When you think of Italian food, what do you think of? Maybe lasagna? Maybe chicken Parmigiana? Maybe. But more than likely, the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the words “Italian food” is probably a heaping pile of spaghetti pasta, slicked red with tomato sauce, and topped with well-seasoned meatballs.
While spaghetti and meatballs may not actually be the most authentic Italian food, it is certainly the most iconic Italian-American food. Its prominence in cartoons and movies (as well as on menus!) has cemented it’s place in our culinary imaginations.
Here, we’ll tell you how to make this classic dish better than you have before by sharing a fantastic recipe based on one created by Bon Appétit and a little thermal know-how.
Be sure the sides do not touch to ensure even cooking. Bake until the meatballs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Spaghetti and meatball basics
While I will gladly eat almost any meatball that is served to me, a perfect plate of spaghetti and meatballs has a couple of important features:
- The noodles must be properly cooked, not mushy, but also not still hard and gummy inside.
- The sauce must be flavorful and should cling to the noodles. It should taste tomatoey but not try to compete with the meatballs.
- The meatballs must, above all, be properly cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). Beyond that they, should not be too dense, and they must be packed with delicious flavor.
If you read this blog often, you may remember that we’ve covered cooking pasta in our How to Cook Pasta Better post. Take a look at that article for a deep dive into the physics of pasta cookery, but know that it boils down to this: for pasta with the right texture, use plenty of well-salted water and a timer to cook the pasta according to the time printed on the package. Then finish the pasta in the sauce with a little of the starchy pasta-cooking water until the sauce just starts to set and cling well to the noodles.
It is definitely worth spending a little extra to get a high-quality pasta, especially one that has a rough outer texture from being pressed through brass dies. Doing so will give you better noodle/sauce adhesion.
A good homemade sauce will usually beat a bottled one from the store, but use good quality ingredients to make it to really shine. The recipe in our pasta post is a surefire winner!
For an in-depth look at what makes a meatball work, read our post on Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Meatballs. And, because meatloaf is just one giant, long meatball, you might find useful guidance in our meatloaf post as well. But here we’ll take a quick glance at some of the basics you should know.
Meatballs need to be balls, not piles of loose ground meat and seasonings. And for that, they need binders. In this case, our binders are sandwich bread (or just about any bread, really) that has been soaked in water and then wrung out, ricotta cheese, and eggs. Together, these ingredients help hold the meatball together in its characteristic shape while it is cooked.
But being ball-shaped is not enough: meatballs should also be tender to the bite. To get the meat to form balls without being tough when cooked, mixing must be kept to a minimum. Mix by hand just until the ingredients smooth out and become homogeneous. It should definitely feel more firm than that a bowl of loose, eggy ground beef, but don’t overmix!
You can flavor meatballs however you want—that’s part of what makes them fun! But in this case, sticking to an Italian flavor palate is best. Finely sliced prosciutto ham and grated Parm lend complexity and a smooth saltiness to the mix and. Dried oregano and crushed fennel seeds lock in the Italian flavor and fresh parsley wakes things up nicely. This meatball maintains an exceptional balance while still cranking the flavor up to 10. The list of ingredients looks long, but the dashes of this and the small bits of that all work together to make something great.
That being said, you can make substitutions if necessary. Is prosciutto not available in your market deli? Use some ham! No whole-milk ricotta? use what you can get. What I mean to say is that you should make this recipe the best you can rather than not making it at all. It will still be great!
Searing the meatballs is super important for both flavor and texture. Browning the meatballs in a little hot oil will give the outside a dark, meaty crust that is appealing to the eye and deeply flavored with Maillard-reaction goodness. Use a large skillet to brown them or cook them in batches in a smaller skillet. They need a little breathing room while cooking so that they can brown well. Cook them for a couple minutes on one side, then roll them over and cook the other side before removing them from heat. They will not finish cooking at this stage, that will happen during their braise in the sauce.
The meatballs finish cooking in a hot bath of delicious tomato sauce, which adds to their flavor. You can make the sauce a few days in advance if you want, or you can make it fresh before getting going on the meatballs. If you pre-make it, reheat it before you add the meatballs in a larger, wide skillet. Either way, you need to cook the meatballs in simmering sauce to finish cooking them. Meatballs, being a ground-meat product, must reach a minimum internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) for food safety. Use an instant-read thermometer like the Thermapen® or Classic Thermapen to temp the meatballs in the sauce. If they sit in the sauce longer than necessary for food safety, the sauce will get meatier and the meatballs will get more tomatoey, but they will be great to eat as soon as they reach a safe temp.
One thing to be aware of in this dish is the dance of the doneness times for the pasta and the doneness temp for the meatballs. What you don’t want to have to do is keep your pasta waiting while your meatballs come up to temp. It’s best to let the sauce and meatballs simmer for about 10 minutes before you start to boil the water for the pasta. Your meatballs will be fine if they go over temperature by a few degrees, but your pasta will not be fine if it gets soggy in the water.
How Long to Cook Meatballs in Oven? Complete Recipe Guide
FAQ
What temperature is meatballs done?
Do meatballs need to be cooked to 155?
How do you know meatballs are cooked?
Is it better to cook meatballs at 350 or 400?
What temperature should meatballs be cooked at?
It is important to check the internal temperature of the meatballs with a meat thermometer, ensuring that they have reached a safe internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) for beef and pork, and 165°F (74°C) for poultry-based meatballs. For larger meatballs, the cooking time may need to be adjusted to ensure that they are fully cooked.
How do you cook meatballs in the oven?
Use your hands to roll the meat mixture into a round ball. Place the meatballs on your pre-prepared baking sheet with parchment paper. Be sure to arrange the meatballs with plenty of space in between them to be cooked evenly. Bake in the oven for 18 to 22 minutes at 400 degrees. The meatballs should be nicely browned and juicy.
How long does it take to cook a meatball?
Generally, for standard-sized meatballs made from ground beef, pork, or a combination of meats, the cooking time is approximately 20-25 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
How long do you cook meatballs in a frying pan?
When frying meatballs, heat the oil to 350°F and fry for 3-4 minutes per side until they are golden brown and have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. Grilling meatballs requires a preheated grill to medium-high heat and cooking them for 12-15 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.