Spaghetti with meatballs is a simple hot dish for lunch or dinner, and everybody probably knows how delicious it is. Spaghetti with meatballs becomes even easier when it is made with ready-made meatballs, so the dish suits days when you want something hearty without spending much active time at the stove.
Ready-made meatballs, onions, garlic, tomatoes and spaghetti each have a clear role in the dish. Meatballs make the dish filling and rich, onions and garlic build the savoury base in the pan, tomatoes in their own juice turn the pan juices into a sauce, and spaghetti carries the sauce and keeps the meal familiar and comforting. Mixed herbs added at the end freshen the tomato sauce and bring a brighter finish.
Careful browning and gentle simmering are what to watch during cooking. Brown the meatballs on both sides in vegetable oil and then remove the meatballs to a plate, because the meatballs continue cooking later in the tomato sauce. Fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in the remaining oil, then return the meatballs and add the tomatoes. Simmer the meatballs under a lid for 15 minutes so the sauce thickens slightly and the meatballs stay tender, then add the herbs, salt and ground black pepper.
A simple swap is included for the tomato component. If there are no canned tomatoes in their own juice, tomato paste diluted with broth can be used instead. The rest of the recipe stays the same, so the sauce still comes together in the pan with the onion, garlic and meatballs.
Serving follows a specific order for the best result. Boil the spaghetti in salted boiling water, then plate the spaghetti first and only after that add the meatballs in tomato sauce on top. Serving the spaghetti first and the meatballs afterwards keeps the sauce visible and lets the meatballs sit properly over the pasta instead of getting lost in it.
Spaghetti with meatballs is best eaten right after cooking, when the pasta is hot and the sauce is fresh. If any spaghetti with meatballs is left, keep the spaghetti and the meatballs in tomato sauce in the refrigerator and eat them within 1 day for the best texture. Reheat the spaghetti and the meatballs gently until hot before serving again.
The dish does not have a special separate name. In most countries, the dish is simply known as spaghetti with meatballs. Spaghetti with meatballs is especially popular in American-Italian cooking.
Spaghetti can be mixed with the tomato sauce and meatballs, or the meatballs can be served separately on top. In this recipe, the spaghetti is plated first and the meatballs in tomato sauce are added afterwards.
Tomato paste diluted with broth can be used if canned tomatoes in their own juice are not available. Tomato paste diluted with broth keeps the same cooking order and still makes a tomato-based sauce for the meatballs.
Egg, breadcrumbs or soaked bread help meatballs keep their shape. After mixing minced meat for homemade meatballs, letting the mixture stand for 15 to 20 minutes is also useful.
Finely chopped onion, a little milk, cream or soaked bread can make meatballs juicier. Avoiding overcooking is also important, because overcooked meatballs dry out quickly.
Parsley, basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary all work well with meatballs. The best herb depends on the recipe and on the style of the tomato sauce.
