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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!  – Even the pasta is cooked up in the same pan and who does’t love meatballs?  The more meatballs the merrier!

Meatball Skillet with cheese

Why do meatballs taste better than meatloaf?  Ever asked yourself that?  They have the same ingredients….but boy, I’ll take a pot of meatballs over meatloaf any day!

This dish takes about 30 minutes from start to table and will feed your family with a bit left over for your lunchbox.  And as decadent as this looks, it’s not so bad on the fat-o-meter.  Lean ground beef, canned tomatoes,  one cup of small pasta and about 1/2 cup cheese on top.  Another great Fast and Fresh meal!

How to make One Pan Meatball Skillet Dinner!

There are two methods to making the meatballs.  The second one requires another pan but if you line the sheet pan with foil, it’s a super easy clean up.

1.) Brown up the meatballs in the same skillet you will be making the pasta in.

OR  (and this is my favorite way….)

2.) Bake them on a foil lined baking sheet while you make the sauce.

There are instructions for both methods in the recipe below.

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, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.  Feel free to doctor it up with more veggies.  Carrots and peppers would be a great addition.

Pasta Sauce for meatball pasta skillet

Toss in your broth, pasta and meatballs.  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!

 

pasta and meatballs being served from skillet

Served with a simple salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette and dinner is done!

Tips to make One Pan Meatball Skillet!

  • Brown your meatballs in the same skillet or bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
  • Since the meatballs and sauce use onion and garlic, chop a whole onion and 4-5 cloves of garlic at the same time.
  • Use lean ground beef, ground chicken or turkey to keep it waist friendly.
  • I used beef broth but chicken broth will work in a pinch
  • You can see all my One Pan Meals HERE!

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!

 

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!

Meatball Skillet with cheese

One Pan Meatballs and Pasta Skillet

A one skillet meal that is quick and easy! The pasta cooks right in the sauce!
4.42 from 12 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 5
Author: Kathi & Rachel

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

  • 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 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1.5 cups Ditalini pasta - Any small pasta would work like elbow or small shells
  • 2 cups beef broth - chicken stock in a pinch
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Instructions

  • In a medium size bowl, combine all meatball ingredients.
  • Shape into 1 inch balls.
  • Either bake on a foil lined baking sheet at 375 for 15 minutes or brown in your skillet.
  • Set meatballs aside.
  • In large skillet, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion and garlic. Saute until onion is soft.
  • Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil and oregano.
  • Taste for salt. Depending on salt content of your tomato products this will vary.
  • Cook for about 5 minutes until simmering.
  • Add broth and pasta.
  • Cover and cook about 10 minutes, stirring on occasion until pasta is tender.
  • Add meatballs back to skillet and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes or until meatballs are warmed all the way through.
  • Top with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.
  • Serve with bread and a simple salad for a delicious and easy meal!

Notes

  • Brown your meatballs in the same skillet or bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
  • Since the meatballs and sauce use onion and garlic, chop a whole onion and 4-5 cloves of garlic at the same time.
  • Use lean ground beef, ground chicken or turkey to keep it waist friendly.
  • I used beef broth but chicken broth will work in a pinch

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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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

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