Homemade spaghetti and meatballs is the ultimate wholesome meal that is comforting and will satisfy the whole family. This recipe has a cultural twist with the Hungarian meatballs I grew up with.
This marinara sauce is thick and rich in flavour with fresh basil throughout and these scrumptious meatball recipe I grew up with that are a little different then the Italian meatballs. The Hungarians will add both ground beef and ground pork to their recipe, and we don’t hold back on the garlic.
This dish I created has two recipes, one is the marinara sauce and the other is the meatball recipe. By making both of these recipes you have many options to incorporate other dishes with either using the marinara sauce or the meatballs.
When making this recipe I would suggest to double it to make 8 servings so you have tons of leftovers to freeze, as the sauce and the meatballs both freeze well, and it can be so convenient to take out of the freeze when you are struggling with what to make for dinner. I always make extra for that reason and it truly makes life easier!
Alternative uses for marinara sauce and meatballs:
- lasagna
- pizza
- tomato soup
- minestrone
- parmigiana
- cheesy casserole
- meatball sub
- chili
- dips and sauces
- meatball soup
- meatball casserole
Ingredients needed for this recipe:
- Olive oil: recommended good quality extra-virgin olive oil
- Onion and Garlic: always use fresh to get the full pungent flavours
- Tomatoes: crunched plum tomatoes will result in a rich thick sauce
- Dry herbs: oregano and basil are added at the beginning of the cooking
- Red pepper flakes: this will add some heat, but just adding a pinch will not overpower the flavours
- Fresh herbs: parsley and basil are added at the end to give a pungent floral flavours
- Seasonings Himalayan salt
- Noodles: Italian style or durum wheat spaghetti
- Parmesan or Romano cheese: for garnishing
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce with Hungarian-style Meatballs
Ingredients
Sauce: yields 4 cups
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1- 28 oz can organic crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 11/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 3 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 4 large fresh basil leaves, torn and 1 leaf sliced for garnishing
- 1/4 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese, grated
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
Meatballs: yields 20
- 1/2 lb lean ground beef (I like to use hormone and antibiotic free)
- 1/2 lb lean ground pork
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (depending on the size)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Sauce: Heat oil in a skillet, add onion and sauté for about 4 minutes, until transparent. Add garlic and sauté for another 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper flakes, parsley and basil. Simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Meatballs: In a medium bowl, combine and mix together ground beef, ground pork, onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and black pepper. Shape the meat balls and place on a baking sheet lightly greased with olive oil or lined with parchment paper or foil. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink in the centre, turning them over halfway through. The outer surface on the meat balls should be a little crispy.Note: meatballs can be made ahead of time and placed in the refrigerator or cook them at the same time the sauce is simmering, and once cooked, then add them to the sauce.
- While the sauce is simmering, and meatballs are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add ½ tsp of salt then add the pasta. Cook until al dente and drain. Keep about ¼ cup of the pasta water.
- Check the flavour, adjust the seasoning at this time if needed. Spoon some of the sauce over the pasta, then add pasta to serving plates, add more sauce and meatballs. Garnish with sliced basil and Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
How to make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce and Hungarian Meatballs:
Heat a large skillet with olive oil and saute onion until transparent, then garlic just until the aroma releases. Add your herbs, red pepper flakes and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes and at the point you will see the sauce has thickened.
While the sauce is simmering, begin making the meatballs. Combine all of the ingredients into a medium bowl, and do not overmix. Overmixing can create tough meatballs. As I mentioned in my recipe, meatballs can be made ahead to shorten the cooking time when you’re making the sauce.
Begin shaping the meatballs to the desired size. Some will say the size of a golf ball, and some will make them larger or smaller. I would suggest to make them according to your preference. I made mine a little smaller then a golf ball.
This is the time to bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta, while the sauce is simmering and the meatballs are cooking.
Once the meatballs are cooked and the sauce has been simmer for 20 minutes, add the meatballs to the sauce. Allow the meatballs and sauce simmer for about 5-10 minutes, then add the fresh parsley and basil.
Serve while warm, and garnish with slices of fresh basil or fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
