This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Meatball Pasta is an easy one-pan dinner with juicy beef and Italian sausage meatballs nestled into creamy tomato ditalini. The pasta cooks right in the same skillet used to brown the meatballs, simmering in stock and heavy cream before marinara and Parmesan turn everything into a rich, velvety tomato-cream sauce.
Behind This Meatball Pasta Recipe
There are plenty of ways to make meatballs and pasta, but I wanted a version that genuinely earned the title of one-pan dinner. No separate pot of boiling pasta water, no saucepan for the sauce, and no pile of dishes waiting for you afterward.
So after browning the meatballs, I use that same skillet to cook the ditalini directly in stock and heavy cream. The pasta picks up all those savory browned bits left behind by the beef and Italian sausage, while its starch helps thicken the cooking liquid into a creamy sauce.
Marinara goes in toward the end rather than becoming the entire base of the dish. That gives you a creamy, Parmesan-forward tomato sauce rather than a traditional red sauce, which is exactly what I wanted here.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Make the meatballs small. Mini meatballs cook more quickly and evenly and are much easier to eat with the small pasta.
- Don’t overwork the meat mixture. Mix only until everything is evenly distributed. Packing or kneading it aggressively can make the meatballs dense.
- Get some real color on the meatballs. Those browned bits left behind in the skillet become part of your sauce, so don’t rush this step.
- Don’t clean the skillet. Drain away the excess grease, but leave about a tablespoon of the rendered fat and all those browned bits behind.
- Keep the pasta at a gentle simmer. Once covered, you don’t want the stock and cream to boil aggressively.
- Stir the pasta periodically. One-pan pasta is more prone to sticking because you’re working with much less liquid than you would in a traditional pot of pasta water.
- Judge the pasta by texture, not strictly the clock. Ditalini brands can vary. Start checking around 9–10 minutes and cook until tender, adding a small splash of stock if the pan becomes too dry before the pasta is done.
- Start with 1 cup of marinara. You can always add more after tasting. I like being able to control whether the finished sauce leans more toward creaminess or tomato-forwardness.
Ingredients You’ll Need & Why
There aren’t many moving parts in this Meatball Pasta, so each ingredient contributes either to those flavorful homemade meatballs or the creamy one-pan sauce.
Ground Beef + Italian Sausage: Using both gives the meatballs much more flavor than ground beef alone. I use three Italian sausage links with the casings removed and combine the sausage directly with the beef. Mild or hot Italian sausage both work, depending on how much heat you want.
Garlic: We aren’t being shy about garlic here! Four cloves season the meatballs, while another three go directly into the pasta.
Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan adds a savory, salty flavor to the meatballs and melts into the pasta, helping finish the sauce. I strongly prefer freshly grated Parmesan here because it melts much more smoothly.
Ditalini Pasta: The tiny tubes are perfect for this dish. They’re spoonable with the mini meatballs, and all those little nooks and openings grab onto the creamy sauce. Another small pasta shape can work, such as elbows or small shells, but the amount of liquid and cooking time may need to be adjusted.
Stock + Heavy Cream: Instead of boiling the pasta in water, it cooks directly in stock and heavy cream. The stock adds savory depth, while the cream forms the foundation of that rich sauce. Either chicken or beef stock works, although beef stock gives the dish a slightly deeper flavor.
Marinara Sauce: Adding marinara after the pasta is tender lets you control the final consistency and gives the sauce its tomato flavor without overwhelming the creamy base. Use a marinara you already love.
Italian Seasoning + Red Pepper Flakes: A little extra seasoning goes into the skillet before the liquids are added to give the sauce more depth. Adjust the red pepper flakes depending on whether you’re using hot or mild Italian sausage.
Butter + Olive Oil: Olive oil helps brown the meatballs, while a little butter added to the skillet afterward adds another layer of richness to the creamy pasta.
How to Make One-Pan Meatball Pasta
The key is building everything in layers in the same skillet. Each step leaves a little flavor behind for the next one.
Make the Mini Meatballs
Combine the ground beef, Italian sausage, garlic, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Use your hands to gently mix everything just until evenly incorporated, then roll the mixture into small meatballs.
They don’t need to be perfectly identical, but keeping them relatively uniform will help them cook at the same rate.
Brown the Meatballs
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and let them develop a nice brown crust before turning.
Continue cooking and turning until they’re browned all over and cooked through. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate.
Build the Sauce in the Same Pan
Drain off the excess grease, leaving about a tablespoon behind along with all those flavorful browned bits.
Add the butter. Once melted, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and cook briefly until the garlic smells fragrant. You only need about 30 seconds here. Don’t let the garlic brown.
Cook the Pasta Right in the Skillet
Pour in the stock and use your spoon to scrape up everything stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Add the heavy cream and dry ditalini and stir well.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the ditalini is tender, stirring a few times along the way so the pasta cooks evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom.
