One Pot Swedish Meatballs with Orzo
, Published Sep 01, 2024
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One pot Swedish meatballs with orzo is the perfect combination of easy and delicious. Delicious pork meatballs cooked in a rich gravy with orzo pasta and finished with cream and Parmesan. A hugely comforting meal that’s sure to be a hit with the family.
I have been on a bit of a meatball roll lately. Chicken Piccata meatballs, Butter Chicken meatballs, Marry Me Chicken meatballs… basically ALL THE MEATBALLS 🙂 This latest recipe is yet another one pot wonder and Swedish Meatballs Pasta ticks all the boxes.
⭐ Ready in 30 minutes
⭐ So easy!
⭐ Freaking delicious
Above all it’s the kind of meal my kids polish off without ANY fuss and that’s nothing short of a miracle. Now that my son is a hungry hungry teen, I am asked “what’s for dinner” as soon as lunch is over… I am sure most parents can relate.
Swedish Meatball Pasta Ingredients
I am making the Swedish meatballs from scratch but you can also use store-bought frozen Swedish meatballs if you like to make this weekday meal even quicker and easier. I usually grab a big bag of those whenever we are mooching around Ikea. You got to, am I right??
- Ground pork or a combo of ground pork and ground beef for the meatballs
- Shallots, very finely chopped or grated
- An egg to bind the meatballs
- Fresh breadcrumbs
- Fresh dill and parsley
- Swedish honey mustard or Dijon plus a little honey
- Tomato paste
- Butter and oil to fry
- Beef broth
- Cream for an uber silky and rich gravy
- Orzo pasta or other small dried pasta shapes
- Salt, white pepper, onion granules and nutmeg
- Freshly grated Parmesan
How to Make One Pot Swedish Meatballs with Orzo
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Combine the ground pork, shallots, breadcrumbs, egg, mustard, tomato paste, chopped herbs, salt, white pepper and garlic powder in a bowl. Mix well to combine the ingredients, adding a splash of the cream if needed.
Form the meatballs using a small cookie scoop and roll them in greased hands – you will have 20-24 meatballs.
Heat the oil and butter in a skillet and pan fry the meatballs over medium heat, gently flipping them over until they are golden. Set them aside on a plate. They don’t have to be fully cooked through at this stage as they will be cooking further later.
Lower the heat and add the orzo to the pan, toasting it for a minute or so in the oil. Still in the beef broth and bring to a simmer.
Add the meatballs back into the pan and cook, gently stirring once in a while so that the orzo doesn’t stick, for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.
Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan. Have a taste to check whether you need to add salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped dill and parsley and serve!
Recipe Notes
- To can make a vegetarian or vegan version of this dish: simply use plant based meatballs, vegetable broth and a plant based cream alternative.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Add some cream or hot water when reheating as the orzo tends to soak up all the sauce. Please note this dish is not suitable for freezing.
- If you are using store-bought meatballs you can follow the recipe as written. You can even pan fry frozen Swedish meatballs without thawing them first.
You will also like…
- Cajun Dirty Orzo
- One-Pot Mushroom Orzo (Mushroom Orzotto)
- Creamy Tuscan Orzo (One Pot)
- Lemon Chickpea Orzo Soup
HAVE YOU MADE MY ONE POT SWEDISH MEATBALL PASTA RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
One Pot Swedish Meatballs with Orzo
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
For the meatballs
- 1.2 lbs (500g) ground pork or beef (mince)
- 3 shallots minced or finely chopped
- ½ cup (55g) fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp honey mustard (sweet Swedish mustard)
- 1 tsp tomato paste (optional)
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp onion powder (or granules)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp cream if needed
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or as needed
- 1 tbsp butter
You will also need
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) orzo pasta
- 2 cups (480ml) low sodium beef broth or use a stockpot/ stock cube
- 2 cups (480ml) hot water
- ⅓ cup (80ml) cream heavy / double
- 4 tbsp grated Parmesan plus extra, to serve
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley to serve
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill to serve (optional)
- salt and freshly ground pepper to season
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients for the meatballs apart from the cream into a mixing bowl. Mix well to combine the ingredients, adding a splash of the cream if needed.1.2 lbs (500g) ground pork or beef, ½ cup (55g) fresh breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp honey mustard , 1 tsp tomato paste, 1 egg, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground white pepper, ¼ tsp grated nutmeg, 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 2 tbsp cream, 3 shallots
- Form the meatballs using a small cookie scoop and roll them in greased hands – you will have 20-24 meatballs.
- Heat the oil and butter in a skillet and pan fry the meatballs over medium heat, gently flipping them over until they are golden. Set them aside on a plate. They don't have to be fully cooked through at this stage as they will be cooking further later.2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp butter
- Lower the heat and add the orzo to the pan, toasting it for a minute or so in the oil. Still in the beef broth and water and bring to a simmer.1 ¼ cups (250g) orzo pasta, 2 cups (480ml) low sodium beef broth, 2 cups (480ml) hot water
- Add the meatballs back into the pan and cook, gently stirring once in a while, for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is al dente.
- Stir in the cream and grated Parmesan. Have a taste to check whether you need to add salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped dill and parsley and serve!⅓ cup (80ml) cream, 4 tbsp grated Parmesan, 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill, salt and freshly ground pepper
Notes
- To can make a vegetarian or vegan version of this dish: simply use plant based meatballs, vegetable broth and a plant based cream alternative.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. Add some cream or hot water when reheating as the orzo tends to soak up all the sauce. Please note this dish is not suitable for freezing.
- If you are using store-bought meatballs you can follow the recipe as written. You can even pan fry frozen Swedish meatballs without thawing them first.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
