Mini Beef Mushroom Meatballs with Orecchiette

Savoury meatballs with a mixture of ground beef, mushrooms, herbs and parmesan with tender orecchiette pasta in a delicious pasta sauce made from fresh tomatoes and garlic. A hearty comforting meal that is perfect for any occasion.

If you are looking for a delicious and satisfying meal that is packed with flavour, then this is the definitely a recipe to make and will please the whole family. Homemade meatballs that taste amazing don't need to be complicated and the added mushrooms and parmesan keep them nice and tender.

Calories in Mini Beef Mushroom Meatballs with Orecchiette

This filling pasta dish serves 4 and is 511 calories per serving, which this family friendly meal.

There are lots more recipes around this calorie value in my 500+ calories recipe section.

If you are using these recipes as part of a calorie controlled diet or healthy eating plan, you can calculate your daily calories by using a calorie calculator, as this will vary per individual depending on various factors.

Ingredients for Mini Beef Mushroom Meatballs with Orecchiette

for this pasta recipe you will need all the following ingredients:

• uncooked extra lean ground beef (mince)
• cremini mushrooms (or similar type mushroom)
• Italian seasoning
• garlic powder/granules
• onion powder/granules
• parmesan
• salt and black pepper
• olive oil spray
• onion
• garlic
• fresh parsley and basil
• fresh ripe tomatoes
• tomato paste (puree)
• chicken stock
• balsamic vinegar
• uncooked orecchiette (or another pasta of your choice)

See the recipe card for full quantities.

Once all the ingredients are prepared, you can get ready to make this easy recipe.

Best Method for Cooking Meatballs

There are various methods out there for cooking meatballs and you might think wouldn't it be easier to just cook them in the frying pan.

I prefer to use the oven method, as it keeps them a nice uniform round shape, gives them an even browning and seals in all the flavour. It also ensures they don't fall apart when you drop them into the pan.

Can I use another protein?

If you want to swap out the ground beef (mince) for another mince, this will work well with chicken, turkey or even pork. Although I typically like to pair pork with beef and do a half and half mixture if I am using it for a pasta dish like this.

Fresh Tomatoes Vs Canned Tomatoes

You will notice I use fresh tomatoes in this recipe, I just find the taste of the sauce is so much fresher and flavourful when using good quality ripe tomatoes.

However if you want to sub for canned tomatoes, you can make the swap, just go for a canned good quality plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) and check there is no calcium chloride in the ingredients as it tends to prevent canned tomatoes from breaking down in a sauce.

Substitute for Mushrooms

If you don't like mushrooms but really want to try this recipe, I recommend making the following swap

• 30g of dried breadcrumbs (but also add in 1 beaten egg)
• or sub with some grated courgette (zucchini) - approx 1 medium one, squeeze out any excess moisture.

You can of course just make the meatballs as per the recipe but without the mushrooms and none of the above suggestions, but I find the suggested add ins create a more tender meatball.

Sides for Mini Beef Mushroom Meatballs with Orecchiette

While it is perfectly fine to enjoy this recipe as it is made. I always like to pair meals with an additional side of salad or vegetables. It encourages healthy eating if it is on offer for the kids to help themselves to and will also bulk out your plate to create a more filling meal.

Some things I like to serve this with are:

• Mixed Salad (add any of your favourites - lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, onion etc)
• Broccolini or Broccoli - steamed or roasted or sauteed
• Asparagus - steamed, roasted or sauteed
• Peppers and Onions - roasted or sauteed
• Courgette (zucchini) - roasted or sauteed

More Meatball Recipes

Looking for some other delicious meatball recipes?

Check out the following:

• Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake
• Chicken Meatballs in Hoisin Sauce
• Southwestern Turkey Meatballs
• Lamb Meatballs with Mint Gravy
• Firecracker Chicken Meatballs (Instant Pot and Stove Top)
• Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup with Chicken Meatballs
• Buffalo Chicken Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

or if you would like more recipe ideas or sides to make with this recipe - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes with calories and you can search by meal type, ingredients, course, diet and more..

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