↑

Classic & Original Homecooking Recipe

The Best of Homecooking

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
Home » Dinner » Beef » Spaghetti and Meatballs Bake

Spaghetti and Meatballs Bake

Created: October 16, 2019 Updated: August 4, 2020 by Lyuba Brooke Leave a Comment

626 shares
Jump to Recipe

What can be more comforting than spaghetti and meatballs? One thing that can take it to another level is putting it all together and baking it with a layer of cheese. You can’t get a better dinner than homemade Italian Meatballs cooked with homemade Spaghetti Sauce and all baked with pasta and cheese. 

Grab the recipe for my Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti Sauce and you it for this recipe or freeze both to have at a later time. 

spaghetti and meatballs in a pan

SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

When someone says Italian dinner, the first thing that comes to mind is spaghetti and meatballs. The juicy meatballs, the sauce, the pasta, it is all so perfect together. In this dish, it’s all about the taste of meatballs and the taste of the sauce. That’s why you should always use the best and your favorite recipes for both. 

You know the best thing about this dish? The meatballs and the sauce can be made ahead of time and even frozen. I always have spaghetti sauce portioned in the freezer so I can have it for pizzas, meatballs, chicken, pasta nights, and even to dip bread sticks. Meatballs is another great meal to have in the freezer and so easy to make ahead. I actually have a whole post about freezing meatballs if you want to give it a read. 

To make this dish from start to finish, will take about two hours because of the sauce. That’s why I highly recommend having sauce cooked ahead or you can use your favorite store-bought sauce. With sauce already made, this dish will only take about 45 minutes. 

You can also cut the recipe in half or double for a big family dinner. 

PIN THIS RECIPE

collage of cooking meatballs and spaghetti in a pan

HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Make spaghetti sauce first:

Chop onions and carrots and saute it with olive oil in a preheated pot, over medium heat. Once vegetables start to soften, add smashed garlic and saute until fragrant. Pour in the entire content of the can of crushed tomatoes and add bay leaves, oregano, sugar, and salt.

Stir everything together, cover, and let it cook for about 20 minutes. Stir the sauce from time to time. Add fresh basil and cook, covered, for another 20 minutes. Remember to stir it occasionally. 

Once the sauce is cooked, transfer it into the blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. 

Make meatballs:

Start making meatballs while the sauce is almost done. Use a large, 12-inch skillet that is also oven-safe. (You can also use a separate 9×13 casserole dish just for baking.)

Combine the ground beef, ground pork, egg, minced onion, pressed garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in large mixing bowl. Drench a slice of bread in milk, squeeze it out, break it up into crumbs, and add it to the bowl. Mix everything very well. Use a larger cookie scoop to scoop out even amounts of meat mixture and shape the meatballs. 

Preheat the skillet over medium heat, add oil, and sear meatballs for a few minutes on each side. Add the sauce, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook meatballs until just done. 

spreading cheese over meatballs in a pan with cheese on top

Make spaghetti and meatballs bake:

Preheat the oven to 375°.

Cook spaghetti at the same time as the meatballs but make sure to only cook it al dente, don’t overcook. Drain off the water and set it aside. 

Take meatballs out of the pan but leave the sauce. Add spaghetti to the pan with sauce and mix well to coat all the pasta with sauce. Nestle meatballs into the spaghetti and top everything off with shredded cheese and a sprinkle of oregano. 

Place the skillet into the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. 

baked spaghetti and meatballs in a pan

HOW TO REHEAT SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS BAKE

This dish is easy to reheat in individual portions, in a microwave. Make sure to cover the bowl with a microwave lid or another plate on top.

If you need to reheat a large portion at the same time, use an oven. Preheat oven to 350°, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and reheat until hot in the center. Depending on how much pasta and meatballs you are reheating, it could take 20-30 minutes.

spaghetti and meatballs casserole in a pan on a wood cutting board

MORE ITALIAN RECIPES TO TRY

Chicken Parmesan

The Best Classic Lasagna

Meatballs Sub

Classic Stuffed Shells

Four Cheese Ravioli

Chicken Scallopini

scooping spaghetti and meatballs out of pan with a metal spoon

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

Connect with Will Cook For Smiles!

Be sure to click below and follow me on my social media, so you never miss a recipe.