As the pasta cooks, you’ll see the liquid reduce and thicken from the starch released by the ditalini. That’s the beginning of your sauce.
Make It Creamy and Tomato-y
Once the pasta is tender, stir in 1 cup of marinara followed by the freshly grated Parmesan.
The Parmesan should melt into the cooking liquid, taking it from creamy pasta broth to a glossy tomato-cream sauce that coats the ditalini.
At this point, decide whether you want more tomato flavor. Stir in up to another 1/3 cup of marinara until the sauce tastes and looks exactly how you like it.
Bring Back the Meatballs
Return those browned meatballs to the skillet and nestle them into the pasta. Let everything warm together for another minute or two so the meatballs get coated in that creamy tomato sauce.
Finish with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan and serve it straight from the skillet.
More Recipes to Try
If you love cozy one-pan pasta dinners, try my One-Pot Shrimp Scampi for something buttery, and garlicky with a lighter seafood spin. My French Onion Mac and Cheese is another ultra-cozy one-pan option, with the pasta cooked right alongside deeply caramelized onions in beef stock. And for another Italian-inspired comfort food dinner, my Sausage Gnocchi Soup combines Italian sausage and pillowy gnocchi with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan in a rich, creamy broth.
Have you tried this One-Pan Creamy Meatball Pasta? If so, I’d love to hear what you thought! Leave a comment below with your questions or feedback. Your reviews help other readers in the Bad Batch Baking community decide what to make next.
Be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking on social media using #badbatchbaking so I can see what you’re cooking!
One-Pan Meatball Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
For the Mini Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 Italian sausage links about 12 oz, casings removed
- 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking
For the Pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 –1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
- 2 1/3 cups dry ditalini pasta orzo, elbows, or small shells work too
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or beef stock plus more if needed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 – 1 1/3 cups marinara sauce or vodka sauce to taste
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed
- Additional Parmesan for serving, optional
Instructions
- Make the meatballs. Add all the meatball ingredients into a mixing bowl. Gently mix just until evenly combined, being careful not to overwork the meat. Roll into mini meatballs.
- Brown the meatballs. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until nicely browned on all sides and cooked through to 160°F in the center. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
- Build the flavor base. Drain off excess grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the butter. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
- Cook the pasta. Add the dry ditalini. Pour in the stock and add the heavy cream, stirring well. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 9–11 minutes or until tender.
- Finish the tomato-cream sauce. Stir in 1 cup marinara followed by the Parmesan, until melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. For a saucier, more tomato-forward finish, stir in up to another 1/3 cup marinara. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
- Return the meatballs. Add the meatballs back to the skillet and gently nestle them into the pasta. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, just until everything is heated through and the meatballs are coated in sauce.
- Serve. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with additional freshly grated Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Meatball size: Mini meatballs are my preference because they’re easier to eat with the small ditalini and cook relatively quickly. Larger meatballs work but will take longer to reach 160°F internally.
- Pasta cooking time: Pasta brands vary, so use time as a guide rather than the endpoint. Cook until tender. If the pasta needs additional cooking time but the skillet looks dry, add a splash of stock.
- Stock: Low-sodium chicken or beef stock both work. Beef gives the finished dish a deeper, meatier flavor.
- Marinara: Start with 1 cup and taste before adding more. Using 1 1/3 cups produces a more tomato-forward sauce, while 1 cup keeps the cream and Parmesan more prominent.
- Freshly grated Parmesan: Grate it from a block if possible. Pre-shredded Parmesan often contains anti-caking ingredients and doesn’t melt as smoothly into creamy sauces.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3–4 days. The ditalini will absorb more sauce as it sits. Reheat gently with a splash of stock or cream to restore the creamy consistency.
Variations & Substitutions
Use mild or hot sausage: I love the little kick from spicy Italian sausage, but mild works perfectly for a family-friendly version. If using hot sausage, you can reduce or omit the red pepper flakes.
Swap the pasta shape: Small shapes such as small shells or elbow macaroni should work, but one-pan pasta recipes are sensitive to pasta size and shape. Keep an eye on the liquid level and use the package cooking time only as a general guide.
Use chicken or beef stock: Beef stock creates a deeper, meatier sauce, while chicken stock gives you a slightly lighter background flavor. I recommend low-sodium or unsalted stock so you can control the final seasoning.
Make full-size meatballs: You absolutely can. They’ll simply take longer to cook through, and I personally think the mini version fits this particular pasta better.
How to Serve & Store Leftovers
This One-Pan Meatball Pasta is hearty enough to be dinner all by itself. If you want something alongside it, I’d keep things simple with garlic bread and a crisp Caesar or Italian salad.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Like most one-pan creamy pastas, the ditalini will continue absorbing sauce as it sits, so don’t be surprised if it’s considerably thicker the next day.
Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of stock or cream to loosen the sauce.
