Italian Meatball Stew with Rosmarino Pasta
Who else loves a one pot dish? This Italian Meatball Stew served with Rosmarino Pasta is the perfect one pot winter warmer. Packed full of goodness and flavour, I think this one is going to be a winner for family gatherings on a cold winter evening.
It requires just a little prep to make the meatballs and chop the veggies, but besides that it is super simple and doesn’t need to cook for hours. It’s also super easy to prepare the elements ahead of time. This is my idea of healthy comfort food.
I’ve used Rosmarino Pasta in this one. It’s also known as Risoni or Orzo, which is basically rice shaped pasta. You can feel free to omit this element completely or serve this with any other pasta or side of your choice. I just love the ease of adding a cup of this pasta to the stew close to the end of the cooking time and not having to cook something separate.
If you love meatballs, check out my Mini Meatballs, Spiced Lamb Meatballs or Chicken & Sage Meatballs recipes.
Italian Meatball Stew
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 500 grams Free Range Lean Minced Beef* or substitute with lamb
- 1 Tbsp Dried Italian Herb Mix
- ½ – 1 tsp Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Clove of garlic (crushed) or 1tsp garlic powder
- ½ Cup Breadcrumbs I use crushed Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp Fresh herbs or chives, Finely chopped
- 1 tsp Wholegrain Mustard
- 1 Egg
Stew
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil (divided)
- ½ Cup Onion Finely chopped
- 2 Cloves of garlic Crushed
- ½ Cup Carrots Finely chopped
- ½ Cup Celery Finely chopped
- ½ Cup Diced Parsnips Optional
- ¼ Cup Red Wine Optional
- 1 Bottle of Passata or 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp Sugar Optional
- 1 Tbsp Dried Italian Herb Mix
- 1 – 2 Cups Vegetable Stock
- Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste
- 1 Cup Rosmarino / Risoni / Orzo Pasta
- ½ Cup Fresh Basil Finely chopped
- ¼ Cup Fresh parsley Finely chopped
Instructions
Meatballs
- Add the mince to a mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper and the dried mixed herbs. Then add the crushed garlic, chives and breadcrumbs
- Next, add the mustard and egg and mix well until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed through (if the mixture is too wet, add more breadcrumbs)
- Form the mince mixture into roughly tablespoon sized meatballs (I get between 20 – 24 meatballs out of this mixture)
- You can prepare these ahead of time. They will store for a day or two in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze until needed. If frozen, defrost completely before use
Stew
- Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot and bring to medium high heat. Cook the meatballs in batches, a couple of minutes on each side, just to give them a little colour. They do not need to be cooked through as you will be adding then to the stew. Remove and set aside for adding back later
- When you've browned the meatballs, add a little more olive oil to the pot if needed, then add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and parsnips (if using) to the pot and reduce the heat to medium. Gently sauté the veggies until they start to soften slightly
- Next, add the red wine if using. Ensure the heat is on medium so that you can cook out the alcohol. Use the wine to deglaze the pot (use a spoon or spatula to loosen any bits of meat off the bottom of the pot)
- After around 3 – 4 minutes, add the passata / tinned tomatoes and a teaspoon of sugar (this helps with the acidity of the tomatoes but is optional). Next, add the dried hers and a cup of stock. Mix through and add salt and pepper, tasting until the seasoning is to your taste. Cook for around 10 minutes
- Place the meatballs into the stew and cook for around 5 minutes. At this time check if you have enough liquid as the pasta will absorb quite a bit. You can add another cup of stock if needed
- Finally, add the Rosmarino pasta and cook for around 10 – 12 minutes. When the pasta is cooked to your liking, taste again to see if the stew needs more seasoning, then add the fresh chopped herbs and serve
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