One Pot Spicy Meatball Pasta
I love a one pot meal. Easy clean up and minimal effort. And my kids love this recipe, which is an added bonus! It’s warm and cozy during these cold winter months. Who doesn’t love an easy pasta marinara recipe? And it’s taken to the next level with these delicious, simmered, tender meatballs. If you love Italian food, you need to add this recipe to your meal prep list this week.
Why you’ll love this one-pot Italian pasta
- It’s not just a cleaver name…it’s made in one pot! This allows for minimal clean up. Who doesn’t love that!?
- It’s hearty and warm during these cold, winter months. I love having easy recipes on hand on these dark evenings. And it’s even amazing leftover!
- The kids love it too! Isn’t it refreshing to only have to make one meal?
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
- Large pot with lid – I used a Dutch Oven. I prefer this because Dutch ovens really keep the heat nice and even.
- Bowl – This is for mixing up your meat balls. A medium bowl will work just fine.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons – These are for measuring out your spices.
- Tongs – I prefer to use tongs to turn meat balls when searing them.
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Ingredients & substitutions
- Ground beef – My husband and I bought a quarter grass fed organic cow this year, and the meat is fantastic. Highly recommend using quality meat when making any dish.
- Panko – Plain panko is what I used, but you can also use Italian bread crumbs if you so choose.
- Oregano
- Basil
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Crushed red pepper – The recipe calls for crushed red pepper for the meatballs, but if you like it extra spicy, feel free to put more in the sauce itself. My kids were going to eat this as well, so I didn’t want to knock their socks off!
- Grated parmesan – I prefer buying a Parmesan block and grating it myself, but you can also purchase pre-grated.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Rao’s marinara sauce – If you like extra spicy, use Rao’s Arrabiata sauce.
- Fired roasted diced tomatoes
- Water
- Mezzi Paccheri Pasta – You can use whatever pasta you prefer. I like this shape, as it’s good for the kids.
How to make this recipe for spicy pasta
Step 1. To a bowl, add thawed ground beef, panko, Parmesan, and spices. Mix well and form into meat balls. About 10-12 balls.
Step 2. To a large pot, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and warn over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add meatballs and seer on all sides. Pour pasta sauce over the meatballs and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Step 3. Add water to sauce and give a stir. Pour in pasta, stir and cover. Simmer until pasta is tender, about another 10 minutes.
Step 4. Serve your one pot spicy meatball pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and basil.
FAQs about spaghetti all arrabbiata
Penne all’arrabbiata belongs to what is known as ‘poor cuisine’ which was exported by emigrants coming from the center of Italy. It originated from the Lazio region and is very easy to make. Drawn from Fettuccine Alfredo, Spaghetti Bolognaise & Caesar Salad by Maurizio Pelli.
Traditional sugo all’arrabbiata is made with just olive oil, garlic, tomatoes and dried (or fresh) red chile peppers. But modern versions are often amped up with some extra basil and onion.
For example, when you prepare spaghetti with marinara sauce on top, you’ll probably notice that there’s a sweetness to every bite. On the contrary, Arrabbiata sauce contains crushed red pepper flakes for a spiciness that contrasts marinara sauce.
More easy one pot dinner recipes:
More easy Italian:
One Pot Spicy Meatball Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or large pot with lid
- 1 Bowl
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/4 cup panko
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper more if you like extra spicy
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 jar Rao’s marinara sauce use arrabiatta for extra spicy
- 14.5 ounce can fired roasted diced tomatoes
- 28 ounces water
- 16 oz Mezzi Paccheri Pasta
Instructions
- To a bowl, add thawed ground beef, panko, Parmesan, and spices. Mix well and form into meat balls. About 10-12 balls.
- To a large pot, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and warn over medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add meatballs and seer on all sides. Pour pasta sauce over the meatballs and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add water to sauce and give a stir. Pour in pasta, stir and cover. Simmer until pasta is tender, about another 10 minutes.
- Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and basil.
