Ordering meatball pasta shouldn’t be a gamble
Why we refused to cut corners on this classic
A note from Val: Two things this pasta had to get right
Over the years, I’ve created recipes for Swedish Meatballs, Pineapple Teriyaki Meatballs, and BBQ Meatballs, and I know that whenever I make any of those for dinner, my family is going to be really happy. My youngest daughter, who doesn’t always eat a lot at dinner, especially loves them.
When coming up with ideas for the Tavva menu, we knew we wanted good variety and not just chicken in every pasta and sandwich. Meatballs paired with marinara and bucatini felt like the perfect addition.
I had two main goals when working on this recipe: 1) make the best, most flavorful meatballs, and 2) make the best, most flavorful marinara.
I feel like ordering meatball marinara pasta at restaurants is usually a gamble. Most of the time, the meatballs and marinara are mediocre and bland, and often taste like they were pre-made and frozen.
So the components of this dish had to be exceptional and never a gamble to order.
For the meatballs, I chose to use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. The Italian sausage adds so much flavor and creates a meatball that’s far more interesting than one made with beef alone. They’re made from scratch and are incredibly tender and flavorful.
The marinara is made with roasted garlic, herbs, parmesan, and diced tomatoes for added texture and flavor. It’s bold, flavorful, and just as important to the dish as the meatballs themselves.
The final piece of this dish was keeping everything simple. Great bucatini. Great marinara. Great meatballs. Fresh basil chiffonade. Freshly grated parmesan. That’s it.
Just a handful of ingredients, but each one is done really well. Together, they create an incredibly flavorful and memorable pasta.
I can’t wait for you to try it!