Juicy Oven-Baked Meatballs with Spaghetti in Rich Marinara

There’s nothing quite like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs to satisfy a craving for comfort food. This recipe delivers tender, juicy beef meatballs with a golden-brown exterior, thanks to a quick roast in the oven. Infused with Parmesan cheese, garlic and Italian seasoning, each bite is packed with flavor.

The meatballs are tossed with al dente gluten-free spaghetti in a rich marinara sauce made from crushed tomatoes, onion and a hint of sugar to balance the acidity. A final sprinkle of Parmesan ties it all together. Serve it up for a hearty weeknight dinner that feels special.

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Ingredients

0.5 cup Panko BreadcrumbsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Crushed TomatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

10 ounce Ground BeefView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Italian SeasoningView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

3 tablespoon Parmesan CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Beef Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

7 ounce Gluten-Free Fresh Linguine PastaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

ounce SpaghettiView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Garlic PowderView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 teaspoon (tsp) SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon (tsp) Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon (tsp) Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

teaspoon (tsp) Black PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon (tsp) SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the top position. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Halve, peel and dice the onion into ½-inch pieces; mince a few pieces until you have 2 tablespoons (4 tablespoons for 4 servings).
2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, minced onion, panko, beef stock concentrate, half the Parmesan, half the Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon water (2 tablespoons for 4 servings), salt (we used ½ teaspoon; 1 teaspoon for 4) and pepper. Form into 8-10 meatballs (16-20 for 4 servings). Place the meatballs on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Roast on the top rack until browned and cooked through, 14-16 minutes.
3. Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion; cook until browned and softened, 2-4 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, garlic powder, remaining Italian seasoning, ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water (ladle straight from the pot if the pasta isn’t finished yet), ¼ teaspoon sugar, salt and pepper (for 4 servings, use ½ cup pasta cooking water and ½ teaspoon sugar). Cook until the sauce has slightly thickened, 4-6 minutes more. Reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until the pasta and meatballs are finished cooking.
4. Add the drained spaghetti and cooked meatballs to the pan with the sauce; toss to coat. (For 4 servings, if your pan isn’t large enough, carefully pour everything back into the empty pasta pot.) Tip: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is thoroughly coated. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Divide the pasta and meatballs between shallow bowls. Top with the remaining Parmesan and serve.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use regular breadcrumbs instead of panko?

Yes, you can substitute regular breadcrumbs for panko, but the texture may be slightly less light.

Can I make the meatballs ahead of time?

Absolutely. Form the meatballs and refrigerate them for up to 24 hours before roasting or freeze them for longer storage.

What can I use instead of beef stock concentrate?

You can replace it with 1 tablespoon of low-sodium beef broth or a dash of Worcestershire sauce for similar umami flavor.