Pasta is always wanted and favourite meal in my family. One of the important thing – it shouldn’t be overcooked, then I add some sauce and voilà – super speedy and tasty dish is on the table! During this week I made these rigatoni. They look awesome and tasty, don’t they? 🙂 I also had some minced veal in the freezer, plus a can of whole tomatoes and fresh basil. You simply can’t go wrong with these nice ingredients! This flavourful and tasty lunch or dinner can be ready in a half hour or less. Enjoy!
Rigatoni with mini meatballs
You can also add a quail egg to the meat mixture, optional.
Ingredients
250g dry rigatoni
Mini meatballs
150-160g veal or beef, finely minced
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Tomato sauce
1 shallot or 1/4 medium onion
1/2 tsp dried garlic (or 1 chopped garlic clove), optional
1 can of whole tomatoes (about 250g drained)
1/3 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp dark muscovado sugar (or sub with white)
freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp olive oil, for frying
Garnish
some parmesan shavings
few basil leaves
Method
- In a bowl, mix meat mince with onion and all spices. Shape small meatballs – about 2cm in diameter. Place them in a greased baking tin and roast in preheated 200C oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan on a medium-high heat, add chopped onion and garlic, saute for 5-7 minutes. Add whole tomatoes, roughly crush them with a spoon. Add oregano, sugar, salt and pepper, and simmer on a low-medium heat for 5-8 minutes until it’s thicken a bit.
- Transfer mini meatballs in a tomato sauce, cover and simmer for 5 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning.
- Bring a large pan of salted water to boil. Add dried rigatoni and cook according instruction on a pack. Drain, drizzle with olive oil.
- Put rigatoni on a serving plate, pour over the tomato sauce with mini meatballs. Top with parmesan shavings and basil leaves.
Enjoy!
milkandbun 
This looks too good…
Yes, it’s nice fish for pasta-lovers!😀
Always a winner on my list! 😜
Could you suggest which sauce or vegetable is also good with rigatoni?😊
Mila, they are very versitile because they are able to “keep” the sauce because of their ridges as opposed to flat pasta like penne. I use them with any kind of pesto (tomato or basil), lemon sauce or alfredo sauce, for my carbonara and for any vegetable base sauce (for example cooked red peppers or asparagus blended with some soft cheese – robiola or ricotta – a bit of olive oil, salt and black ground pepper). I like to make rigatoni with Brussels sprout or zucchini or artichokes too. 😍
Oh goodness! Everything sounds mouthwatering, Francesca! 😀 I have to try asap to mix bell peppers with cheese, sounds awesome. Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your reply!
Yumm looks so delicious!
You are very kind; thank you!☺️
love it!!
Perfect for the season. Simple and classic.
For me pasta is always in a season.. hehe 😀
What a delicious looking pasta Mila. I love meatballs and especially like the mini size you made them. 🙂
Hello-hello! How are you doing, Seana? Glad to hear a word from you! 🙂
Looks like a delicious meal! I am always looking for good meatball recipes, since my son loves them so much. I would like to try this one!
I believe your son will love mini size of meatballs! 🙂 Have a lovely weekend, Jenny!
oh wow you made it perfectly! In Italy we always make tiny meatballs, we always prefere to keep them smaller 😉
Really? I haven’t known that! Now I’m feeling more proud of myself! Thanks a lot for the commenting!
This is one of my kids favourite meals, can’t go wrong with pasta and meatballs!
Mine as well! 🙂