Description
A comforting Italian-inspired recipe featuring juicy garlic butter meatballs paired with creamy Parmesan linguine. This easy stovetop dish blends bold flavors of garlic, Parmesan, and fresh parsley, making it a perfect weeknight dinner for 4.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Meatballs:
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Garlic Butter Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Linguine:
- 8 ounces linguine pasta
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Reserved pasta water as needed for thinning sauce
Instructions
- Cook the linguine: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the linguine according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining and toss the cooked linguine with olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Prepare the meatball mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef or turkey, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, egg, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently until just combined to avoid tough meatballs. Roll the mixture into 1-inch meatballs.
- Cook the meatballs: Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides and fully cooked through, about 10–12 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the skillet and set aside.
- Make the garlic butter sauce: In the same skillet, melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
- Combine meatballs and sauce: Return the cooked meatballs to the skillet and toss gently to coat them in the garlic butter sauce.
- Toss pasta and finish the dish: Add the cooked linguine to the skillet with the meatballs and garlic butter. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and gradually add reserved pasta water as needed to create a silky, slightly thickened sauce that coats both the pasta and meatballs evenly.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the dish for color and freshness. Serve hot with extra Parmesan cheese on the side if desired.
Notes
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine to the garlic butter sauce to brighten flavors.
- Substitute zucchini noodles for linguine to create a low-carb version of this dish.
- Use ground turkey for a leaner meatball option.
- Reserve pasta water carefully to adjust sauce consistency while keeping the dish creamy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 115mg
