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
- 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
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!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- Olive oil
- 3 cups white Italian style bread, cut in 1” dice
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/4 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. mild Italian sausage
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 4 tblsp. dried parsley flakes (or 1/2 cup finely minced fresh parsley)
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 3 oz. finely grated Romano cheese
- 1 cup whole milk Ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
For the sauce:
- 4 tblsp. olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 24 oz. passata (or 2 15 oz. cans roma tomatoes)
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 4-5 large basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 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
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 718Total Fat: 46gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 1346mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 43g
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Lana Stuart is the author, photographer, cook, and occasional traveler at Never Enough Thyme. A former IT professional, she enjoys time in the kitchen and the art studio.
Steph says
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 says
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.
Bee says
I made this for supper today. My husband and I loved the meatballs. Yummy!
Lana Stuart says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Renee - Kudos Kitchen says
Jumbo meatballs? I’m all for them!! This is my kind of dinner, Lana. I might even take two meatballs. Is it so wrong? LOL
Lana Stuart says
Help yourself, Renee!
Susan says
Yup! One giant meatball is always more fun. spaghetti and meatball night was always perhaps my favorite growing up. This looks delicious!
Lana Stuart says
Yes, I think pretty much everybody has “spaghetti night,” don’t they? It’s always a favorite, too!
Martha @ A Family Feast says
This is awesome – I’m all about the meatballs when it comes to pasta dishes like this! Such a great method to evenly portion out the meatball mixture!
Lana Stuart says
It’s the only way I can make evenly portioned ones, Martha. I even do it for small ones :-)
Angie says
What a fun idea, my son is going to love this! We can sing that song too, about the meatball rolling down the mountain, I can’t remember it.
Lana Stuart says
Oh yes! “On top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese…”!!!
Miss P says
Do you know just how much fun that looks? I would have a great time serving that to guests!
Miss P
Lana Stuart says
It really would be a fun thing to serve to friends!
Liz says
I love this fun recipe. A great and different idea. Thank you.
Lana Stuart says
You’re welcome, Liz!
Paula - bell'alimento says
Okay how fun is one giant meatball? Love it Lana.
Lana Stuart says
Lots of fun! And they look really pretty on the plate, too.
Lauren Kelly Nutrition says
These really ARE fun! I love meatballs and these look delicious!
Lana Stuart says
Thanks, Lauren. Kids love the one huge meatball on top of their spaghetti.
Colleen (Souffle Bombay) says
My mouth is watering!! Almost nothing better than homemade meatballs! My daughter (11) makes one big meatball for her daddy sometimes, last week she made them all heart shaped, lol! Our recipes are so similar however I have never put ricotta in…interesting!
Lana Stuart says
I love the heart shaped idea! How cute.