Creamy Meatball Pasta
This is one of those dinners that looks like you have been at it for an hour and actually takes about half that. Little beef meatballs, browned first so they get a proper crust, then finished in a creamy tomato sauce with the pasta stirred through at the end.
The meatballs themselves are simple. Mince, onion, garlic, coriander and a spoon of warm spices, with no breadcrumbs and no egg, so there is nothing to soak up the flavour. They hold together perfectly well as long as you do not overwork them.
And it is all one pan apart from the pasta pot, which is the only kind of cooking I want to do on a cold evening. Serve it with broccoli and garlic bread and dinner is done.
Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the meatballs
400 grams beef mince
1 onion - finely chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
Fresh coriander - chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper
For the sauce
150 grams dried pasta
1 red onion - sliced
2-3 teaspoons tomato paste
200 ml chicken stock
100 ml heavy cream
Fresh parsley - chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
Put the mince, onion, garlic, coriander and all the meatball seasoning into a bowl. Mix with your hands until just combined, being careful not to overwork it.
Roll into small meatballs, about the size of a walnut.
Heat a little oil in a large pan and fry the meatballs on all sides until golden. Remove them and set aside.
In the same pan, sauté the red onion until soft.
Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Pour in the stock and cream, add the seasonings, and bring to a gentle simmer.
Return the meatballs to the pan and let them finish cooking in the sauce.
While that simmers, boil the pasta in salted water until al dente, then drain.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and cook for 2 minutes, until everything is coated and hot through.
Stir through the parsley and serve with broccoli and garlic bread.
A Few Things To Remember
Do not overwork the meatballs. The more you handle the mince, the denser they end up, so mix until it just comes together and stop.
Brown them properly before they go into the sauce. That colour on the outside is most of the flavour, and it takes a few minutes longer than you think.
Keep a little of the pasta water before you drain it. If the sauce tightens up too much when the pasta goes in, a splash loosens it straight away.
If you give this one a go, let me know how it turned out!
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