Italian style pork meatballs with creamy tomato sauce

Delicious, homemade, Italian style pork meatballs served in a creamy tomato sauce. Pour them over pasta and you have an amazing dinner!

Sometimes it is great to make your own homemade meatballs and pasta sauce. It is easier than you think and you can use pork, beef or even chicken mince. I have used pork mince to make these tasty Italian style meatballs. They are a quick, delicious family friendly option as the herbs and spices are subtle and not overwhelming. 

How to make Pork meatballs:

This recipe is super easy to make you just combine the meatball ingredients, roll them up, fry them, then put them to the side while you make the delicious tomato sauce. Add the pork meatballs back to the sauce, stir in some cream and serve on top of pasta. I served my meatballs with fresh Linguine and loads of Parmesan grated on top.

To give my pork meatballs an Italian flair I added garlic powder, salt, pepper, Italian flat leaf parsley and some mixed herbs. You just combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl then roll it into small balls. This recipe makes about 30 meatballs and serves 4-6 people depending on how hungry you are.

I’m so happy with the way this recipe turned out! The flavours all go together so well. I hope your family enjoys eating this recipe as much as my family did.

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If you are looking for more meatball recipe ideas check out my Meatball Stroganoff or One-pot Baked Meatballs and Baked Mexican Meatballs and Rice

Common questions about Pork Meatball pasta:

Can I use different types of pasta? Yes of course, use any pasta type that your family loves. Penne, spaghetti, fusilli, pappardelle and fettuccine would work really well. These types of pasta are great for thick creamy sauces.

Do I have to use pork mince? No, you can use beef, chicken or a combination of two.

Can I freeze this meal?  Yes once it has cooled down to room temperature. Freeze the meatballs and sauce in an airtight container for up to three months and cook fresh pasta when you re-heat it.

Can I freeze the raw meatballs?  Yes, that is a great idea. I often make a big double batch of meatballs, roll them all up then freeze half for later in an airtight container or snap-lock bag and cook the other half up for dinner.

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Italian style pork meatballs with creamy tomato sauce

Yield: 4-6 serves

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

These delicious meatballs are served in a creamy tomato sauce, pour them over pasta and you have one amazing family dinner!

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Ingredients

Pork Meatballs

• 500 g pork mince
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 handful of Italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 4 Tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp mixed herbs
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of grated parmesan 

Tomato sauce

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp mixed herbs
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup cream

To serve

• 400g pasta - cooked
• Parmesan
• Italian parsley

Instructions

1. In a bowl combine together all of the ingredients for the pork meatballs and roll into small balls, chill in the fridge until ready to fry. I had about 30 small meatballs. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a large frypan brown pork meatballs on all sides then remove and cover with foil.
3. To make the tomato sauce, sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, mixed herbs and sugar then simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper
4. Add the meatballs back to the hot tomato sauce and simmer for five minutes turning meatballs to coat all over in the sauce. 
5. Pour in the cream and then gently stir meatballs and sauce until mixed in.
6. Serve your meatballs on top of cooked pasta (I used fresh linguine) with lots of freshly grated Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

• To save time in the evening you can prep the meatballs during the day and keep them in the fridge.
• You can use your preferred mince meat or a combination of pork, beef or chicken.
• This sauce also works well without the cream if you just want a rich tomato sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 549Total Fat: 31gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 140mgSodium: 749mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 32g

Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.

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