Easy Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

June 17, 2025 - By Colleen

One of the first things my mom taught me to cook was spaghetti sauce and meatballs.

Now, full disclosure: we are not Italian. Not even close. We’re Scotch-Irish people who grew up absorbing Italian-ness by osmosis thanks to our South Philly neighbors. My dad wore a gold pinky ring and confidently dropped the “a” in “ricotta.” My mom? She made spaghetti and meatballs.

Every Sunday, the street we lived on smelled like heaven—tomatoes simmering low and slow, garlic softening in olive oil, and sauce that tasted like it had a story behind it. If it was a special occasion, someone might even be making crabs and spaghetti—letting their red sauce bubble away with a cluster of crab legs instead of meatballs.

We moved out of South Philadelphia before I started kindergarten, but the spaghetti and meatballs came with us. Over time, the recipe evolved a bit—thanks in part to a tip from my mom’s cousin, who picked it up from a caterer she worked with. It’s still the same cozy, comforting dish most of us have grown up with, just made a little easier (and, dare I say, better?) along the way.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

Sauce and meatballs simmer together—flavor meets convenience
No frying required—just a smart par-boil technique for tender meatballs
Uses pantry staples
Perfect for freezing, party buffets, or Sunday dinners

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the sauce:

Olive oil
Finely minced garlic
Tomato paste
Canned tomato sauce (I recommend Tuttorosso)
Sugar (just a pinch—trust me, more on that below)
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper

For the meatballs:

Ground beef (turkey also works well)
Breadcrumbs
Egg
Minced garlic
Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper

That’s it—no hard-to-find ingredients or long grocery lists. Just simple pantry staples that come together in the most satisfying way.

How to Make It

Mix the meatballs – Combine all the meatball ingredients in a big bowl. Don’t overmix—just enough to bring it all together. Overmixing results in tough meatballs.
Make the sauce – In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté minced garlic. Stir in tomato paste and cook until it darkens slightly before adding the rest of the ingredients—it brings out the flavor.
Par-boil the meatballs – Gently lower them into boiling water for just 1 minute. This step pulls out excess fat, keeps the sauce from getting greasy, and creates a tender texture.
Simmer with meatballs – Add the par-boiled meatballs to the sauce. Bring everything to a gentle boil, then reduce heat, cover, and let it simmer low and slow for 2 hours.
Cook your pasta – Boil spaghetti (or your favorite pasta), drain, and serve with generous ladles of sauce and a few meatballs. Or, pile onto an Amoroso roll with some melty provolone for a true South Philly meatball sandwich experience.

Tips for the Best Results

Par-boiling the meatballs may sound odd, but it’s magic. Less grease, better flavor, and no frying mess.
A pinch of sugar helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Don’t skip it—it doesn’t make the sauce sweet. If you’re morally opposed to sugar, leave a carrot in there for the full cook time, or don’t do anything at all.
Simmer time is key. Letting it go for two hours deepens the flavor and gives you those melt-in-your-mouth meatballs.

Easy Variations

This recipe makes 16 good-sized meatballs, but there’s plenty of sauce to double the meatballs without doubling the sauce.
Want leftovers? Do it. They’re incredible the next day on hoagie rolls with melted cheese.
Hosting a party? These meatballs are buffet-ready. Cook them in a slow cooker for two hours, then keep them warm for serving.

Freezer stash? Yes please. These freeze beautifully, sauce and all. In the fridge, they’ll keep for 3-4 days.

FAQs

Can I make this ahead of time? Yes! In fact, it gets better as it sits. Make it the day before and reheat on the stove or in a slow cooker.

Can I freeze it? Absolutely. Cool completely, then portion into containers and freeze. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat gently.

Do I have to par-boil the meatballs? Technically no; you can fry them if that’s what you’re used to, or even bake them. But I highly recommend giving the par-boil technique a try. It’s a simple step that improves the texture and keeps your sauce from getting greasy (and your kitchen from getting messy).

Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

Recipe by ColleenCourse: Dinner

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hours

minutes

With a simple homemade sauce and flavorful, tender meatballs, this is perfect for your next Sunday dinner!

Ingredients

Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 6 oz can tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 28 oz cans no salt added tomato sauce
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 pinch granulated sugar OR 1 carrot, peeled (see Note)
Meatballs
1.25 lb 80/20 ground beef
1 large egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1 pinch salt

Directions

Sauce
In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-low heat.
Add tomato paste and garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until tomato paste takes on a rich, dark color, stirring frequently so it doesn’t scorch.
Add the tomato sauce and stir well to combine.
Add Italian seasoning, salt, and sugar or carrot (if using) and stir well to combine.
Increase heat to medium and cook until sauce starts to bubble, stirring occasionally.
Cover and reduce heat to low while you prepare the meatballs. (if using a slow-cooker, see Note)
Meatballs
Fill a large pot with cold water and heat over high heat.
In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, garlic, Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, and salt. With clean hands, mix until well-combined.
Roll mixture into 16 meatballs.
When the water comes to a boil, carefully drop in half the meatballs. Boil for 1 minute.
Remove meatballs from the water carefully, using a slotted spoon, and drop into the hot sauce.
Repeat with the remaining meatballs.
Gently stir the sauce/meatball mixture so that all of the meatballs are fully submerged in the sauce.
Cover, keeping heat on low, and cook for two hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
When cooking is complete, remove and discard the carrot (if you used one).
Serve the meatballs and sauce over cooked spaghetti or your favorite pasta, in a meatball sandwich, or in a Crock Pot or warmer if serving a crowd.

Notes

Adding sugar to spaghetti sauce is controversial – believe me, I know! You don’t have to do it. I just find that it helps cut down on the acidity of the tomatoes, which can be even more pronounced when they’re canned. Carrots can impart an acidity-balancing sweetness if you’d rather use that, or feel free not to use anything at all! You won’t hurt my feelings.
These can be easily made in the slow-cooker. Follow all of the sauce instructions through Step 6, then carefully transfer the hot sauce to the crock of a 6-quart slow cooker. After boiling the meatballs, place them directly in the sauce. Cover and cook on Low for 2 hours.