Mozzarella Meatballs on Pasta with Tomato Sauce

I have made pasta with these mozzarella meatballs and tomato sauce many times at home, and needless to say, it's always a big hit, but for some reason, it had never occurred to me to write a recipe for it. You'll be glad I did.

Why I ❤️ it • Recipe • Ingredients • Video • Preparation

Mozarella meatballs with pasta.

Why I ❤️ it

These mozzarella-stuffed meatballs served on pasta with tomato sauce are a new take on a classic favorite, and hide a surprise that everyone will love. More cheese is always better!

Maybe I thought that there were enough meatball pasta recipes out there. But, in my estimation, there aren't enough recipes for meatballs stuffed with cheese though. So I am here doing my best to help fix that sad state o affairs.

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Utensils and tools

• Large bowl
• Large skillet or pan

Ingredients

• ¾ pound [0.34 kg] of ground beef
• 1 medium egg
• 1 teaspoon of freshly-cracked black pepper
• ½ small red onion, minced
• ½ cup of breadcrumbs
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2¼ tablespoons of salt, (or more, to taste), divided
• ¼ pound [0.11 kg] of low-moisture mozzarella cheese, diced
• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, (corn, peanut, or soy)
• 2 cups of tomato sauce
• ⅓ teaspoon ground oregano (or fresh leaves)
• Boiling salted water, to boil pasta (see instructions in the pasta package)
• 12 ounces [0.34 kg] of penne, 
• ¼ cup of freshly grated parmesan

Video

Preparation

Before starting, please make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready.

Step 1: Mixing the ground beef

In the bowl, combine beef, egg, ½ teaspoon of pepper, onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of salt.

Work the meat mixture together until thoroughly combined.

Step 2: Making the mozzarella meatballs

Roll the mixture into 16 equal-sized balls slightly, flattening the balls, and placing a piece of mozzarella in the center. Make sure the mozzarella is completely covered. with meat.

Step 3: Cooking the meatballs

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook the meatballs, turning carefully as they cook until they have browned. Pour in the tomato sauce, covering the meatballs. Add the oregano. 

Cover and lower the heat to low and simmer while the pasta is cooked.

Step 4: Cooking pasta al dente

Follow package instructions for al dente pasta. Once it's cooked through, drain the pasta.

Step 5: Mixing everything

Taste the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix the pasta and meatballs and tomato sauce. Remove from the heat.

Step 6: Serving

Serve alongside the parmesan cheese.

Serving suggestions

Serve alongside salad and some rustic bread.

Variations

Instead of minced beef, you can use ground pork for a very tasty variation. Ground turkey is great for lighter meatballs.

You can use a jar of marinara sauce to shorten the preparation time if you wish.

I used penne for this recipe, but it works very well with spaghetti. 

For a low-carb-friendlier option, you can use zoodles (zucchini noodles).  You do not need to pre-cook the zoodles; just top them with the very hot sauce with meatballs, and that will be sufficient for the zoodles to get slightly softer. The meatballs are not keto since they contain bread crumbs.

You can also try my tasty Dominican meatballs or my mini egg meatballs. And if you have extra mozzarella, make these air fryer mozzarella balls as an appetizer. If you'd like to try another easy and tasty pasta dish, this Cajun alfredo sauce is wonderful.

Nutritional information

Calories: 844kcal - Carbohydrates: 83g - Protein: 39gFat: 39g - Saturated Fat: 14g - Cholesterol: 129mg - Sodium: 5017mg - Potassium: 908mg - Fiber: 6g - Sugar: 9g - Vitamin A: 835IU - Vitamin C: 10.1mg - Calcium: 298mg - Iron: 5.1mg

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