Creamy Tomato Pasta with Meatballs

This Creamy Tomato Pasta with Meatballs is comfort food that’s sure to please! Loaded with meatballs in a creamy tomato sauce, it’s a simple recipe for those busy weeknights.

I don’t know about you guys, but I can never pass up a good pasta dish. When I think of comforting, cozy dishes, pasta is usually the first thing that comes to mind. And if meatballs and a creamy sauce are involved, extra bonus points are added!

And in anticipation of the upcoming holidays, we all need a few super simple dishes in our repertoire for those busy nights.

The creamy, robust sauce for this dish comes together in minutes and when you use precooked, frozen, store-bought meatballs, the entire dish comes together in less than 30. You can always make my homemade meatballs if you aren’t rushed for time. They’re delicious and low on effort, yet huge on flavor.

The frozen meatballs you can buy from your market are fully cooked, so you can just heat them up in the sauce or bake in the oven to give them a little char and better flavor. I usually opt for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven before adding to the sauce, so while the pasta and sauce are cooking, the meatballs can be baking. It’s time to multi-task, so dinner can come together quickly and effortlessly folks.

Creamy Tomato Pasta with Meatballs

Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Servings: 4 servings

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This Creamy Tomato Pasta with Meatballs is comfort food that's sure to please! Loaded with meatballs in a creamy tomato sauce, it's a simple recipe for those busy weeknights.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients  

• 10-12 small frozen Italian meatballs
• 4 cups uncooked mini wagon wheel pasta
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-oz. can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 12 basil leaves, torn
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 12 small meatballs on prepared sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
• In a large, deep saucepan melt butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and continue to cook for one minute. Add the tomatoes, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the heavy cream, torn basil leaves, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan and meatballs and stir until well combined and cheese is melted. Add the drained, cooked pasta and stir until well combined. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Keyword: pasta, tomatoes, cream sauce, meatballs, comfort food

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Main Dish