Pasta With Italian Meatballs Recipe
FRESH PASTA, HOUSE RED SAUCE, HOMEMADE ITALIAN MEATBALLS, BASIL, PARMESAN & EVOO
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Meatballs
House Red Sauce
Pasta & Finishes
Method
Meatballs
- 1
Soak breadcrumbs
In a small bowl combine the fresh breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit 5 minutes until breadcrumbs have absorbed the milk and become pasty.
- 2
Mix meatball ingredients
In a large bowl add the ground meat, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, grated Parmesan, minced parsley, minced garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), kosher salt, and black pepper. Gently mix with your hands or a spoon until just combined — avoid overworking to keep meatballs tender.
- 3
Form meatballs
Portion the mixture into 1 1/4-inch (about 2 tbsp) portions and roll gently between your palms to form smooth balls. You should get about 18–22 meatballs depending on exact size.
- 4
Brown meatballs
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs in a single layer without crowding (work in batches if necessary). Cook 2–3 minutes per side, turning to brown evenly until nicely caramelized but not cooked through. Transfer browned meatballs to a plate and set aside.
House Red Sauce
- 5
- 6
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove raw flavor. Add the crushed tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, sugar (if using), kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- 7
Simmer and finish
Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Add 1/2 cup water or low-sodium chicken broth to adjust consistency. Carefully add the browned meatballs to the sauce, nestling them so they sit partially submerged. Cover partially and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, turning meatballs once, until meatballs are cooked through (internal temp 160°F/71°C) and sauce has slightly thickened. Stir in torn fresh basil leaves in the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Pasta & Assembly
- 8
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Add the fresh pasta and cook according to package directions — typically 2–3 minutes for fresh pasta — until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- 9
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce and meatballs (if your sauce pan is large enough) or return pasta to the pot and pour sauce and meatballs over it. Toss gently to coat, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to loosen and gloss the sauce (use up to the reserved 1/2 cup).
- 10
Finish and plate
Turn off heat and stir in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4–1/2 cup grated Parmesan to the pasta and sauce to finish. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide among 4 plates, spoon additional sauce and meatballs on top, garnish with torn fresh basil leaves and a sprinkle of additional grated Parmesan. Drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil over each plate if desired.