Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs
There’s nothing quite like a big plate of homemade spaghetti and meatballs for an easy, comforting family dinner. These juicy baked pork meatballs are packed with Parmesan, garlic, onion and a little Montreal smoked meat seasoning for extra savoury flavour, then served with tender spaghetti and rich tomato sauce. The meatballs are baked instead of fried, so there’s less mess and they’re easy to make on a busy weeknight. Simple ingredients, lots of flavour, and definitely the kind of dinner everyone comes back for.
Short Description
This easy spaghetti and pork meatballs recipe is made with juicy ground pork meatballs seasoned with Parmesan, garlic, onion and Montreal smoked meat seasoning. The meatballs are baked instead of fried, then served with spaghetti and rich marinara sauce for a simple, comforting family dinner.
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Why It’s Good
These homemade ground pork meatballs have lots of flavour without needing a long ingredient list. Ground pork stays nice and tender as it cooks, while the Parmesan, garlic and onion add that classic savoury meatball flavour. We also sprinkle a little extra Montreal smoked meat seasoning over the top before baking. It gives the outside a really good peppery, seasoned finish. Baking them is easier too. Less mess, no frying pan, and they still brown nicely.
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When to Serve It
Spaghetti with baked pork meatballs is an easy choice for a weeknight dinner, Sunday supper or casual family meal. It’s filling without being complicated, and you can have most of the meal ready while the meatballs are in the oven. Serve it with garlic bread, a simple green salad or roasted vegetables. It’s also a good recipe for leftovers—the meatballs taste even better after sitting in the tomato sauce for a while.
How to Make Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs
Simple Ingredients for Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs
These homemade spaghetti and meatballs start with a simple pork meatball mixture made from ground pork, egg, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion, minced garlic and Montreal smoked meat seasoning. The Parmesan adds savoury flavour, while the breadcrumbs and egg help keep the baked meatballs tender and hold their shape. Nothing complicated here—just everyday ingredients that come together into juicy, flavourful meatballs for an easy family pasta dinner.
Making the Homemade Meatballs
The homemade pork meatball mixture comes together with ground pork, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, egg, finely chopped onion, garlic and Montreal smoked meat seasoning. Mixing everything by hand makes it easy to tell when the ingredients are just combined. Try not to overwork the mixture—the meatballs stay more tender that way once they are baked.
Shaping the Homemade Pork Meatballs
Once the pork meatball mixture is combined, scoop it into roughly 1-tablespoon portions and gently roll each one into a ball. Keeping the meatballs similar in size helps them bake evenly, while leaving a little space between them allows the heat to circulate. These homemade baked meatballs are ready for the oven at 350°F, where they’ll cook until browned, juicy and perfect for serving with spaghetti and tomato sauce.
Before going into the oven, the homemade pork meatballs get an extra sprinkle of Montreal smoked meat seasoning right over the top. It adds another layer of savoury, peppery flavour and gives these baked meatballs for spaghetti a little more character than the usual version. Bake them at 350°F, turning after 15 minutes, so they cook evenly and develop a lightly browned outside while staying tender inside.
Fully Cooked Baked Meatballs
These homemade baked pork meatballs are fully cooked after 30 minutes at 350°F, with a turn halfway through baking to help them brown more evenly. The outside develops a lightly golden, seasoned finish while the inside stays tender and juicy. Once cooked through, they’re ready to go straight into warm marinara sauce for an easy spaghetti and meatballs dinner.
- Mix the ground pork gently. For tender homemade pork meatballs, mix the pork, egg, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, onion, garlic and seasoning just until combined. Overmixing can make the meatballs dense.
- Use a 1-tablespoon scoop. This keeps the ground pork meatballs close to the same size so they bake evenly. They do not have to be perfectly round.
- Chop the onion finely. Smaller pieces soften better while the meatballs bake and blend more evenly into the pork mixture.
- Add extra Montreal smoked meat seasoning on top. A light sprinkle before baking gives these baked pork meatballs a savoury, peppery finish and a little more flavour on the outside.
- Turn the meatballs halfway through baking. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes so both sides cook and brown more evenly.
- Check that the pork meatballs are fully cooked. The centre should reach 160°F before serving.
- Let them sit in the marinara sauce for a few minutes. This helps the sauce cling to the meatballs and adds even more flavour to your spaghetti and pork meatballs.
- Do not overcook the spaghetti. Cook it just until al dente so it still has a little bite once the hot marinara sauce and meatballs are added.
Variations
This spaghetti and pork meatballs recipe is easy to change depending on what you have on hand. The basic ground pork mixture is simple, so a few small swaps can give the meatballs a different flavour without changing the whole recipe.
Add fresh herbs. Chopped parsley, basil or oregano can be mixed into the ground pork meatballs for a fresher Italian-style flavour.
Use Italian seasoning. If you want a more traditional flavour, replace some of the Montreal smoked meat seasoning with Italian seasoning.
