Skillet Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Nothing beats a bowlful of classic Skillet Spaghetti and Meatballs when you're looking for an easy meal the whole family will love. Fully cooked homemade meatballs make this one pan pasta dinner a snap to whip up.

If you love the idea of tasty one pot meals, then add our Chicken Broccoli Casserole and Sausage, Peppers, and Rice to your menu rotation.

Spaghetti and Meatballs in a cast iron skillet garnished with fresh parsley and a small bowl of parmesan cheese for garnishing.

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Make Spaghetti and the sauce in the same pot
Recipe Ingredients
Notes for making one pan spaghetti and meatballs
How To Make Skillet Spaghetti and Meatballs
Serving suggestions
Recipe FAQs
Other Related Italian Inspired Recipes
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Make Spaghetti and the sauce in the same pot

We're used to making marinara sauce in it's own pan while we boil noodles in their own pot. But why? That's extra work. Sure this may not be the most authentic Italian dinner cuisine, but it is a great dish, and so much better than many other recipes out there.

When it comes to cast iron, there's a few misconceptions about what you can and cannot cook in it.

Boil water in cast iron

If your bare metal cast iron has been properly and well seasoned, boiling water is not a problem.

A prolonged rolling boil in an unseasoned or improperly seasoned cast iron is not recommended. If you don’t feel comfortable with bare iron or aren’t sure, you can use enameled cast iron.

Skillet of spaghetti and meatballs garnished with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Cooking tomatoes in cast iron

Another misconception is that you should not cook tomato-based recipes in cast iron. You absolutely can, again provided your cast iron is properly and well seasoned.

However, we do not recommend keeping any tomato-based recipes in bare metal cast iron once done cooking. There are two reasons for this.

First, the acidity in tomatoes can erode the well developed seasoning in bare metal cast iron. Second, the recipe could develop a slight metallic flavor when left in an unseasoned or improperly seasoned cast iron.

We here at Dutch Oven Daddy cook any and everything we can in cast iron, but respect your discretion when it comes to cooking for you and your family.

Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for the recipe: crushed tomatoes, water, oregano, red pepper flakes, basil, Italian seasoning, cooked meatballs, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, granulated garlic, sugar, and dried spaghetti.

Crushed tomatoes — canned crush tomatoes make the bulk of the pasta sauce instead of using tomato sauce, tomato paste, and/or canned diced tomatoes. Also you get the perk of making a homemade spaghetti sauce instead of using jarred sauce.
Water — just like boiling pasta in a large pot, making this one pot spaghetti dinner will require water as well.
Spaghetti — we used regular dried spaghetti. You will not have to break the uncooked spaghetti in half as long as you use a 12-inch skillet or larger.
Seasonings — here's where the flavor truly begins. Diced onion, oregano, basil, Italian seasoning blend, red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, granulated garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper are what we used.
Meatballs — precooked meatballs are best for this recipe. Ours were homemade. You can get our fabulous skillet meatballs recipe to use for this recipe!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Close up image of the skillet with spaghetti and meatballs, two portions missing and plated in white bowls.

Notes for making one pan spaghetti and meatballs

We recommend to review recipe completely in the detailed instructions below or in the recipe card before beginning to cook.
Cooking the spaghetti in the skillet will result in a thicker than normal pasta water. This is perfect for thickening up the spaghetti sauce later.
Do not cook the pasta above medium heat. Cooking at medium high heat will cause it to boil over and splatter.
This recipe will feed 4-8 people depending on portion size. For grandma's Italian servings, you'll get 4 hearty and overly generous servings. However, you'll get 6-8 servings if you're being more modest.
Depending on the size of the meatballs, you'll want 2-3 meatballs per person/serving.
This is not a stirring occasionally recipe, this recipe does require stirring frequently.
You can substitute granulated garlic for fresh garlic or garlic powder, same with the onion, you can use dried onions or onion powder.

How To Make Skillet Spaghetti and Meatballs

Dried spaghetti noodles cooking in a cast iron skillet with died onion, salt, and granulated garlic.

One cup of pasta water added to a measuring cup before the now cooked spaghetti is drained.

The cooked noodles with onions are returned to the cast iron skillet and all the rest of the ingredients have been added.

Step 1 — In a 12-inch skillet add the uncooked pasta, water, onion, garlic powder, and salt together over medium heat, stirring frequently until the pasta cooks to al dente.

Step 2 — Once the spaghetti has fully cooked, remove one cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the remaining water using a fine colander or sieve to prevent losing the onions.

Step 3 — Return the spaghetti to the skillet and add all the remaining ingredients, including the reserved pasta water. Stir well, add the meatballs, and reduce heat medium low until well combined and the meatballs are heated through. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy.

Spaghetti and meatballs cooked in one pan, ready to be served.

Serving suggestions

A green salad loaded with all the fixings like cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, carrots, and more.
Great recipes like these fancy salads: Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Keto Wedge Salad, or Roasted Cauliflower Salad.
Garlic bread is our favorite to serve with easy spaghetti dinners, but bread sticks, bread knots, and pull-aparts are all delicious options too.
If you're partial to it, red wine is always a wonderful addition to a pasta dinner.
Topping your spaghetti meatballs with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley or basil is a tasty touch.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use frozen meatballs instead of homemade ones?

Yes, just allow them to thaw first or the recipe will take longer to cook.

Can I use a different pasta shape?

Yes you can, any large and sturdy pasta will work.

Can I make this in a dutch oven instead of a skillet?

Absolutely. You'll want to use a large Dutch oven, at least 5 quarts if using spaghetti as your pasta, otherwise it will not fit in the pot correctly and be submerged.

Can I use chicken broth instead of a cup of pasta water?

Yes, you can, but the sauce will be a bit thinner.

Spaghetti and Meatballs plated in a white bowl and in a skillet, a bowl of parmesan cheese for garnishing, and serving spoon and fork.

If you tried this Skillet Spaghetti and Meatballs or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

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5 from 3 votes