My recipe for Jumbo Meatballs and Spaghetti will be a favorite with your family! Treat your family and friends to a delicious and fun dinner!
I know what you're thinking. Why "jumbo" meatballs? Why not just make regular size meatballs? No real reason! Just because it's fun, that's why!
This is a great family dinner recipe. Kids just love the novelty of one huge meatball with their spaghetti.
Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you off. My Jumbo Meatballs and Spaghetti is a very easy recipe. You pretty much dump everything in a bowl and mix it together. Takes very little time to do and the meatballs themselves....delicious!
I know a recipe is really good when BeeBop specifically comments on it. His usual response to a tasty recipe is "that's pretty good." So when he said "Man, these meatballs are good!" I knew this was a winner!
My recipe for Jumbo Meatballs and Spaghetti will be a favorite with your family! Treat your family and friends to a delicious and fun dinner! Click To Tweet
How to Make Jumbo Meatballs and Spaghetti
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cubed Italian style bread and milk. Set side for 2-3 minutes until the bread is softened. Using your fingers, a fork, or a potato masher, mix the bread and milk until thoroughly combined.
Add all the remaining ingredients for the meatballs. Mix until combined.
I use my hands for this. Just take off your rings and get right in there. However, you can actually use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed to mix the ingredients together.
Turn the mixture out on a board and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a large meatball. They'll be about the size of a baseball!
Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce. In a large pan (large enough to hold the sauce and meatballs) heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one additional minute. I use my deep chicken fryer skillet for this.
Add the passata (or tomatoes), oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meatballs have finished browning.
Transfer the browned meatballs into the pan with the tomato sauce. I also add the juices from the baking pan into the sauce, but that's optional. Spoon the tomato sauce over the meatballs, turn the heat down to a steady simmer and cover the pan.
Cook 30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through (they should register 160 internal temperature on an instant read thermometer).
While the meatballs and sauce are simmering, cook the pasta according to its package directions.
Serve one meatball per person along with some of the sauce over a serving of pasta. Top with shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese if desired.
Enjoy!
More Pasta Recipes on Never Enough Thyme:
- Bow Tie Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Grapes
- Pasta d'Arrabiata
- Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
- Cheese Ravioli with Chunky Tomato Sauce
- Bolognese Sauce
- Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato (BLT) Pasta
Meatball Recipes from Other Bloggers:
- Chipotle Meatballs from Simply Recipes
- Baked Salmon Meatballs with Creamy Avocado Sauce from Cookin' Canuck
- Bacon Cheeseburger Meatballs from I Breathe I'm Hungry
- Sophia Loren's Meatballs from Manger
- Swedish Meatballs from Food Wishes
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Jumbo Meatballs and Spaghetti
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- Olive oil
- 3 cups white Italian style bread cut in 1” dice
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ¼ lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. mild Italian sausage
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 4 tblsp. dried parsley flakes or ½ cup finely minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 3 oz. finely grated Romano cheese
- 1 cup whole milk Ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
For the sauce:
- 4 tblsp. olive oil
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 24 oz. passata or 2 15 oz. cans roma tomatoes
- ½ tsp. dried oregano
- 4-5 large basil leaves cut in chiffonade
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 lb. spaghetti
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cubed Italian style bread and milk. Set side for 2-3 minutes until bread is softened. Using your fingers or a potato masher, mix the bread and milk until thoroughly combined. Add all remaining ingredients for meatballs. Mix until combined. Turn out on a board and divide into 8 equal pieces. Shape into large meatballs.
- Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the meatballs are baking, prepare the sauce. In a large pan (large enough to hold the sauce and meatballs) heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one additional minute. Add the passata (or tomatoes), oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until you remove the meatballs from the oven.
- Transfer the browned meatballs to the pan with the tomato sauce. Spoon tomato sauce over the meatballs, turn the heat down to a steady simmer and cover the pan. Cook 30 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through (they’ll register 160 internal temperature on an instant read thermometer).
- While the meatballs and sauce are simmering, cook the pasta according to its package directions.
- Serve one meatball per person along with some of the sauce over a serving of pasta. Top with shaved Parmesan or Romano cheese if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
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Lana Stuart is the cook and occasional traveler here at Never Enough Thyme. Lana has been cooking since she was tall enough to reach the stove and started this blog in 2009 to share her delicious home cooking recipes. You'll find about 700 recipes here so there's sure to be something your family will like!
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Steph
Hi!! I’ll be making your jumbo meatballs tonight. I forgot the IT bread, can I replace it with breadcrumbs? And how much would you suggest I use?
Thanks!!
Lana Stuart
You could possibly substitute bread crumbs, but they will not absorb the milk in the same way as the bread and won't measure the same. Sorry I can't advise you on that. My guess is that they would make the meatballs much more dense and tough.