Italian Meatballs-Pasta Machine
Submitted by clearjade
Classic Italian meatballs with beef, herbs, and breadcrumbs. Freezer-friendly meatballs that bake or pan-fry until browned, perfect for pasta night or meal prep.
YIELD
5 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minThese are the meatballs you want simmering in Sunday gravy: tender inside with a savory crust, packed with Italian seasoning, garlic, and just enough breadcrumbs to keep them light.
Brown them in a skillet or bake a whole batch in the oven for easy meal prep.
Freeze in portions and pull them out whenever spaghetti night calls.
Pro Tips
- Don’t overwork: Mix meat gently; overhandling makes dense, tough meatballs
- Uniform size: Roll into equal portions (about 1.5 inches) for even cooking
- Oven efficiency: Baking is hands-off and perfect for large batches to freeze
- Freeze smart: Cool completely before freezing in single layers, then transfer to bags
Variations
- Add ½ cup grated Parmesan to the mixture for extra savory depth
- Use ground turkey or pork for different flavor profiles
- Make slider-sized mini meatballs for appetizers or sub sandwiches
Ingredients
Directions
Use meatball/bagel die.
Put ground beef, salt, pepper, spices, celery, onion, green pepper and about one cup of bread crumbs in mixing bin.
Mix lightly.
Add eggs and extrude.
Add bread crumbs by the tablespoonful through the top grates as necessary to keep the mixture extruding and from bunching up around the blades.
Extrude in 1½ inch pieces and roll each into a ball.
Sauté in a pan with 2 tb. olive oil until browned, or put on broiler rack and bake in a 350℉ (180℃) oven for about 30 minutes or until browned and firm.
The oven method is most efficient if doing a large quantity for the freezer.
If to be frozen, cool and freeze in zip-loc bags or rigid containers in meal-sized batches.
To serve with pasta, add to Spaghetti Sauce (bottled or homemade) and simmer for 30 minutes.
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