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Overhead shot of the delicious Swedish Meatball Pasta Bake served in a big pot with some herbs and spices on a wooden board
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4.60 from 5 votes

Swedish Meatball Pasta Bake

This Swedish Meatball Pasta Bake is deliciously cozy comfort food. A family dinner that's always a winner!
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Chilling30 minutes
Total Time2 hours 15 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Swedish
Keyword: Comfort Food, pasta bake, Swedish meatballs
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 1025kcal
Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Ingredients

  • 2 cups small shell pasta, uncooked

Meatballs

  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 2/3 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/4 cups plain panko bread crumbs
  • 1 lb. ground beef, I use 80/20
  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil

Gravy

  • 6 Tbsp. butter
  • 7 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 4 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Half Serving of Meatballs

  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/3 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. plain panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef, I use 80/20
  • 1/2 lb. ground pork
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

  • In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain. Add pasta to a 9x13 baking dish (or similar size) sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Meatballs

  • Heat butter in saute pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions, salt, pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low and add the milk. Bring to a simmer.
  • Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl. Take the onion mixture off the heat and pour over the breadcrumbs. Stir until combined. Mixture will resemble a thick paste. Let mixture cool.
  • Place beef, pork and eggs in a large bowl. Add the bread crumb mixture and mix until evenly combined. Do not overmix or your meatballs will be tough. Form into 1-inch balls. I made about 30 meatballs. The half serving of meatballs will give you 15 meatballs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    Heat 3 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Gently add the meatballs in batches (I added 10 meatballs at a time to skillet) and brown on all sides. Transfer meatballs to the 9x13 baking dish with the pasta. Drain extra grease from skillet.

Gravy

  • In the same skillet you used to cook the meatballs melt the 6 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly for 2 minutes until smooth. Whisk in the beef broth and Worcestershire. Bring to a simmer. Add the fresh parsley and the heavy cream. Reduce the heat and continue whisking until the gravy thickens (about 10-15 minutes). Season with the kosher salt and pepper. Pour the gravy over the meatballs and pasta and toss lightly. Bake for 30-35 minutes until bubbly. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • I used mini shells for my pasta, but you could use elbows, or any small pasta shape.
  • After browning the meatballs, drain excess grease from the skillet, but don't scrape out the bits at the bottom of the pan. They will give the gravy a nice, rich flavor.
  • This dish feeds 6-8 people.

Nutrition

Calories: 1025kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 71g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 262mg | Sodium: 1692mg | Potassium: 1042mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1405IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 5mg