Spaghetti and Meatballs
Spaghetti with a rich tomato sauce and tender beef meatballs, the classic Italian-American dish behind cinema's most famous shared noodle.
- prep
- 25 min
- cook
- 45 min
- total
- 1 h 10 min
- serves
- 4
- level
- medium
Lady and the Tramp (1955) turned a plate of spaghetti and meatballs into one of animation's most quoted romantic moments, two dogs sharing a single strand of pasta at an Italian restaurant until their noses meet over a candle.
The dish itself is Italian-American rather than Italian, invented by immigrant cooks in the United States who had more access to meat than they did back home. Simmering the meatballs directly in the tomato sauce, rather than serving it ladled over the top, is the one technique that actually makes this version taste like a real family recipe instead of a diner plate.
Part of our 40 famous movie foods list.
method
Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for 5 minutes, then mix with the ground beef, egg, 2 of the minced garlic cloves, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix gently; overworking makes tough meatballs.
Shape into balls about 4cm across.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan, and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the remaining oil, onion and remaining garlic, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano and sugar if using. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Return the meatballs to the sauce, and simmer together for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain.
Serve the spaghetti topped with the sauce and meatballs, finished with basil and extra Parmesan.
chef's tips
- Mix the meatball mixture gently and shape it loosely; pressing too hard squeezes out moisture and makes a dense, dry meatball instead of a tender one.
- Simmering the meatballs IN the sauce, rather than just serving sauce over them separately, is what lets them pick up flavor and keeps them moist.
- Spaghetti and meatballs is actually an Italian-American invention, not a traditional dish from Italy, where meatballs and pasta are rarely served together in one bowl this way.
- The famous image from Lady and the Tramp (1955), two dogs sharing one strand of spaghetti until their noses meet, is the scene that made a simple Italian-American diner dish into a piece of pop culture shorthand for a romantic dinner.