Spaghetti and Giant Meatballs ~ kids of all ages love this easy pasta dinner idea, proving once and for all that size DOES matter!
Just because the holidays are over doesn’t mean the fun has to stop. Miniature foods never fail to charm me, but super-sized versions of my favorites…they’re the stuff of dreams. Why not? Why not top a plate of pasta with one gargantuan soft-ball sized meatball? Surprise your family, significant other, or just entertain yourself with a fun twist on spaghetti and meatballs.
I couldn’t finish my gigantic meatball, but it made great leftovers the next day. And I’ll admit it, I did chop up that second half into bite-sized pieces. Either way, it was a memorable meal.
Also try ~
Spaghetti and Meatball
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef, or a mix of 1/2 beef and 1/2 pork sausage
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp onion salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 egg, well beaten
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
- olive oil for browning
- a jar of your favorite marinara sauce
- cooked spaghetti
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- Put all the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Break up the meat and mix everything together with your fingertips, making sure to distribute everything evenly, without compacting the meat too much.
- Form the mixture into two large meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet until hot, and brown the meatballs on all sides.
- To finish cooking the meatballs, I put them in a small oven safe pot and cover with the marinara sauce. Cover loosely with foil and bake for about 30-40 minutes until the meat is cooked through. A thermometer inserted i the center of a meatball should read 160F.
- Serve over spaghetti, garnished with Parmesan cheese.
Notes
When you serve your meatballs, put the pasta on the plate and make a well in the center so the meatball will have somewhere to sit. You don't want your prize meatball to roll off the plate!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although The View from Great Island attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
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Hi Sue! If you wanted to do the 50/50 mix, could you use Italian mild or spicy sausage instead of the pork sausage?
Thanks!
Yes, absolutely, any type of sausage, out of the casing, would work.
I need a giant meatball recipe that is different than the norm. It needs to be a little spicy, perhaps a hot sausage inside, and makes one want to devour it. Perhaps charing on a gas grill first to brown it, idk. It should be restaurant quality and bursting with flavour. I doubt want to stuff with spaghetti rather than make it a piëce-de-résistance on top of pasta. I need unique and yet simple. Can you help me make a spicy meatball yet enjoyable?
This made me chuckle because I’m thinking about my 8-year old’s reaction should I serve this. He would be surprised…and thrilled! It looks amazing! You’ve captured why we love spaghetti & meatballs.
You had me at meatball!!!!! It looks incredible! Pinned! 🙂
G’day! HOW fun, true!
Wish I could come through the screen and try it right now too!
Cheers
Giant – why not!
What a fun idea, I love the presentation!
How fun! Looks incredible, pinned!