Easy Alfredo and Meatballs Recipe
This Alfredo and Meatballs recipe is a creamy, comforting dinner that’s easier than it looks! Juicy, oven-baked meatballs made with lean ground beef, onion, garlic, and breadcrumbs pair perfectly with a rich, homemade Alfredo sauce tossed with tender egg noodles. The meatballs can be made ahead and frozen for even faster prep, making this dish a go-to for busy weeknights. Simple, satisfying, and kid-approved, this meal is sure to be a new family favorite!
Servings 4 Servings
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound Ground beef 90% lean
- ½ Onion
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 Egg large
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup Breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Alfredo Sauce and Pasta
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Butter salted
- 1 cup Half and Half or Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Milk 1%, 2%, or whole also work
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Chicken base or powder bouillon or crushed bouillon cube I used Better than Bouillon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1 cup Pasta Water use the pasta water after pasta cooks
- ¼ cup Fresh Italian Parsley chopped
- 12 ounces Pasta, dry uncooked
Instructions
Prep Ahead Steps
- PREP MEATBALL MIXTURE. Peel the onion, cut off the stems, cut it into quarters and put into the food processor. Add 2 garlic cloves. Pulse and then blend until chopped up into small rice-size pieces. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. To the onion and garlic, add the egg, salt, and pepper. Mix everything together. Then add in the ground beef and breadcrumbs. Mix the beef together with everything making sure that it is evenly mixed through.
- FORM MEATBALLS. Divide the mixture in half in the bowl, so that you can make sure to get 8-9 meatballs from each half, for a total of 16-18. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon or small ice cream scoop of the meat mixture and roll into a ball. Place on a baking sheet. Do this for the rest of the meat mixture. Either cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge, flash freeze in the freezer (then move to storage bag) or move on to cooking.
- PREP GARLIC AND PARMESAN. Mince the garlic for the alfredo sauce. Grate the parmesan cheese.
Cooking Steps
- COOK MEATBALLS. Preheat the oven 400 F degrees. Place the meatballs on a sheet pan. Bake in the oven on center rack for 20 minutes or until cooked through to the center.
- MAKE PASTA. While the beef is cooking, boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Once the pasta water is boiling, add a splash of Olive Oil and a pinch of salt. Add the pasta and stir so that it all is immersed in the water and doesn’t stick it itself. Boil the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water to use in the sauce and then drain the pasta. Leave the pasta in the strainer until the sauce is ready.
- MAKE ALFREDO. Make the cornstarch slurry by mixing the cornstarch into the cold milk. Set aside. Preheat a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add the butter, half and half, chicken base, and minced garlic and bring to a light simmer. Whisk in the cornstarch and milk slurry. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and continue to whisk while it heats through and starts to thicken (about 2-3 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste.
- MIX THE PASTA. At this point, you can either add the pasta to the sauce or the sauce to the pasta pot, whichever pot/pan is big enough to combine everything. Add in ¼ cup of the pasta water and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and then mix in the remaining parmesan cheese and Parsley. Add the meatballs. Garnish with Parmesan and Parsley. Serve and enjoy!
