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Sous Vide Recipes

Sous Vide Spaghetti and Meatballs

Seared pork-and-beef meatballs cooked sous vide right in their tomato sauce, so they stay tender and the flavours meld as if they'd simmered all day.

By The Vacuum Sealer Expert Editorial Team Updated 1 min read
Plate of spaghetti in tomato sauce with meatballs and fresh basil
Photo: Hexuye Ye / Pexels
In this guide
  1. Sous Vide Spaghetti and Meatballs
  2. Food safety: ground meat at 140°F
  3. Freezing meatballs for later

Meatballs simmered in sauce can turn dense and dry. Cooking them sous vide in the sauce keeps them tender and juicy, and the flavours combine beautifully in the bag. A quick sear first gives them a browned crust.

Inspired by the “Old School Spaghetti and Meatballs” recipe in the Anova Culinary recipe collection.

Recipe card

Sous Vide Spaghetti and Meatballs

  • Water bath140°F (60°C)
  • Prep35 min
  • Cook2 hr 10 min
  • Serves4 servings (8–9 meatballs)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (450 g) ground pork
  • 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup (45 g) rolled oats (or breadcrumbs)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely minced (divided)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves chopped
  • 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) San Marzano or whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand or with a masher
  • Olive oil, salt and pepper
  • Spaghetti and freshly grated Parmesan to serve

Method

  1. Preheat your sous vide water bath to 140°F (60°C).
  2. Combine the pork, beef, egg, oats, half the onion, half the garlic, the oregano and salt and pepper. Mix by hand until just combined.
  3. Shape into 8–9 meatballs about 2 inches across.
  4. Sear the meatballs in hot olive oil on all sides. Set aside.
  5. Drain most of the fat, add the remaining onion and cook until translucent, scraping up the browned bits. Add the remaining garlic for 30 seconds, then the tomatoes; simmer for 10 minutes and season.
  6. Cool the sauce, then place the meatballs and sauce in a gallon vacuum bag. Seal with a chamber sealer, or freeze the bag flat for an hour first if using an external sealer.
  7. Cook for 2 hours.
  8. About 15 minutes before the end, cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente and drain.
  9. Toss the spaghetti with some of the sauce, top with meatballs and finish with Parmesan.

Notes

  • Make sure the meatballs are a similar size so they cook evenly.

Food safety: ground meat at 140°F

Food safety note

The USDA recommends cooking ground pork and beef to 160°F (71°C). Sous vide at 140°F relies on holding the meat at that temperature long enough to reduce bacteria — the full 2 hours for 2-inch meatballs is important. For children, older adults, pregnant or immunocompromised diners, cook at 160°F or finish the meatballs in simmering sauce until they reach 160°F.

Freezing meatballs for later

This is an excellent freezer meal. Cook, chill the bag in ice water, then freeze. Use within 2–3 months for best quality and reheat from frozen in a 140°F bath for about 1 hour, or thaw overnight in the fridge and simmer in a pan.

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