Baked Meatballs with Orzo in Roasted Pepper Sauce

Total Time: 50 minutes

4.6 from 44 votes

Baked Meatballs with Orzo in Roasted Pepper Sauce. These could probably be the best meatballs & pasta you’ll ever make. There’re so many hidden layers of flavors in this dish. The meatballs are tender but firm, made with ground beef and ricotta. Then drenched in a rich eggplant & roasted bell pepper tomato sauce together with the orzo. Good news! You only need one pan to cook the entire dish.

Baked Meatballs with Orzo in Roasted Pepper Sauce

Why You’ll Love It

To nail this dish, we add ricotta and softened bread crumbs to the meat. This way the meatballs will never come out dry and you’ll get a softer, but still toothsome meatball. We mix them with our hands, but be sure you don’t over mix. The shorter you mix and form the balls, the lighter they will be. If you overwork the meatballs, they’ll get tough.
When all the meatballs are formed, we brown them in olive oil, then transfer to a plate and throw the chopped shallot and garlic into the pan. Let them sweat a bit, then add the eggplant. It will add a nice texture and flavor to the sauce without dominating it too much.

Now we also add orzo, and pour in the tomato sauce mixed with roasted bell peppers, some tomato paste and chicken broth. The roasted bell peppers are a must. I used a jar, so no effort, but this is what makes the sauce taste so delicious. It adds a subtle sweetness you can’t get with any other ingredient. The tomato paste gives the sauce a perfect concentrated flavor together with the crushed tomatoes so you’ll have a rich and a pretty smooth sauce. The depth of flavor it adds is almost like you’ve been letting it cook for hours.

We cook the orzo in that flavorful sauce, then transfer the meatballs back into the pan. As finishing touch, we add mozzarella and bake everything a couple of minutes in the oven. And there you have it…the best meatballs ever. Yep, and only one pan.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube.

Baked Meatballs with Orzo in Roasted Pepper Sauce

Helpful Tips

  • Can’t find orzo? Use any other tiny shaped pasta, or leave it out and serve this dish with spaghetti or some bread.
  • You can also swap the eggplant for grated zucchini.
  • Or make it without mozzarella. It’s all up to you.
  • Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Similar Recipes

Baked Meatballs with Orzo in Roasted Pepper Sauce

Cooking Video

baked meatballs with orzo in roasted pepper sauce
4.6 from 44 votes

Baked Meatballs with Orzo in Roasted Pepper Sauce

There’re so many hidden layers of flavors in this dish. The meatballs are tender but firm, made with ground beef combined with ricotta. Drenched in a rich eggplant and roasted bell pepper tomato sauce together with the orzo. You'll only need one pan to cook the entire dish.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 40 minutes
Total 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 811

Ingredients 
 

Tomato sauce

  • 1 can (15 oz/400 g) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 small jar (10 oz/280 g) roasted bell peppers - liquid drained
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

Meatballs

  • 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1.1 pounds ground beef
  • 1 garlic clove - finely minced or grated
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbsp ricotta - or heavy cream
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

Orzo

  • 6 tbsp olive oil - divided
  • 1 shallot - finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves - minced
  • 1 eggplant - diced
  • 7 ounces orzo
  • salt - to taste
  • black pepper - to taste
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • 5 ounces grated mozzarella
  • fresh thyme - for sprinkling

Instructions 

  • In a high speed blender add crushed tomatoes, broth, roasted peppers and tomato paste. Blend until smooth.
  • For the meatballs, place the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  • In the meantime, dice the eggplant, slice the shallot and mince the garlic.
  • Add the beef, egg, garlic, ricotta, seasoning, salt and pepper to the breadcrumbs. Mix just until combined, using your hands. Roll the meat into 2-tablespoon sized balls.
  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
  • In a large oven-proof skillet, heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, remove from skillet.
  • In the same skillet, add shallot and garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add 3 tbsp olive oil, then the eggplant cubes. Cook for 5 minutes, and add in orzo. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Stir in prepared tomato sauce, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme, basil and chili flakes. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on very low heat for 8 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir from time to time with a wooden spoon.  If needed, add a little bit of water.
  • Add meatballs to the sauce, simmer for 5 minutes or until the orzo is al dente. Sprinkle with mozzarella and fresh thyme. Place in the oven until the mozzarella is melted and golden, about 10 minutes. Serve!

Nutrition

Calories: 811kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 34gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 465mgPotassium: 937mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 930IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 128mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was below!


Comments

21 responses to “Baked Meatballs with Orzo in Roasted Pepper Sauce”

  1. Linda Cardinal Avatar
    Linda Cardinal

    5 stars
    WOW!!! I will make this but use turkey instead of beef. Thanks much for this recipe.

    1. Thank you so much Linda! I am really glad you like this and I hope it turns out amazing for you!

    2. Jess Avatar
      Jess

      How did it turn out with turkey? I want to make this with turkey too!

    3. Natalie Cox Avatar
      Natalie Cox

      How many does this serve please?

      1. Hi Natalie, it serves 4. Enjoy the recipe!

  2. Linda Avatar
    Linda

    Could i use yougurt instead of ricotta? I’d rather not buy a whole container for 3 tbsps

    1. Yes, yogurt will work here as well. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any more questions!

  3. James W. Avatar
    James W.

    Quick question on the peppers and tomatoes; what size cans are they? Here the tomatoes come in 14oz and 28oz sizes, and the peppers come in 12oz and 16oz jars. Thanks!

    1. Hi James, I used the 14 oz can tomatoes and a 12 oz jar roasted peppers. But the bigger jar with peppers will work here as well. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions!

  4. Sara Avatar
    Sara

    5 stars
    This is seriously amazing. I doubled the recipe. My 9 and 11 year old both got thirds.

    1. That’s so nice to hear! I’m really glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for giving it a try!

  5. I made this ! I substituted crumbled sausage! Delicious!

    1. That’s so nice to hear! I’m really happy you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it!

  6. Dave Hudak Avatar
    Dave Hudak

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner tonight- very delicious!! My wife even complimented it. Very Mediterranean flavored. Loved it. Thank you for all the great recipes, I have saved others to try out – can’t wait

    1. Hi Dave, thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was a winner!
      Happy cooking, Anna

  7. 5 stars
    This was fantastic. It was familiar enough that the family was happy to try it but also unique flavor wise. I think when I make it again I’ll skip the smoked paprika but that’s just a personal preference.

    1. Hi Liz, thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:)

  8. How much orzo do you use? How big do you make the meatballs?

    1. Hi Mel, for orzo – it’s about 1 cup. The meatballs are 2 tablespoons in size. Happy cooking!

  9. Caitlin Avatar
    Caitlin

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe tonight for dinner. Made a couple tweaks based upon ingredients I had on hand but I love how rich and flavorful it was!

    1. So glad you enjoyed Caitlin!

4.60 from 44 votes (39 ratings without comment)

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