Creamy Meatballs and Pasta

Creamy Meatballs and pasta is like pasta with meatballs for grown ups! I made meatballs from scratch and flavored them with Dijon mustard!

What kind of pasta to use for Meatballs and Pasta?

I used Pappardelle for meatballs and pasta here. I prefer pappardelle here because it is a large, very broad and flat pasta noodles. And they are also similar to wide fettuccine. But you can also make it with egg noodles, fettuccine or spaghetti.

I sauted onions before adding them to the meatballs and the sweetness of the caramelized onions was mouthwatering! Adding sauteed onions should be a requirement for all meatballs!

I also can’t skip talking about garlic here. First I added 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic, even though I could’ve gone as far as adding 5. Then I cooked them only for a minute and it just boosted the flavor even more. Garlic burns easily so you need to watch it carefully. But I’ve found smell to be the best indicator that it’s don. 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. 

How to make meatballs:

• First things first, 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. By the way I used cast iron one. You will use medium high heat.
• Next add chopped onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Then add garlic and oregano and sauté for another minute.

How to make sauce

• First, you will reduce heat to low.
• Then you will add 4 tablespoons butter to hot pan.
• Once butter is melted, you will whisk in 3 tablespoons flour
• Cook for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
• Next you will add in beef broth and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Finally, add in heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard. You will 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).

It was so much fun to make and eat this pasta! 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, Sausage Vodka Pasta and Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon.

Print Recipe

4.75 from 4 votes

Creamy Pasta with Meatballs

This is like pasta with meatballs for grown ups!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time50 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: meatballs and pasta

Servings: 6

Author: Olya

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ large onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 egg
• 10 oz. ground beef
• 10 oz. ground pork

For the sauce:

• 5 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoon flour
• 2.5 cups beef broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta:

• 8 oz pasta (such as fettuccine, pappardelle or egg noodles)

Instructions

TO MAKE MEATBALLS:

• 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 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.

TO MAKE SAUCE:

• 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.

PASTA:

• While the meatballs are simmering with the sauce, cook pasta in salted water according to the package instructions.
  

Add cooked pasta into the skillet with the sauce and meatballs. Stir to combine and serve hot.

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Pasta with Meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 693 Calories from Fat 432

% Daily Value*

Fat 48g74%

Saturated Fat 23g144%

Cholesterol 175mg58%

Sodium 850mg37%

Potassium 522mg15%

Carbohydrates 38g13%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 25g50%

Vitamin A 920IU18%

Vitamin C 2.5mg3%

Calcium 90mg9%

Iron 2.9mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only. This information comes from online calculators. Although whatsinthepan.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.