Portions: 4 portions Calories: 844kcal |
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.
By - Last revised . Original May 17, 2016.
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.
Mozarella meatballs recipe
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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.
Top tips
- Remember to use proper hygienic practices when working with ground meat and raw eggs. Wash your hands well right before and after touching them.
- The best way to store this dish is to save the meatballs cooked in the tomato sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Boil the pasta and reheat the meatballs and sauce when it's time to serve.
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
More dinner recipes
See more: pasta recipes main dish recipes dinner recipes
FAQs
How to make meatballs with mozzarella inside?
To make meatballs with mozzarella cheese inside, flatten the meatballs, and put cheese cubes in the center, then wrap the meat around the cheese, covering it completely. Low-moisture mozzarella is best because the liquid may break the meatballs when they are cooked.
Do you put eggs in meatballs?
Most meatball recipes call for eggs because the egg serves as an agglutinant that keeps the meatball together and prevents it from breaking apart while it cooks.
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Mozarella Meatballs Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ pound of ground beef [0.34 kg]
- 1 medium egg
- 1 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- ½ small red onion minced
- ½ cup of breadcrumbs
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2¼ tablespoons salt (or more, to taste), divided
- ¼ pound low-moisture Mozzarella cheese [0.11 kg] diced
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (corn, peanut, or soy)
- 2 cups of tomato sauce
- ⅓ teaspoon ground oregano or fresh leaves
- Boiling salted water [0.34 kg] to boil pasta (see instructions in the pasta package)
- 12 ounces penne
- ¼ cup of freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
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 packet instructions for al dente pasta, adding 1 tablespoon of salt to the water before adding the pasta to it. 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.
Nutrition
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By , published May 17, 2016 on Tia Clara
Wow, this looks incredibly delicious!! There can never be too many pasta and meatball recipes if you ask me. 🙂