   

Don’t forget to sign up for email, so you won’t miss any new recipes.

PIN THIS RECIPE

Spaghetti and Meatballs Bake

Juicy, homemade Italian Meatballs cooked with homemade Spaghetti Sauce mixed with pasta and baked all together with cheese. 
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 667kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

Spaghetti Sauce:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Vidalia onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 oz garlic cloves 5-6 cloves
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh basil

Meatballs:

  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil for cooking
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 thick slice of whole wheat bread soaked in a little milk milk squeezed out
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion minced
  • 3 garlic cloves pressed
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

Spaghetti and Meatballs Bake:

  • 3 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
  • 3/4-1 lb uncooked spaghetti
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Spaghetti sauce:

  • Prepare the sauce first. Note that spaghetti sauce can be cooked ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. If using prepared pasta sauce, this dish will only take about 45 minutes.
  • Chop onions and carrots into small pieces so it doesn't take too long to cook through. Preheat a pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Saute veggies for a few minutes.
  • Add smashed garlic and saute until fragrant. Pour in the entire can of crushed tomatoes and add bay leaves, oregano, sugar, and salt.
  • Stir everything together, cover, and let it cook for about 20 minutes. Stir the sauce from time to time. Add fresh basil and cook, covered, for another 20 minutes. Remember to stir occasionally. 
  • Remove bay leaves and blend the sauce in a food processor. Set aside.

Meatballs:

  • Use a large, 12-inch skillet that is also oven-safe. (Or, you can also use a separate 9×13 casserole dish just for baking.)
  • Combine ground beef, ground pork, egg, minced onion, pressed garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in large mixing bowl.
  • Drench a slice of bread in milk, squeeze it out, break it up into crumbs, and add it to the bowl as well. Mix everything very well.
  • Use a larger cookie scoop to scoop out even amounts of meat mixture and shape the meatballs.
  • Preheat the skillet over medium heat, add oil, and sear meatballs for a few minutes on each side.
  • Add the sauce, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook meatballs until just done. 

Spaghetti and Meatballs Bake:

  • Note: Cook pasta at the same time as cooking the meatballs. Make sure pasta is cooked al dente, don't overcook it. Drain and set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°.
  • Take meatballs out of the pan but leave the sauce. Add spaghetti to the pan with sauce and mix well to coat all the pasta with sauce.
  • Nestle meatballs into the spaghetti and top everything off with shredded cheese and a sprinkle of oregano.
  • Place the skillet into the oven and bake for about 10-15 minutes.

Notes

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 667kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 416mg | Potassium: 870mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3094IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 238mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

spaghetti and meatballs in a pan collage

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

626 shares

Filed Under: Beef, Dinner, Italian, Pasta

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Easter Recipes

closeup squared view of several potato rolls in a bowl.

Potato Rolls

closeup of scooping out mashed potatoes.

Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes

closeup of sliced prime rib with sauces around.

Prime Rib

squared closeup of baked ham with orange ham glaze.

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

squared image of scooping out creamy brussels.

Creamy Baked Brussels Sprouts

closeup squared image of scooping out creamed spinach.

Creamed Spinach

pulling part a dinner roll to show the cheesy center.

Cheesy Dinner Rolls

closeup whole vanilla cheesecake with whipped cream.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Our Popular Recipes

Baked Chicken Wings with The Best Dry Rub

closeup of scooping guac with a chip.

Guacamole Recipe

A glass is filled with ice and rum runner cocktail.

Rum Runner

Lobster Roll

Creamy Russian Mushroom Julienne

closeup top view of stir fried noodles on a plate

Pad See Ew

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'Mores Cheesecake Recipe

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="32674" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

Buffalo Chicken Wrap with Homemade Ranch

January 30, 2023
Delicious,...
The Best Classic Tiramisu

The Best Classic Tiramisu

January 14, 2023
Tiramisu...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

December 2, 2022
This...
Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

August 11, 2022
Chicken...
Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew

August 10, 2022
Pad...
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

July 15, 2022
These...
Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

July 1, 2022
Baba...
Painkiller

Painkiller

June 30, 2022
A...
Truffle Fries

Truffle Fries

June 28, 2022
Truffle...
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

June 21, 2022
Thai...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Classic & Original Homecooking Recipe. Design by Pixel Me Designs