🍝 Creamy Vodka Rigatoni with Homemade Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
* 2.8 lbs ground beef
* 4 slices bread
* About ½ cup milk, enough to soak the bread
* 4 eggs
* 1 bag Parmesan cheese, shredded or shaved
* A bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
* 2 tbsp garlic powder
* 2 tbsp onion powder
* Ketchup, a few good squirts
* Salt & pepper, to taste
Vodka Sauce & Pasta
* 1 box rigatoni
* 1 onion, chopped
* 10+ cloves garlic, chopped
* Olive oil
* 1 can tomato paste
* 1 pint heavy whipping cream
* 2 shots vodka, or more
* ½ cup reserved pasta water
* Salt & pepper, to taste
* Fresh parsley, for topping
* Parmesan, for topping
* Hot red pepper flakes, for topping
Directions
Start with the meatballs. Add the 4 slices of bread directly into a large bowl and pour the milk over them, letting the bread soak it up. Add the ground beef, eggs, Parmesan, chopped parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, ketchup, salt and pepper. Mix everything together really well, then roll into meatballs. This made me about 32 meatballs.
Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and bake at 385°F for 30–35 minutes, or until cooked through.
While the meatballs are cooking, get your rigatoni boiling according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water.
While the pasta is cooking, start your vodka sauce. Chop your onion and garlic. Add a good drizzle of olive oil to a large pan and fry the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste and mix everything together. Add the vodka and let it simmer for a few minutes to cook the alcohol out.
Slowly whisk in the heavy whipping cream until everything is smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Add the reserved pasta water and mix everything together. Add the cooked rigatoni directly into the vodka sauce and toss until every noodle is coated.
Serve the creamy vodka rigatoni with the homemade meatballs, fresh parsley, Parmesan and hot red pepper flakes. 🔥🍝
This makes a double batch of meatballs, so freeze half for another meal!
Measure with your heart and adjust everything to your taste! #tiktokrecipecontest #dinner #vodkasauce #pasta #easyrecipe