Spaghetti Stuffed Meatballs
These Spaghetti Stuffed Meatballs are a total comfort food mashup! Imagine juicy meatballs wrapped around bundles of spaghetti, baked in a rich tomato sauce, and topped with gooey melted mozzarella. It’s everything you love about spaghetti and meatballs but with a fun twist that’s sure to impress your family or guests. The best part? It’s surprisingly easy to make, and the flavors all come together in the most satisfying way. Perfect for a cozy night in when you want something a little different but still comforting.
4 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 10 ounces spaghetti or capellini noodles
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 white onion diced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 c fresh basil roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 c red wine
- 3 c tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 c mozzarella cheese grated
- Olive oil as needed
- A pinch of Kosher salt and a few cracks of fresh black pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, toss the ground beef with a good pinch of salt, a few cracks of pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Get in there with your hands and mix it all together until everything’s nicely combined.
- Now, take about a quarter of the beef mixture and press it around a small bundle of uncooked spaghetti, leaving the ends of the pasta sticking out. Make sure the meat is packed tightly around the middle to hold everything in place. Repeat this process with the remaining meat and pasta, so you end up with four spaghetti-stuffed bundles.
- Drizzle some olive oil into a large baking dish and heat it over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Once the oil’s hot, brown the meatballs on all sides. Don’t worry if they’re not fully cooked through yet—just get a nice sear on them.
- Next, scatter the diced onions, garlic, mushrooms, and basil around the meatballs in the dish. Pour in the red wine and let it simmer for a minute or two, just to let the flavors meld and the wine reduces a bit.
- Now, pour the tomato sauce over everything, making sure the pasta is fully covered. Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese on top, cover the dish with foil, and pop it in the oven. Let it bake for about 45 minutes, or until the pasta is tender.
- Once it’s done, uncover the dish and let it cook for a few more minutes to get the cheese golden and bubbly. Allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Then, dig in and enjoy!
Notes
Don’t worry, making this dish gluten-free is really easy! Just swap out the regular spaghetti for gluten-free pasta and use gluten-free breadcrumbs instead of Panko. You can find both of these at most grocery stores, so it’s not a big hassle at all. Everything else—like the meat, cheese, and sauce—is naturally gluten-free, so you won’t have to change much. With just those two swaps, you’ll have all the same delicious flavors without any gluten in sight. You won’t even miss it!