Pork Meatballs and Bacon Pasta Recipe (Video). Comfort food!

Pork meatballs and bacon in tasty sauce are real comfort food. My family was just delighted with them! They liked these meatballs so much that they asked for seconds. But what’s not to like here? After all, in this dish, there are delicious meatballs, crispy bacon, broth and flavourous sauce, and your favorite pasta. Imagine all the good flavours in one dish!

I chose a small-shaped pasta, but if you prefer longer pasta like spaghetti, they also work great here. Of course, you can also replace the noodles with rice or potatoes.

This dish is quite simple to prepare, and the longest step in the preparation is making the meatballs. But believe, it's worth it!

You can have it on tables in 40-45 minutes and the meatballs are tender, but at the same time, they’re not falling apart. As for the bacon, it’s just an exciting addition to the meatballs, so if you don’t like it or don’t have it at home, you can skip it. However, I encourage you to add it to this dish. The bacon adds a nice crunch here.

So, don’t waste time!

Let’s get cooking Pork Meatballs and Bacon Pasta…

Ingredients you will need to prepare Pork Meatballs and Bacon Pasta

Make sure you’re using high-quality ingredients.

Ground Pork Meat – I did all – pork meat meatballs, but if you prefer mixed meatballs you can add some ground beef meat. Good quality meat is essential, so make sure you’re buying really good stuff.

Broth – you will need chicken or vegetable broth. It will add more flavor to the sauce.

Whipping cream, light whipping cream – whipping cream contains between 30% to 36% milkfat. Note that this type of cream may have different names depending on the country you live in.

Egg – you need one egg in this recipe.

Bread Crumbs – you are welcome to use any breadcrumbs that you have on hand.

Milk – you will need only two tablespoons of milk… You will mix a bit of milk with the breadcrumbs to form a panade, which will help to keep your meatballs moist.

Spices – I recommend using paprika powder. It will add flavor to your meatballs. You can use sweet paprika, hot paprika, or smoked paprika.

Salt and pepper – the amount of salt and pepper that you’ll use depends on your taste.

Garlic – if you have big cloves of garlic use two, if you have smaller ones, you can use three.

Herbs – you can use any herbs you want. This time I used dill, but you may use fresh parsley, oregano, or basil.

Flour – you will need some flour to coat the meatballs before frying.

Pasta – you can use any pasta you want, but I recommend using short pasta shapes. Also, nothing stops you from substituting pasta with a rise of fried potatoes.

Oil/olive oil – you will need some for frying the meatballs.

HOW TO MAKE PORK MEATBALLS AND BACON PASTA – STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO

STEP 1

Place the minced (ground) meat in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Combine all the ingredients, using your hand. Salt and pepper should combine well with the meat.

STEP 2

Mix breadcrumbs with milk until the bread becomes soggy and will have the consistency of wet sand.

STEP 3

Combine the pork with egg, breadcrumbs, spices, and grated garlic until all ingredients are well blended. Shape the pork into meatballs. Form meatballs slightly larger than walnuts. Put some flour in a separate bowl and coat the meatballs in flour.

STEP 4

Heat the oil/olive oil in the pan and fry the meatballs. Fry for about 2 minutes on each side. I recommend only browning the meatballs in the pan. This trick will create a lovely texture on the outside of the meatball. The middle of the meatballs will remain soft and undercooked (they will be ready to eat after cooking in the sauce).

 STEP 5

Boil the broth in a large pot. Put the meatballs in the pot and bring them to a boil. Cover and cook for about 20 -25 minutes, in the meantime, stir the meatballs at least once.

STEP 6

While meatballs are still cooking you may want to prepare the bacon. I had small bacon pieces, which were sold separately in my local store, so I didn’t have to chop them. If you have a whole piece o bacon cut it into smaller pieces. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until the bacon is ready, brown, and crispy.

STEP 7

Add the cream to the broth and stir. Cook uncovered for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Season with freshly ground pepper, nutmeg powder, and salt if needed. Add chopped herbs.

STEP 8

Meatballs with bacon in the sauce are ready. You can combine them with your favorite pasta, rice, or fried potatoes.