Spinach Meatballs With Pasta

By Ali Slagle

Updated February 19, 2026

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
1½ hr
Rating
5(742)
Comments
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Adding frozen, chopped spinach to your meatballs to “stretch” the meat further isn’t just kind to your pocket book — it also makes for a better meatball. The spinach brings moisture to the mix of beef and pork, which leads to a more tender and juicy meatball. (You can also exclusively use pork or beef if you prefer.) The spinach also accentuates the minerality of the iron-rich ground beef, adding savoriness without heaviness. This recipe has you brown the meatballs in a pot so that you can build the sauce with the flavorful drippings. If you’d prefer to cook the meatballs in the oven, roast them on the upper rack at 425 degrees until no longer pink, 11 to 14 minutes, then broil until golden-brown on top, 2 to 4 minutes before adding to the sauce. Be sure to scrape any drippings from the sheet pan into the sauce as well. 

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, liquid reserved

  • ¾ cup panko bread crumbs

  • 1 large egg

  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, divided

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 8 ounces ground beef (15- to 20-percent fat)

  • 8 ounces ground pork

  • ½ cup finely grated Parmesan (about 1½ ounces), plus more for serving

  • ¼ cup finely chopped parsley or basil, plus a few sprigs

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rolling

  • 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 

  • 1 pound spaghetti, rigatoni or another long or tubed noodle

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 4 servings)

82 grams carbs; 153 milligrams cholesterol; 715 calories; 14 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 29 grams fat; 9 grams fiber; 1161 milligrams sodium; 34 grams protein; 14 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, stir together the spinach, ½ cup of the spinach liquid, panko, egg, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt) and a few grinds of pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes, until the panko is softened.

    1. Step 2

      Add the beef, pork, Parmesan and parsley. Mix with your hands until just combined, avoiding overmixing. Using oiled hands, roll the mixture into 18 balls (each about 2 heaping tablespoons,  about 50 grams each) and place on a plate or sheet pan as you go. If the meat is soft and not holding its shape, refrigerate for 5 to 10 minutes to firm.

    1. Step 3

      In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the meatballs and cook until browned on two sides, 3 to 6 minutes per side. Return to the plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs. (They will not be cooked through yet.)

    1. Step 4

      Without cleaning the pot, reduce heat to medium-low and add the remaining garlic. Stir to coat in the fat, then carefully add the crushed tomatoes, the herb sprigs and a pinch of salt. Scrape up the stuck-on browned bits. Once gently simmering, add the meatballs and any drippings from the plate. Cook, flipping the meatballs occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is rich, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat. 

    1. Step 5

      While the meatballs are simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the meatballs are done, add the pasta to the water and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 ½ cups pasta water, then drain and return the pasta to the pot. 

    1. Step 6

      Add about 1 cup of the tomato sauce to the pasta, along with ½ cup pasta water. Toss over medium-high until the pasta is glossed in sauce; add more sauce and pasta water as needed until lightly coated. Serve the pasta topped with the meatballs, more sauce and more grated Parmesan.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
742 user ratings
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Comments

Name nolabelle

@Thomas Here’s AI’s take on it: Frozen spinach is generally considered better for cooking due to its high nutrient retention, convenience, and cost-effectiveness, often containing more iron, folate, and fiber per serving than fresh. Because it is frozen at peak maturity, it avoids the rapid nutrient degradation fresh spinach experiences during transport.

Justine

My kids said “this isn’t good… it’s great!” And it is! My one note is that the meatballs fell apart in the sauce.

Krabgrl

@Deb I have not made this particular recipe yet, but I’ve made very similar dishes where I baked the meatballs instead of frying as called for in the recipe, and it’s worked well if not better. It may mean dirtying a baking sheet, but it results in a firmer, better formed meatball overall. In the case of this recipe, I would bake them at 350° for about 30 minutes (slightly under baked, in the case of my oven) then add them when making the sauce, just like the recipe advises, along with whatever drippings or fond has rendered off on the baking sheet. They will finish cooking and add their flavor to the sauce without falling apart.

Stacy VB

Delicious as written. Made to instructions, using the alternate bake/broil method described in the headnote for the recipe (mainly to save time). The panko is perfect for this recipe, keeping the texture interesting and less dense than with finer ground breadcrumbs, which I mention because there were questions in other comments. I used the spinach juice (about which there were also questions), which is perfect for this amount of filling and lighter than using milk.

sof

I haven’t made this yet, but when I make meatloaf I add minced mushrooms to add moisture and umami to the mixture. I also flatten the meat and make a spiral loaf of the meat mixture around chopped spinach, more mushrooms and a mix of flavorful herbs and seasonings.

steve

how about substituting ground turkey for beef or pork?

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