If you are in a mood for pasta and meatballs, but want something other than a traditional tomato sauce, I highly recommend this creamy pasta made with homemade meatballs. This is like pasta with meatballs for grown ups! Meatballs are made from scratch, flavored with Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and oregano!
What kind of pasta to use for Creamy Pasta with Meatballs
I used Pappardelle for pasta here, which is large, very broad and flat pasta noodles, similar to wide fettuccine. But this Creamy Pasta with Meatballs recipe is also excellent when made with egg noodles, fettuccine or spaghetti.
I sauteed onions before adding the to the meatballs and the sweetness of the caramelized onions is mouthwatering! Adding sauteed onions should be a requirement for all meatballs!
I can’t skip talking about garlic here – I added 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic, even though I could’ve gone as far as adding 5, cooked them only for a minute and it just boosted the flavor even more. Garlic burns easily so you need to watch carefully, but I’ve found smell to be the best indicator that it’s done–as soon as you smell that strong garlic scent it’s ready. I usually let it cook for a few seconds longer until it’s slightly brown. 
To make meatballs:
Start by soaking bread crumbs with milk in a medium bowl.
While the bread crumbs are soaking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan (I used cast iron one) on medium high. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Next add garlic and oregano and sauté for another minute.
Add this sautéed onion/garlic/oregano mixture to the bowl with the soaked bread crumbs. Mix in with salt and pepper. Add 1 egg and combine using a wooden spoon until the entire egg is mixed in. Add ground pork and ground beef to that mixture and combine everything together.
Using a tablespoon for measuring and your hands for rolling, start making those meatballs! I just rolled them between my palms and got 18 average size meatballs. You can get anywhere between 12 (small) and 20 (large) meatballs here.
To brown the meatballs on all sides
Preheat pan on medium high heat and add on half of the meatballs to the pan, carefully turning so that they get a nice color on all sides and don’t break apart. Cook them for about 10 more minutes, making sure they are not raw inside. Repeat with the second batch.
TO MAKE SAUCE FOR MEATBALLS:
Reduce heat to low and add 4 tablespoons butter to hot pan. Once butter is melted, whisk in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Add in beef broth and simmer for 2 minutes. Next, add in heavy cream.
Add Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Simmer until sauce thickens just a bit. Taste it and add salt and pepper if necessary (depends on whether your broth is sodium free or not).
Add your meatballs into sauce, cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure that meatballs are heated through.
While meatballs are simmering in creamy sauce, cook pasta in salty water according to the package instructions. Drain pasta, but do not rinse. Add to the pan with the meatballs and sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
It was so much fun to make and eat this pasta with meatballs dish – the meatballs are simply irresistible in the creamy sauce!
If you enjoy creamy sauces with pasta you might like Spaghetti in Creamy White Wine Parmesan Sauce, Pasta Bolognese in Creamy Vodka Sauce and Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Spinach in Creamy Tomato Sauce.
If you are in a mood for pasta and meatballs, but want something other than a traditional tomato sauce, I highly recommend this creamy pasta made with homemade meatballs. This is like pasta with meatballs for grown ups!
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 egg
- 10 oz. ground beef
- 10 oz. ground pork
- 5 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2.5 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz pasta (such as fettuccine, pappardelle or egg noodles)
In a medium bow, combine panko bread crumbs and milk and allow bread crumbs to soak up milk.
While the bread crumbs are soaking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in large pan (I used cast iron one) on medium high. Add chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and oregano and sauté for another minute. Remove from heat.
Add sautéed onion/garlic/oregano mixture from the step above to the bowl with the soaked bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper and 1 egg. Combine using a wooden spoon until the entire egg is mixed in. Next add ground beef and pork and mix everything well.
Using a tablespoon for measuring and your hands for rolling, start making those meatballs. I just rolled them between my palms and got 18 average size meatballs. You should get anywhere between 12 small to 20 large meatballs.
On medium high heat, brown meat balls on all sides, carefully turning so they don't break apart. Reduce heat to medium and make sure to cook them for about 10 more minutes, making sure they are not raw inside. Remove meatballs and put them on a large plate.
Reduce heat to low and add 4 tablespoons butter to hot pan (same pan as before). Once butter is melted, whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
Add in beef broth and simmer for 2 minutes. Next add in heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. Simmer until sauce thickens just a bit. Taste it and add salt and pepper if necessary (depends on whether your broth is sodium free or not).
COMBINING MEATBALLS WITH SAUCE: Add meatballs into sauce, cover and simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes.
While the meatballs are simmering with the sauce, cook pasta in salted water according to the package instructions.
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