Make them a little spicy. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the pork mixture or stir some into the marinara sauce.
Try different cheese. Parmesan works really well, but grated Pecorino Romano adds a slightly sharper, saltier flavour to these homemade pork meatballs.
Change the pasta. Spaghetti is classic, but the baked pork meatballs are also good with linguine, penne, rigatoni or even a shorter pasta that holds plenty of sauce.
Use a different tomato sauce. A simple marinara keeps things easy, but a garlic tomato sauce, roasted tomato sauce or spicy arrabbiata also works nicely.
Make meatball subs with leftovers. Warm the pork meatballs in extra marinara, tuck them into a toasted bun and add mozzarella or Parmesan. It’s an easy second meal and honestly one of the best ways to use up leftovers.
Add vegetables to the sauce. Mushrooms, spinach, zucchini or finely chopped peppers can be added to the marinara for a heartier spaghetti and pork meatballs dinner.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerate leftovers promptly. Store leftover spaghetti and pork meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. I like to keep a little extra marinara with the meatballs so they stay moist.
- Store the pasta separately when possible. If you know you’ll have leftovers, keep the spaghetti and ground pork meatballs with sauce in separate containers. The pasta holds its texture better and doesn’t soak up quite as much sauce overnight.
- Freeze the pork meatballs. These homemade baked pork meatballs freeze really well. Let them cool completely, then freeze them with or without marinara sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 2–3 months.
- Freeze in meal-size portions. Dividing the meatballs into smaller containers makes it easy to pull out just enough for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner.
- Reheat gently. Warm the pork meatballs in marinara sauce in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
- Add a little extra sauce when reheating. Spaghetti tends to absorb sauce as it sits, so a spoonful of marinara can bring leftover spaghetti and pork meatballs right back to life. A little fresh Parmesan on top doesn’t hurt either.
Easy Spaghetti and Pork Meatballs
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- 1-tablespoon cookie scoop
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Large pot for spaghetti
- ColanderÂ
- Large saucepan
- Wooden spoon or silicone spoon
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Meat thermometer
Ingredients
Pork Meatballs
- 1 1/4 lbs pork ground
- 1 egg large
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/2 onion finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 teaspoons Montreal smoked meat seasoning or to taste
- Additional Montreal smoked meat seasoning for sprinkling over the meatballs before baking
Spaghetti
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- Parmesan cheese Grated or shaved for serving
- Fresh parsley or basil optional
Instructions
Make the Ground Pork Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- Add the ground pork, egg, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, finely chopped onion, minced garlic and Montreal smoked meat seasoning to a large mixing bowl.
- Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients until everything is evenly combined. Don’t work the pork mixture too much. A lighter hand helps keep the homemade pork meatballs tender once baked.
- Use a 1-tablespoon scoop to portion the pork mixture. Gently roll each portion into a meatball and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between each one.
- Just before baking, lightly sprinkle additional Montreal smoked meat seasoning over the tops of the meatballs. This gives the outside an extra savoury, peppery flavour as they bake.
- Bake the ground pork meatballs at 350°F for 15 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully turn each meatball over.
- Return the meatballs to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes, for a total cooking time of approximately 30 minutes. The meatballs should be fully cooked and reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Cook the Spaghetti
- While the pork meatballs are baking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, warm the marinara sauce in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Add the fully cooked baked pork meatballs to the marinara sauce and gently toss to coat. Let them warm in the sauce for about 5 minutes. This gives the meatballs a chance to pick up some of that tomato flavour.
- Divide the spaghetti between serving bowls and spoon the marinara sauce and pork meatballs over top.
- Finish with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley or basil, if desired.
Notes
- Mix the ground pork meatball mixture only until combined so the finished meatballs stay tender.
- Finely chopped onion works best because it softens while the meatballs bake and blends nicely into the pork.
- A 1-tablespoon scoop helps make evenly sized meatballs so they cook at roughly the same rate.
- Don’t skip the final sprinkle of Montreal smoked meat seasoning before baking. It adds extra flavour to the outside of the meatballs.
- Montreal seasoning blends can be fairly salty, so adjust the amount to suit your taste.
- Turning the meatballs after 15 minutes helps them cook and brown more evenly.
- Letting the baked meatballs sit in warm marinara for a few minutes makes this spaghetti and pork meatballs recipeeven more flavourful.
Nutrition
Ellen Britt
Hi, I’m Ellen — a passionate home cook dedicated to creating easy, flavorful recipes inspired by real-life cooking and shared family traditions. Every recipe on this site is a true collaboration, developed and tested together in our kitchen to ensure it’s reliable, simple to follow, and absolutely delicious.
Serve these easy spaghetti and pork meatballs with our Loaded Italian Chopped Salad for a fresh, colourful side that pairs perfectly with a hearty pasta dinner.
