":417,"difficulty":"medium","tools":["Large mixing bowl","Trigger-release ice cream scoop (optional)","Large heavy pot or Dutch oven","Stockpot for spaghetti","Tongs"],"materials":["1 lb dry spaghetti","1 lb ground beef","1 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)","3 slices white bread (crusts removed)","1 large egg","8 garlic cloves (4 + 4)","1 cup diced onion","1/4 cup grated parmesan (plus extra for serving)","Two 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes","2 bay leaves","Fresh basil","Olive oil, salt, black pepper, flour for dusting"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Soak the Bread to Make the Panade","text":"Tear or dice three slices of crustless white bread into small pieces in a large mixing bowl. Pour two-thirds of a cup of cold water over the top and let it sit for about five minutes until the bread soaks up the water completely.Use a fork to mash the soaked bread into a wet paste. This is the panade - the secret behind tender, juicy meatballs. The bread holds moisture and keeps the meat from getting tough as it cooks."},{"number":2,"title":"Mix the Meatball Ingredients","text":"Add a pound of ground beef and a pound of sweet Italian sausage (casings off) to the bowl with the panade. Crack in one large egg, drop in four minced garlic cloves, a teaspoon of salt, and half a teaspoon of black pepper. Then sprinkle in a quarter cup of grated parmesan.Mix everything with your hands until it just comes together. Don't overwork it - too much mixing makes the meatballs dense."},{"number":3,"title":"Form and Flour 22 Meatballs","text":"Use a trigger-release ice cream scoop to portion out about 22 meatballs, each roughly an inch and a half across. Roll each scoop between your palms into a smooth ball.Lightly dip each meatball in flour and tap off the excess. The flour helps the outside crust up when you brown them and gives the sauce a touch of body when they cook in."},{"number":4,"title":"Brown the Meatballs in Olive Oil","text":"Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add half the meatballs in a single uncrowded layer and brown them about two minutes per side until they have a deep golden crust on every face.The meatballs will not be cooked through at this point. That's intentional - they finish cooking in the sauce. Move the first batch to a plate and repeat with the second batch."},{"number":5,"title":"Build the Marinara Sauce","text":"In the same pot you browned the meatballs, add a cup of diced onions and saute for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in four minced garlic cloves and cook for one more minute.Pour in two 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes and add two bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring to a light boil. Return the meatballs and any juices on the plate to the pot, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes."},{"number":6,"title":"Stir in Fresh Basil at the End","text":"Five minutes before the simmer ends, stir two tablespoons of chopped fresh basil into the sauce. Taste and add more salt or black pepper as needed.Adding the basil late keeps it bright green and fragrant. If you stir it in at the start, the heat dulls the color and the fresh flavor cooks out."},{"number":7,"title":"Cook Spaghetti and Toss With the Sauce","text":"While the sauce simmers, cook a pound of dry spaghetti in salted water until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain the pasta - don't rinse it. The starch on the noodles helps the sauce stick.Add the drained spaghetti directly to the pot of sauce and meatballs and toss until every noodle is evenly coated."},{"number":8,"title":"Plate and Garnish","text":"Pour everything into a large serving bowl. Top with a fresh sprinkle of basil and a generous grating of parmesan cheese. Bring it to the table and serve family-style.Cut into one of the meatballs at the table to show how tender they came out - the fork should slide right through."}],"recipe":{"servings":"Serves 4","prepMinutes":5,"cookMinutes":25,"cuisine":"Italian","ingredients":[{"name":"spaghetti","amount":"1 pound"},{"name":"water","amount":"4 quarts"},{"name":"kosher salt","amount":"2 tablespoons"},{"name":"ground beef","notes":"for meat sauce","amount":"1 pound"},{"name":"marinara sauce","amount":"1 (24 oz) jar"},{"name":"garlic cloves, minced","amount":"3"},{"name":"olive oil","amount":"2 tablespoons"},{"name":"freshly grated parmesan cheese","amount":"1/2 cup, for serving"}]},"lastUpdated":"2026-05-20T14:15:24.854Z","published":"2026-05-01T17:14:26.794Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}