One-Pot Swedish Meatball Pasta in 45 Minutes

You need one pot for this whole dinner. Meatballs go in first, then broth, milk and egg noodles follow, and the starch from the pasta thickens everything into a sauce. Four servings, about 45 minutes from start to plate.

The trick is stirring. Egg noodles sitting still in milk and broth will stick to the bottom and scorch. Stay at the pot for the last 7 or 8 minutes and move them around.

You get a creamy sauce with no cream in it. Milk plus Parmesan plus pasta starch does the work. The Worcestershire gives it that savory edge Swedish meatballs usually get from a beef base.

Tips & Tricks

• Mix the meatball ingredients with your hands until just combined. Overworking the beef makes the meatballs tough.
• Brown the meatballs for one minute per side. They finish cooking in the sauce, so you want color, not doneness.
• Keep the heat at medium-high when you add the noodles and stir without stopping.
• Taste before you add the Parmesan. Both the cheese and the Worcestershire bring salt.
• If the sauce looks thin at the end, cook one more minute uncovered. If it looks thick, splash in a little broth or milk.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Mix the meatballs

Put the beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, half the salt and half the pepper in a bowl. Work it together with your hands until no dry patches are left.

2. Roll and brown

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Roll golf-ball-sized meatballs and set them in the pot in a single layer. Cook one minute, then flip them.

3. Add the liquid

Pour in the broth, milk and Worcestershire, then add the rest of the salt and pepper. Stir once to loosen anything stuck to the bottom.

4. Simmer the noodles

Bring the pot to a boil, then add the egg noodles. Stir constantly for 7 to 8 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the liquid has thickened enough to cling to them.

5. Finish with cheese and parsley

Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan and parsley until the cheese melts, then serve right away.

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One-Pot Swedish Meatball Pasta in 45 Minutes

Tender beef meatballs, egg noodles and a creamy Parmesan sauce cook together in one pot, so dinner lands on the table in about 45 minutes.

15 minPrep time30 minCook time45 minTotal4Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
• ½ onion (finely minced)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt (divided, or to taste)
• 1 tablespoon pepper (divided)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 4 cups egg noodle
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• ½ cup fresh parsley (chopped)

Instructions

1. 1Mix the meatballs — Put the beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, half the salt and half the pepper in a bowl. Work it together with your hands until no dry patches are left.
2. 2Roll and brown — Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Roll golf-ball-sized meatballs and set them in the pot in a single layer. Cook one minute, then flip them.
3. 3Add the liquid — Pour in the broth, milk and Worcestershire, then add the rest of the salt and pepper. Stir once to loosen anything stuck to the bottom.
4. 4Simmer the noodles — Bring the pot to a boil, then add the egg noodles. Stir constantly for 7 to 8 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the liquid has thickened enough to cling to them.
5. 5Finish with cheese and parsley — Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the Parmesan and parsley until the cheese melts, then serve right away.

Cook's note: Kosher salt is coarser than table salt, so measure by brand and taste as you go. The Parmesan and Worcestershire both add salt, which is why the recipe splits the seasoning between the meat and the pot.

Servings: 4

Cuisine: Swedish-American

Course: Main Course

RecipesCooker15 minutes30 minutes45 minutes

Written by Darnell
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.