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Laughing Spatula / Recipe Index / Pasta / One Pan Meatballs and Pasta Skillet

One Pan Meatballs and Pasta Skillet

By Kathi & Rachel

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One Pan Meatballs and Pasta Skillet!  – Tender meatballs cooked up in a super fast sauce.  Even the pasta goes in uncooked!  One pan wonder you will make over and over again!

one pot pasta and meatballs

This dish takes about 30 minutes from start to table and will feed your family with a bit left over for your lunchbox.  There is something about meatballs and pasta!  Comfort food we love!

Ingredients to make One Pan Meatball Skillet Dinner

  • meatballs – ground beef, turkey or chicken (or storebought pre-made.  See notes below)
  • canned diced tomatoes
  • canned crushed tomatoes
  • onion
  • beef broth
  • small pasta like elbow, ditalini or orzo
  • oregano
  • basil

How to make One Pan Meatball Skillet Dinner!

There are two methods to making the meatballs.

Method  #1 – make from scratch. Follow the recipe below in recipe card.

Method #2 – buy them already made.  My preferred method !  In this case I bought fresh in the meat case.  Frozen will work just as well.  Simply brown them up in the skillet and continue with the recipe as written.

store bought meatballs

 

The sauce for this Meatball Skillet Dinner is a snap and the pasta cooks right in the sauce!

Just a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand.  Onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes.  Feel free to doctor it up with more veggies.  Carrots and peppers would be a great addition.

Once the sauce is simmering add the uncooked pasta!

add dried pasta to sauce

Let it simmer a bit, sprinkle on the cheese and everyone loves you!  

I love it when everyone loves you!

Don’t you love it when everyone loves you?

Cook for them and they will love you!

one pan pasta and meatballs in a bowl

We love to serve this with a simple green salad and a baguette!

Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

 

Check out this video on how to make our one pan meatball skillet!

A few more quick dinner ideas you might like….

  • 20 Minute One Pan Shrimp Dinner  (p.s.  this is one of my favorite recipes of all time! I make it with chicken and broccoli, I sub asparagus for the peas.  A million ways to cook this up!).
  • Creamy One Pot Chicken, Rice and Mushrooms – Everyone loves chicken and rice!
  • Chicken Burrito Skillet – cook the rice right in the pan!

 

Have a great day guys!

Clink!

Kathi

 What do you think about this recipe?Have questions?Comment below!Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and connect with us on Instagram and  tag your @Laughingspatula recipes with #laughingspatula,while you’re at it…We love to see your pics! 

Hey and check out our new YouTube Channel!

One pan meatball and pasta skillet dinner

One Pan Meatballs and Pasta Skillet

A one skillet meal that is quick and easy! The pasta cooks right in the sauce!
4.54 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 5
Author: Kathi & Rachel

Ingredients

Ingredients for Meatballs if making from scratch. You can also buy them fresh or frozen ready made.

  • 1 pound lean ground beef ground chicken or ground turkey
  • 1/3 cup white onion minced
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the Sauce

  • 1/2 cup onion minced
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes - or tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1.5 cups small pasta - elbow, ditalini and orzo are good
  • 2 cups beef broth - or chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan for garnish

Instructions

  • If making your own meatballs - In a medium size bowl, combine all meatball ingredients. Shape into 1 inch balls.
    If using fresh or frozen premade simply go to next step.
  • Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Brown meatballs. They do not have to be cooked through as they will finish in the sauce.
  • Once meatballs are browned. Toss in onion and garlic. Saute until onions are soft. Add canned diced and crushed tomatoes. Add basil and oregano along with broth. Bring to a simmer.
  • Add uncooked pasta to meatballs and sauce. Cook for about 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Taste for salt and pepper.
  • Top with parmesan cheese and serve with a simple salad and baguette if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1465mg | Potassium: 949mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 660IU | Vitamin C: 17.2mg | Calcium: 213mg | Iron: 5.5mg

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Casseroles, Fast and Fresh, Main Course Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, One Pot, Pasta

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Wilma says

    October 25, 2024 at 9:49 am

    5 stars
    I just made this for a quick lunch for my son stopping by with my twin grandsons.
    I had all ingredients so why not.
    I liked how it was so easy to put together and how delicious it came out!!
    I used frozen meatballs which I microwaved for 2 minutes and browned as directed.
    I substituted the tomato sauce with traditional pasta sauce. It worked great. It’s so tasty and filling. Saving it and sharing it with friends and family. Thank you.

    Reply
  2. Maureen says

    June 2, 2022 at 5:14 pm

    5 stars
    My husband loves this recipe. Well he is a meatball fan. However, he loves my sauce. in fact everyone loves my sauce so I have to use it in your recipe. Love your quick meals and desserts. Cowboy cookies being at the top of the list. We enjoy a lot of your recipes and will continue to make them.

    Reply
  3. Donna EGAN says

    January 16, 2022 at 8:01 am

    Hello
    I planning on making this recipe this week, in the video it shows 10 meatballs, is that what I should be aiming for.

    Thank you for all the hard work you put into giving us great recipes.

    Looking forward to a great Meatball & Pasta dinner !!

    Reply
    • Kathi & Rachel says

      January 16, 2022 at 10:14 am

      I think 10-12 is a good number but you can make them smaller or bigger and it wont effect the recipe. Hope you love it! It’s one of my favorite skillet dinners!

      Reply
  4. Judy says

    September 22, 2018 at 9:22 pm

    I plan to try this recipe this week. I think I will sprinkle some Romano cheese on top before serving. This really looks yummy, I bet even my pickiest eater will like it! Thanks.

    Reply
  5. Irene says

    November 14, 2017 at 12:34 am

    Looks delicious! Forgive my novice question but do you cook the pasta before putting it in the pot? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Kathi @ LaughingSpatula.com says

      November 14, 2017 at 2:40 am

      Hi Irene! You do not need to precook the pasta! Thats the beauty of a one pan dish! (and not a novice question :)….

      Reply
  6. Erica says

    January 15, 2017 at 9:52 am

    Hello Kathi, You are my favorite food blogger! Your recipes are great! You give options and tips that are realistic and never misleading. I appreciate that you discuss ingredients needed and things that may be challenging for the unexperienced cook (me). You use REAL food, even in your healthier recipes. Thanks to you this working woman is serving up some great dinners. So glad we found your website! Please keep it up! We (me, the hubs and kids) are grateful.

    Reply
    • Kathi Kirk says

      January 15, 2017 at 2:42 pm

      Oh my gosh I am printing and framing this! You totally made my day! Thank you Erica of taking the time to write such a sweet note!

      Reply
  7. Elaine says

    January 13, 2017 at 5:08 pm

    I’ll bet it would be great with ground chicken or turkey too!

    Reply
    • Kathi Kirk says

      January 13, 2017 at 5:48 pm

      Yes it would! I put that in my notes. I actually cook more with ground chicken than beef! Thanks for the note Elaine!

      Reply
4.54 from 15 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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