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Pasta with Baked Meatballs in Garlicky Tomato sauce Recipe and utensils

Pasta with Baked Meatballs in Garlicky Tomato sauce

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5 from 1 review

With just a few simple, low-cost ingredients you can create your own comforting, family-friendly Pasta with Baked Meatballs in Garlicky Tomato Sauce. Serve these easy, delicious meatballs over your favourite pasta.

  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale

MEATBALLS

  • 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) regular minced (ground) beef (not lean mince, see note 1)
  • 250 g (9 oz) minced (ground) pork (see note 1)
  • 1 large onion, grated
  • 1 cup (60 g) panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup (10 g) finely chopped fresh parsley, plus extra to serve (optional)
  • 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • Olive oil spray, for cooking

SAUCE AND PASTA

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 700 g (1 lb 9 oz) tomato passata
  • 1 tsp white sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 350 g (12 1/2 oz) pasta of choice (curly fettuccine pictured)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) (180°C/350°F fan). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. To a large bowl, add the meatball ingredients and combine well using your hands. Measure out a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and roll it to form a ball (just smaller than a golf ball). Repeat with the remaining mixture. If the mixture begins to stick to your hands, moisten your hands with water and continue rolling.
  3. Arrange the meatballs on the baking tray and spray them generously with olive oil.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. (Need dinner on the table extra fast with minimal fuss? See note 2 to skip baking.)
  5. While the meatballs are cooking, prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep heavy-based pan over medium–high heat.
  6. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the passata, sugar, salt and pepper.
  7. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 2–3 minutes.
  8. Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions, less 1 minute – they will cook further in the sauce.
  9. Stir the cooked pasta through the meatballs and sauce.
  10. Top with parmesan and parsley and serve immediately.

Equipment

Notes

Note 1 – The combination of minced (ground) beef and pork gives these meatballs a beautiful depth of flavour. You can use all regular beef (not lean mince, the regular kind from the supermarket is best, it must be at least 20% fat), all pork or all chicken mince, if preferred. 

Note 2 – Skip oven-baking the meatballs and add the uncooked meatballs directly into the cooked sauce. Spoon the sauce over the top of the meatballs and simmer over medium–low heat for 20–30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through. The meatballs will steam and become amazingly tender. Although the flavour is more intense when oven-baked first, the meatballs are equally delicious using this method.

Make ahead:

Assemble the meatballs as per the recipe. Refrigerate the uncooked meatballs for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Store in an airtight container or reusable sandwich bag. Use baking paper between the layers of meatballs to stop them from sticking together. Thaw completely overnight in the fridge and cook as per the recipe.

Leftovers:

Refrigerate the cooked meatballs for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, freeze the meatballs and sauce separately from the pasta and reheat them separately. Thaw completely in the fridge overnight prior to reheating.

  • Author: Nicole
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 45 mins
  • Category: mains, pasta, batch cooking, meal planning, budget-friendly, freezer friendly, beef
  • Method: pan, roasting
  • Cuisine: Italian

Find it online: https://simplehomeedit.com/recipe/pasta-baked-meatballs/