This comforting Italian meatball recipe brings together simple, home-style ingredients to create a crowd‑pleasing meal that feels like a warm hug at the end of a long day. This version uses soaked breadcrumbs for extra tenderness, aromatic herbs, garlic and lemon zest for brightness, and parmesan for richness. Simmered gently in passata until beautifully soft, the meatballs are served over classic spaghetti for a timeless pairing. With minimal prep and quick cooking time, it’s an ideal dish for busy weeknights or relaxed weekend dinners – hearty, satisfying and full of rustic Italian flavour.
For another meatball recipe, try these Big Italian meatballs. For other pasta recipes, try scampi spaghetti with confit tomato or this quick and easy zucchini and asparagus pasta.
Ingredients
Method
Break up the stale bread into small chunks and blitz in a food processor until you have breadcrumbs. They don’t need to be too fine. Add the breadcrumbs to a small bowl and pour in the milk. Leave to soak for 15 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs have absorbed all of the milk.
Add pork mince to a large bowl, then add in the garlic, herbs, pine nuts, lemon zest, parmesan and soaked breadcrumbs, then season with salt and pepper.
Mix the meatball mixture together with your hands, making sure it is well combined. I like to squeeze the mixture through my fingers to make sure all the breadcrumbs are combined with the pork.
Put a large, non-stick frying pan (use one that has a lid) on a medium heat and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan. Roll about a tablespoon of the mixture into a ball with your hands and repeat until you have made balls with all of the mixture, adding to the pan as you go.
Once all of the meatballs are nicely browned, pour the jar of passata into the pan, add bay leaf, reduce heat and cover pan with lid. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes, then add a knob of butter and stir to mix.
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil in a large saucepan. Add spaghetti and simmer, following instructions on the pack.
Drain pasta, divide among bowls and serve meatballs on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil, a grating of parmesan and a little black pepper. Garnish with basil leaves if desired.
