These flavors and textures are so delicious. The noodles have some spice to them and the Italian meatballs are hard to stop at just a few. This 30 minute dinner is simple and takes a lot of ingredients you probably have around the house– with the exception of the spinach fettuccine, but heck– sub with regular noodles if you have them.

I paired this meal with beer bread from Krusteaz. Its sweet taste and thickness pairs nicely with the spinach texture. Okay- let’s get cooking!

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Meatballs and Spinach Fettuccine with Butter and Garlic Sauce

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Meatballs
• 1/2 lb ground pork sausage
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbs parsley
• 2 tbs Italian seasoning
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

• Pasta Mixture
• 1 package of spinach fettuccine
• 4 tbs butter
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 2 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• For seasonings, I used 2 tbs of a mozzarella caprese packet (pictured above). You can use something similar or the below option:
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (if you don’t want it to be spicy, exclude this)
• 1 tbs oregano
• 1 tsp cumin
• 10-15 mozzarella pearls

Recipe

• Fill a large pot of water and bring it to a boil on the stovetop.
• While that’s heating up, begin forming your meatball mixture. In a medium bowl, mix all of the meatball ingredients together until everything is combined.
• Begin assembling the meatballs in 1-inch balls and setting them on a greased cookie sheet. Continue doing so until all of the meat mixture is used.
• Carefully drop your spinach fettuccine into the boiling water. It should only boil for like 3-4 minutes. Test the noodles and when they’re tender, drain them out of the water immediately and set aside. Do not overcook.
• While that’s boiling, add the meatballs to the oven on broil for 8-10 minutes depending on the size of your meatballs.
• While those are broiling, grab a large skillet and melt the butter on medium heat.
• Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
• Add in cream cheese, milk, mozzarella pearls and the seasonings you’ve chosen and slowly stir until the cream cheese is melted. The smell will be AMAZING.
• Once the mixture is a bit creamy, add the drained spinach fettuccine and gently stir until the noodles and sauce are all incorporated.
• Plate the noodles and set the cooked meatballs on top. I don’t mix them into the sauce. That’s just preference. 🙂

XO, Rachel