Meatball Recipes

Whether they're served on top of spaghetti, stuffed into heroes or eaten alone in bright tomato sauce, these traditional balls of meat and amped-up varieties are inherently comforting.

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Photo By: Evan Sung for The New York Times

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Photo By: John Kernick ©John Kernick 2011

Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

If you want to sneak some vegetables into your kids' meals, try Tia Mowry's trick: chopped spinach. Another unique addition? Rolled oats are pulsed in a food processor for a quick binder in these turkey meatballs.

Get the Recipe: Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs

Moroccan Meatballs

Amp up make-ahead meatballs by adding a Moroccan-inspired mix of spices.

Get the Recipe: Moroccan Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Michael’s five-star recipe is a sure-fire stunner, with plump beef meatballs and al dente spaghetti. But the best part might be his grandma’s slow-cooked, flavor-loaded Sunday gravy made with wine, baby back ribs and a hefty dose of garlic and oregano.

Get the Recipe: Spaghetti with Meatballs

Mini Meatball Heroes

Giada De Laurentiis' tiny meatballs are the perfect size to tuck into dinner rolls for impressive appetizers at your next party.

Get the Recipe: Mini Meatball Heroes

Swedish Meatballs

Now you don't have to go furniture shopping to chow down on Swedish meatballs. Alton Brown mixes ground beef and pork together with allspice and nutmeg, and then drizzles the meatballs with creamy gravy.

Get the Recipe: Swedish Meatballs

Tiffani Thiessen's Spaghetti and Meatballs

Tiffani adds in chopped prosciutto for extra elegance in her meatballs, which are simmered for hours in a red-wine-spiked tomato sauce.

Get the Recipe: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatball Sub Egg Roll

When Italian food and Chinese food combine, magic happens. For a shortcut, Kelsey Nixon uses frozen meatballs and jarred sauce as the filler in her egg rolls.

Get the Recipe: Meatball Sub Egg Roll

Turkey Meatballs on a Bed of Leeks

Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos put a healthier spin on meatballs by using turkey instead of beef and serving them on a bed of leeks rather than pasta.

Get the Recipe: Turkey Meatballs on a Bed of Leeks

Pork Meatballs

Lightly browned to crisp the outside, these pork meatballs –– robust with fennel seeds, parsley and Parmesan –– are best in a classic marinara sauce that Alex learned from her mom.

Get the Recipe: Pork Meatballs

Sunny's Spicy Spaghetti with Mega Meatballs

When no regular-size meatball will do, turn to Sunny’s bold pasta, which kicks up the heat and dishes out softball-size servings of meat.

Get the Recipe: Sunny's Spicy Spaghetti with Mega Meatballs

Kickin' Meatball Parmigiana with Diavolo Sauce

This delightfully messy hero may play on the childhood favorite, but its cheesy meatballs and spicy tomato sauce are guaranteed to impress adult palates.

Get the Recipe: Kickin' Meatball Parmigiana with Diavolo Sauce

Veal and Pork Meatballs with Egg Noodles

This stroganoff-like dish tosses succulent veal and pork meatballs in mushroom Marsala.

Get the Recipe: Veal and Pork Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy and Egg Noodles

Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs

This crowd-pleasing chuck-and-pork-based classic and its accompanying tomato-basil sauce are ideal to freeze for last-minute comfort food cravings.

Get the Recipe: Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs

Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs

Tender dimples of orecchiette are the perfect vehicle for tomato-simmered chicken balls and gooey mozzarella. Who needs sauce?

Get the Recipe: Orecchiette with Mini Chicken Meatballs

Meatballs in Almond Sauce

This traditional Catalan sauce – made with fried almonds, garlic and bread – is a fragrant, nutty alternative to the typical tomato-based dressing.

Get the Recipe: Meatballs in Almond Sauce (Albondigas en Salsa con Picada de Almendras)

Caprese Meatballs

Kelsey's caprese-inspired turkey meatballs use pesto to pack a basil-flavored punch, but the best surprise is the oozing mozzarella center.

Get the Recipe: Caprese Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Good enough to be named for the classic song, Rachael's On Top of Ole Smoky, All Covered with Cheese: Spaghetti and Meatballs use ground sirloin and pork for a plate of perfect nostalgia.

Get the Recipe: On Top of Ole Smoky, All Covered with Cheese: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Pine Nut Lamb Meatballs with Pasta

Always looking to put an eccentric spin on classics, Roger adds buttery pine nuts and sweet dried currants to balance the husky flavor of his lamb meatballs.

Get the Recipe: Pine Nut Lamb Meatballs with Pasta

Veggie Balls

Even hardcore carnivores will want seconds of these healthy meatless rounds, which are packed with celery, mushrooms and lentils. Smother them in pesto for even more flavor.

Get the Recipe: Veggie Balls

Meatballs with a White Wine Sauce

Sun-dried tomatoes, herbs and ricotta add a distinctly Mediterranean kick to these pan-fried rounds.

Get the Recipe: Meatballs with a White Wine Sauce

Gluten-Free Mama's Spaghetti and Meatballs

Breadcrumbs aren't the only way to bind meaty morsels: This recipe smartly subs in hominy and cornmeal to keep the ground chuck intact.

Get the Recipe: Gluten-Free Mama's Spaghetti and Meatballs

Lamb Meatballs and Collard Dolmades

This recipe reimagines stuffed grape leaves by rolling flavorful lamb meatballs in collard greens.

Get the Recipe: Lamb Meatballs and Collard Dolmades

Rigatoni and Meatballs

Ree swaps out unwieldy strands of spaghetti for rigatoni to capture more sauce in each bite of this Italian-American favorite.

Get the Recipe: Rigatoni and Meatballs

Curried Meatballs

Use your choice of meat for these Indian-inspired meatballs, which Bal punches up with fennel seeds, coriander seeds, oregano and tamarind pulp. The rich tomato-wine gravy is packed with bay leaves, garam masala, chiles and turmeric.

Get the Recipe: Curried Meatballs

Meatball Parm

Deceptively shaped into flat patties, these lightly breaded meatballs fit perfectly on a burger bun. Thick rounds of mozzarella and a crushed tomato compote make it a party-ready Parm.

Get the Recipe: Meatball Parm

Shortcut Sausage Meatballs

Quickly whip up this meatball meal by squeezing the stuffing out of Italian sausages and rolling it into tiny balls. Don't worry: Your secret's safe with us.

Get the Recipe: Shortcut Sausage Meatballs

Sal's Old-School Meatballs

Already have tomato sauce on hand? Whip together these balls with ground veal, pork and beef, two cheeses and a slice of good, old-fashioned white sandwich bread.

Get the Recipe: Sal's Old-School Meatballs

Spicy Pork Meatballs

As owners of New York City's wildly popular restaurant The Meatball Shop, Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow know a thing or two about good meatballs. The duo lightens their recipe with fresh bread, adding hot cherry peppers for a little punch.