Better than traditional spaghetti and meatballs, Meatball Macaroni and Cheese features meatballs layered with tomato-basil pasta sauce, fontina, and Parmesan baked with bucatini pasta. It’s the ultimate pasta lovers dish.

Meatball Macaroni and Cheese
2015-02-05 23:31:23

Yield: approximately 6 servings
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1⁄4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1⁄2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 1⁄2 cups shredded fontina cheese, divided
- 1 (16-ounce) package bucatini pasta, cooked
- Italian Meatballs (recipe follows)
- 1 (24-ounce) jar tomato-basil pasta sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Whisk in milk, garlic, salt, oregano, red pepper, and nutmeg. Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup Parmesan and 1 cup fontina until melted. Remove from heat.
- Stir in cooked pasta. Spoon mixture into prepared dish; top with Italian Meatballs, pasta sauce, remaining 1⁄2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1⁄2 cup fontina.
- Bake until bubbly and cheese melts, approximately 20 minutes.
Taste of the South https://www.tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/
Italian Meatballs
2015-02-05 23:32:16
Yield: 12 meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1⁄2 cup Japanese bread crumbs (panko)
- 1⁄2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1⁄4 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, gently combine beef, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, milk, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Shape mixture into 12 (11⁄2-inch) balls. Place on prepared pan.
- Bake until cooked through, approximately 15 minutes.
Taste of the South https://www.tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/