For years, I avoided making meatballs on weeknights because I hated the process of frying them in batches. I’d end up with grease splatters all over the stovetop and meatballs that were burnt on the outside and raw in the middle. Switching to the oven method changed the rotation in our house completely.
By baking the meatballs, you free up the stove to make a really simple marinara sauce from scratch. It sounds like extra work compared to opening a jar, but since the meat is in the oven for 35 minutes anyway, you have the time. The sauce uses a technique where you infuse the oil with garlic cloves and then remove them, so you get the flavor without biting into chunks of garlic. It’s efficient, cleaner, and honestly tastes better than the fried version.
Ingredients
The Meatballs
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup fresh soft breadcrumbs (pulse 1-2 slices of white bread in a food processor)
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound ground beef (80/20 blend works best)
- 1 pound ground pork
The Sauce & Pasta
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (leave whole)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 sprigs fresh basil
- 1 pound spaghetti
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prep the aromatics: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a small skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the minced onion until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the minced garlic and cook for just 30 seconds more. Dump this into a large mixing bowl to cool down.
- Make the “Panade”: In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs and milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes until it turns into a mush. This paste is the secret to tender meatballs. Squeeze out any liquid that wasn’t absorbed and add the bread to the onion bowl.
- Mix and Shape: Add the egg, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, beef, and pork to the bowl. Use your hands to mix until just combined—do not overwork it or the meat will get tough. Form into 18 balls (wet your hands to keep them from sticking).
- Bake: Place meatballs on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, flip them, and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Start the Sauce: While the meat cooks, pour the 1/4 cup olive oil into a cold pot. Add the 4 crushed garlic cloves. Turn heat to medium. Let the garlic gently fry until golden brown (don’t burn it!). Stir in the tomato paste carefully—it will sputter.
- Simmer: Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add them to the pot along with the basil sprigs. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. Fish out the garlic cloves and basil stems before serving.
- The Finish: Boil the spaghetti in salted water. Drain it 2 minutes before it’s fully cooked (save a mug of pasta water!). Toss the pasta directly into the sauce pot with the meatballs. Add a splash of pasta water and cook everything together for 1-2 minutes until the sauce clings to the noodles.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No Frying Mess: Baking the meatballs keeps your stovetop clean and ensures they cook evenly.
- Texture: The combination of beef for flavor and pork for fat, plus the milk-soaked breadcrumbs, guarantees they won’t dry out.
- Timing: The sauce takes exactly as long to simmer as the meatballs take to bake. It feels like a magic trick when they finish simultaneously.
Chef’s Tips for Perfection
- Don’t Skip the Sauté: Putting raw onion directly into a meatball can result in crunchy bits that don’t cook through in the oven. Taking 5 minutes to soften them first makes a huge difference in texture.
- Pasta Water is Liquid Gold: The sauce might look a bit thick after simmering. That starchy pasta water is the only thing that will loosen it up while helping it stick to the noodles.
- Wet Hands: If the meat mixture is sticky, keep a small bowl of water next to you and dip your hands in it before rolling.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The pasta will absorb the sauce as it sits, so you might need to add a splash of water when reheating. The cooked meatballs freeze beautifully in the sauce for up to 3 months.
Nutritional Notes
This is a hearty meal with about 690 calories per serving. Using a mix of pork and beef adds fat, which is essential for moisture, but if you want to lighten it up, you can use ground turkey—just be aware the texture will be firmer.
