Pasta Alfredo with Meatballs

If you follow me regularly you know that my little website had a wee bit of a melt down.  Thanks for putting up with me.  😀  It was very upsetting to wake up one morning and find out that your content has been “deleted” when you didn’t delete it.  Turned out my domain had expired, so you all were being forwarded to an old site of mine that I had deleted.  But all is well now in Nosheryville and we can continue on with our regularly scheduled cooking program.

This dish came together because it is the end of the week and I am running low on groceries.  I had a pound of ground beef I had defrosted and the only thing I could think of at the time was to make some meatballs but I didn’t feel like your typical red spagetti sauce.  Not too long ago Smitten Kitchen posted baked rigatoni with tiny meatballs and it gave me the idea to do meatballs in alfredo.  I know that beef is traditionally suppose to go with red sauce but I didn’t feel like it yesterday and it is my kitchen and I can do what I want to….or is it my party and I can do what I want to?  Either day I can do what I want. 😀

Add the beef, milk, panko, garlic, Italian seasoning, grated cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Combine all the ingredients with a fork until they are evenly mixed.

Pinch off a small lump of meat, and roll the lump into a ball in the palm of your hands. (I used a cooking scoop and then divided the scooped mixture in half.)

Dust a cookie sheet with flour and place rolled meatballs on baking sheet (yes I know I forgot to dust the baking sheet, work with me people.)   Using a strainer or sifter dust the meatballs with flour.

Shake the pan back and forth, rolling the meatballs with the flour.

Place the meatballs a few at a time, in a strainer and shake to remove excess flour.

Put enough vegetable oil in a skillet to rise 1/4-inch up the sides of the pan and turn on the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, put as many meatballs in the skillet as will fit without overcrowding. Brown them until they form a nice crust all around.

When one batch is done, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a platter covered with paper towels or a cooling grid to drain and do the next batch until all are done.  Place in oven a lowest possible temperature to keep warm.

At this point bring a large pot of water to boil to cook your pasta. While the pasta cooks, in large saucepan at medium heat combine cream cheese, Parmesan, butter and heavy cream, garlic; stirring constantly until smooth.

Once the sauce is smooth lower the heat and continue to stir until pasta is ready.  If you think the sauce it too thick you can add more milk until it reaches your desired consistency.

Add pasta and as many meatballs as you want to the pan.  I had extra meatballs so I froze them for another occasion.

Toss until pasta and meatballs are well coated, serve immediately.

Yes, it can be a pain sometimes to make and form meatballs, but you would be surprised how easily these come together and I would say that these are an easy weeknight meal.  The sauce is also a lifesaver it super easy to toss together and tasty to boot.    I admit I have tried to make alfredo the traditional way before but I have a tendency to curdle the milk, so this is a much easier and fool proof option.  Of course if you want you can use these same meatballs for a traditional spaghetti and meatballs and the sauce for a chicken alfredo.  See you too can be like me and do what you want too. 😀

Print Page

Pasta Alfredo with Meatballs

Meatballs (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

 

• 1 pound ground beef (or pork, or lamb, or a mix of the three)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 cloved garlic, pressed
• 1 Tbs Italian seasoning
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano (Parmesan)
• 1 egg
• Salt
• Black pepper in a grinder
• 1 cup flour, spread on a plate
• Vegetable oil for frying

Sauce

• 4 ounces Cream cheese, cut in bits
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup Butter or margarine
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 8 ounces (dry) Fettuccine, prepared according to package directions

Meatballs

Add the pork, milk, panko, garlic, parsley, grated cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Combine all the ingredients with a fork until they are evenly mixed.

Dust a cookie sheet with flour . Pinch off a small lump of meat, and roll the lump into a ball in the palm of your hands. (I used a cooking scoop and then divided the scooped mixture in half.)  When all the meatballs have been shaped, place them on baking sheet. (Yes, I know I forgot to dust the baking sheet, work with me people.)   Using a strainer dust the meatballs with flour. Shake the baking sheet back and forth, rolling the meatballs with the flour. Place a few meatballs at a time in the strainer and shake to remove excess flour.

Put enough vegetable oil in a skillet to rise 1/4-inch up the sides of the pan and turn on the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, put as many meatballs in the skillet as will fit without overcrowding. Brown them until they form a nice crust all around. When one batch is done, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a platter covered with paper towels to drain and do the next batch until all are done.

Sauce & Pasta

At this point bring a large pot of water to boil to cook your pasta. While the pasta cook, in large saucepan at medium heat combine cream cheese, Parmesan, butter and heavy cream, garlic; stirring constantly until smooth.  Once the sauce is smooth lower the heat and continue to stir until pasta is ready.  If you think the sauce it too thick you can add more milk until it reaches your desired consistency.

Add pasta and as many meatballs as you want to the pan.  I had extra meatballs so I froze them for another occasion. Toss until pasta and meatballs are well coated, serve immediately.