One Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
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This quick and easy one pot spaghetti and meatballs recipe requires simple ingredients. It’s the ultimate comfort food that’s ready in 30 minutes.
This EASY one pot spaghetti and meatballs recipe is a quick and easy dinner meal that’s ready in no time!
I rely on this recipe A LOT, especially on those crazy days where I am running around doing errands and chores all day.
The best part about this 30 minute meal is that it’s just as FLAVORFUL as any meal that takes hours to prepare.
Everything is made in ONE pot, which means less dishes to wash… Yay!
It’s one of my family’s favorite COMFORT food.
Here are some TIPS for making PERFECT one pot spaghetti and meatballs:
- Use a WIDE pot (non-stick, if possible!) so that the pasta cooks more evenly and doesn’t stick together into a “paste.”
- DON’T replace butter with oil since butter adds a nice rich flavor.
- DON’T replace regular pasta with whole grain pasta since whole grain pasta takes longer to cook and the quantity of liquid in this recipe may have to be altered.
- You can add up to 1 cup of cheese, if you want very ooey gooey CHEESY spaghetti meatballs.
- You can add 1/4 cup of ricotta cheese near the end to make CREAMY spaghetti meatballs.
- DON’T dump all the ingredients at once! Make sure to cook the meatballs until they are golden brown. This makes them firm and prevents them from breaking easily.
- Some ways to make HEALTHY spaghetti and meatballs are discussed below.
How to make spaghetti and meatballs?
The process is very SIMPLE. You start off by cooking the frozen meatballs and then mix in the pasta sauce and herbs. Then, add the pasta and beef broth and cook until pasta is fully cooked. Mix in parmesan cheese and top it all off with mozzarella cheese and serve immediately.
How to serve spaghetti and meatballs?
You can serve individually in plates for each person OR you can place the pot on the dinner table and everyone can serve themselves.
How long are spaghetti and meatballs good for?
Leftovers can be STORED in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and can be reheated in the microwave. After that, they might not go bad but they definitely won’t taste as good or fresh.
How to make spaghetti and meatballs healthy?
There are a few things you can do:
- Use no cheese or low fat cheese.
- Use water instead of beef broth.
- Use olive oil instead of butter.
- Use vegan meatballs rather than regular meatballs, which are lower in fat.
- You can replace pasta with zucchini noodles or “zoodles.”
What sides go with spaghetti and meatballs?
Some great SIDES are classics like:
- Garlic bread or garlic sticks
- Plain or buttered dinner rolls
- Simple salad
- Bruschetta
- Grilled vegetables
What vegetable goes with spaghetti and meatballs?
I have seen numerous recipes for spaghetti and meatballs with a TWIST and many of those have included vegetables like:
- Zucchini
- Spinnach
- Broccoli
- Cherry tomatoes
I have also seen/tried some unique recipes of spaghetti and meatballs with Italian sausage, bacon, shrimp and even mushrooms.
On my last trip to Vegas, I got to try spaghetti and meatballs without marinara sauce/ tomato sauce. I can’t remember the exact name but they were basically spaghetti and meatballs with Alfredo sauce or white sauce. I didn’t really like it too much and prefer this classic version so much better.
What salad goes with spaghetti and meatballs?
Since this is a heavy meal, I prefer LIGHTER salads like:
- Green bean salad with a simple vinaigrette
- Simple Italian salad
- Cucumber salad with herbs and feta cheese
If you liked this post, check out some of these other recipes:
One pot healthy fettuccine alfredo
One Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp Butter, Unsalted
- 15 Meatballs, Frozen
- 2½ cups Pasta sauce
- 1½ cups Tomatoes, diced
- 1½ cups Beef broth, Low sodium or Water
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz. Spaghetti, Uncooked
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a wide non-stick pot, melt butter on medium-high heat and add meatballs.
- Cook the meatballs for a few minutes until they are golden brown.
- Add the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and mix everything together.
- Bring everything to a boil and add the uncooked pasta.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the lid and let everything cook for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to stir every 5 minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the pot. Add a little more broth or water, if necessary.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and top it all off with mozzarella cheese.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Well, that’s all for today.
Until next time, tata my lovelies!
I really like this dish because it is easy to make and doesn’t take much time to cook. If you need something really quick then this is perfect for you.
Absolutely!
Not bad, except for one little oversight. This makes four serving and yet you are shorting one person one meatball? Just make it 16 meatballs, then no one feels slighted. One more ball won’t hurt.
True…lol.