One Pot Creamy Orzo and Meatballs
This creamy orzo and meatball dinner comes together so easily in one pot! The best part? The homemade meatballs are so juicy and so tender!
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons grated white onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound lean ground beef, 90/10
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the sauce
- ½ medium sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 11/2 cups marinara sauce
- 11/2 cups beef stock
- 1 cup orzo pasta
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
For the topping (optional)
- 1 cup halved small cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
Equipment
Instructions
For the meatballs
- In a large bowl, combine Parmesan, Panko, parsley, milk, egg, onion and garlic; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, add ground beef, stirring until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1-to-1-1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
For the sauce
- Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Stir in meatballs, marinara sauce and beef stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Stir in orzo; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue to simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan and basil until heated through, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with tomato topping and additional Parmesan, if desired.
For the topping (optional)
- In a large bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
- Use lean ground beef. Using 90/10 lean ground beef for the meatballs will release less grease and fat when the meatballs are simmered alongside the orzo, preventing an oily film from pooling on top of the sauce.
- Keep your hands wet. When forming the meatballs, keep your hands slightly wet to keep the mixture from sticking to your hands, ensuring perfectly round, smooth meatballs.
- Prep the meatballs ahead of time. The meatballs can be assembled up to 1 day in advance and placed in the fridge until ready to use. The uncooked meatballs can also be stored in the freezer for up to 1 month (once flash freezing), thawing overnight in the fridge.
- Make a double batch to freeze. Make a big batch of meatballs, doubling the recipe, to have a stash ready in the freezer to cut weeknight dinner prep to just a few minutes.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan. Cook the meatballs in batches, letting them cook in a single layer undisturbed until a nice crust is formed all around.
- Deglaze the pot. Lift up the caramelized brown bits (fond) stuck to the bottom of the pot – this will add maximum, deep flavor to the orzo and meatballs.
- Grab store-bought marinara. To cut down on prep time even more, use store-bought marinara sauce (such as Rao’s, our favorite).
- Add in leafy greens. This is an excellent recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all excellent options.
- Add the cream slowly. Always add the heavy cream at the very end, pouring very slowly to prevent curdling. Substitute half and half for a lighter consistency.
- Store-bought meatballs also work in a pinch. Use your favorite store-bought frozen meatballs in a pinch, cooking to package instructions.