Beef Meatball Protein Pasta
These oversized baked beef meatballs are packed with extra protein and served over pasta in a robust tomato sauce creating a complete and deeply satisfying high protein meal. The meatballs are baked rather than fried making them lighter while retaining all of their incredible flavor and tenderness.
Juicy baked beef meatballs in rich tomato sauce served over pasta for a classic high protein dinner.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
Meatballs
Base
Sauce
Instructions
Mix and Form the Meatballs
Combine the ground beef, eggs, minced garlic, and Italian breadcrumbs in a large bowl and mix gently with your hands until just combined without overworking the mixture. Divide and roll the mixture into 12 equal meatballs about the size of a golf ball and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake the Meatballs
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 400 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the meatballs for 18 to 20 minutes until they are browned on the outside and cooked through to an internal temperature of 71 degrees Celsius or 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Baking rather than frying keeps them tender and reduces excess grease.
Cook the Pasta and Heat the Sauce
While the meatballs bake, cook the pasta in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water according to package instructions until it is al dente, then reserve half a cup of pasta water before draining. Warm the marinara sauce in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the baked meatballs to the sauce.
Combine and Serve
Add the drained pasta to the saucepan with the meatballs and sauce and toss everything together, adding splashes of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed. Divide into four bowls and serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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