Beef

Greek Pasta and Meatballs

February  8, 2010
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

A Greek twist on the favorite comfort food. Herby meatballs and a simple tomato sauce make this easy, healthy weeknight meal a delicious choice. —TheThinChef

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more for sauce
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, divided OR 2 teaspoons dried dill, divided
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, divided
  • 3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
  • 3/4 pound lean ground meat (i.e. beef, lamb, turkey, or chicken)
  • 1 egg white
  • 2/3 cup uncooked orzo
  • 2 to 2 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes or great-quality jarred marinara sauce
  • Crumbled feta cheese, to taste
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400º. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Combine oil and onion in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook until mostly translucent, about 3 minutes. Add 1 clove minced garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir, and cook until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer onion mixture to a small bowl, and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh dill (or 1 teaspoon dried dill), 1 tablespoon mint, breadcrumbs, and cooled onion mixture in a medium bowl. Add ground meat and egg white. Use your hands to mix everything thoroughly, being careful not to squish or compact the meat too much. Roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs (you should end up with about 20 total). As you roll them, place meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake meatballs until tops are golden brown and insides are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the kind of meat you choose.
  4. While meatballs bake, cook orzo according to package directions. Heat the remaining oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add remaining garlic, and stir until fragrant and just turning golden. Add crushed tomatoes or marinara, and remaining herbs. Stir, and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through.
  5. To serve, divide orzo among 4 serving bowls. Spoon 1/2 cup sauce over each serving, and top with 4 or 5 meatballs. Top with crumbled feta, or pass it at the table so everyone can add the amount they prefer.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • TheThinChef
    TheThinChef
  • amandam1
    amandam1

2 Reviews

TheThinChef February 22, 2010
Oh gosh, I left out that step! Thanks for letting me know. I edited it to add in the step :)
 
amandam1 February 22, 2010
this looks delicious but could you tell me the cooking time for the meatballs? it doesn't seem to say how long they should bake for... thanks!