Swedish Meatball Pasta Bake

• servings: Yields: 6 Servings
• total time: 26 minutes

Ingredients

The Meatballs (Homemade or Frozen)

Meat: 1 lb ground beef (or a beef/pork blend for more traditional flavor)

Binder: ½ cup breadcrumbs or Panko, 1 large egg, and ¼ cup milk

Spices: ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, and ¼ tsp ground allspice

Aromatics: ½ small onion (finely grated) and 1 clove garlic (minced)

Shortcut: Use 24–28 oz of frozen pre-cooked Swedish-style meatballs.

The Pasta & Sauce

Pasta: 10–12 oz short pasta (egg noodles, rotini, penne, or bowtie)

Roux: 3–4 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

Liquid: 2–3 cups beef broth and 1 cup heavy cream

Seasonings: 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Cheese: 1–1.5 cups shredded mozzarella or Swiss cheese

Directions

Prep Oven & Pasta: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Boil the pasta in salted water until just al dente (it will continue cooking in the oven). Drain and spread evenly in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.

Cook Meatballs: In a large bowl, mix meatball ingredients. Form into 1-inch balls and brown in a skillet with a little olive oil until golden on all sides. They do not need to be fully cooked through yet. Nestle the meatballs into the pasta in the baking dish.

Prepare the Sauce: In the same skillet used for the meatballs, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes to create a roux. Slowly stir in the beef broth and heavy cream. Add the Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and a pinch of nutmeg/allspice. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.

Assemble & Bake: Pour the creamy sauce evenly over the meatballs and pasta. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.

Bake: Place in the oven for 20–30 minutes until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and golden brown.

Serve: Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with a side of lingon