This spaghetti and meatballs recipe comes together in one dish!
I’ve got another recipe to share! This week, I’m sharing a simple spaghetti and meatballs recipe from the folks at America’s Test Kitchen. I love their recipes because not only do they test them, but they explain why the recipe works. Their cookbooks are wonderful because they explain the science of cooking.
I saw this spaghetti and meatballs recipe while standing in the check-out line in the grocery store. It caught my eye because it requires only one cooking dish (translation: only one dish to clean)😉. I love it! As soon as I got home, I looked it up and decided to make it. I’m so glad that I did! The ingredients are minimal, the preparation is simple, and the dish is delicious. If you are completely out of time, you can buy the marinara sauce and the pesto. But if you have more time, you can make your own sauce and pesto. I’ve made this recipe twice and it turned out perfectly both times.
Please note, although it is titled “hands-off”, it’s not quite hands-off. You do get your hands dirty when you mix the meat and form the meatballs. But it comes together very quickly and is completely worth it! Enjoy!
Hands-Off Spaghetti and Meatballs*
Serves 4
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
12 ounces wheat spaghetti, broken in half
1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
2 cups water, plus extra hot water as needed
1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
⅓ cup prepared pesto
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Spray 13x9in baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Spread pasta into prepared dish. Pour marinara sauce and water over pasta and toss gently with tongs to coat.
- Using hands, combine beef, panko, pesto, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl until well combined. Pinch off and roll mixture into 1-inch meatballs (this makes about 30 meatballs). Place meatballs on top of pasta in dish. Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove dish from oven and stir pasta thoroughly, scraping sides and bottom of dish. Return uncovered dish to oven and continue to bake until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Remove dish from oven. Toss to coat pasta and meatballs with sauce, adjusting sauce consistency with extra hot water as needed. Let cool for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with Parmesan.
*Recipe slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen.
Dig in!
Mrs. Traylor is a Fitness Instructor, NASM Certified Personal Trainer & Nutrition Coach, AFPA Certified Prenatal and Postnatal Fitness Specialist, wife, and momma who provides actionable advice for positive lifestyle changes with fitness, nutrition, and wellness. Read about Wendy’s inspiring entrepreneurial journey, and subscribe to Wendy’s newsletter here!
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