Creamy Tomato Penne & Beef Meatballs
with Fresh Tomato & Parmesan
- Milk
- Wheat
Now with leaner ground beef! You asked, we listened: This isn't the HelloFresh you remember. Bigger menu. Upgraded recipes. Increased portion sizes. More variety. The best way to cook dinner just got BETTER. Is there anything better than a plate of pasta and meatballs? In our flavorful riff, tender Italian-spiced meatballs join al dente penne in a rich, garlicky, creamy sauce enhanced with tangy, umami sun-dried tomato paste. The dish is finished with juicy bites of seasoned tomato and a shower of Parmesan.
Ingredients
1 ounce
Sun-Dried Tomato Paste
10 ounce
Ground Beef
4 ounce
Cream Sauce Base
(Contains: Milk)
6 ounce
Penne Pasta
(Contains: Wheat)
1 clove
Garlic
1 tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
3 tablespoon
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 unit
Tomato
¼ cup
Panko Breadcrumbs
(Contains: Wheat)
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Olive Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.
Dice tomato into ¼-inch pieces. Peel and mince or grate garlic.
In a large bowl, combine beef*, panko, Italian Seasoning, and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
Form into 10-12 1½-inch meatballs (20-24 meatballs for 4 servings) and arrange on a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Roast on top rack until browned and cooked through, 14-16 minutes.
Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.
Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 4 servings), then drain.
Meanwhile, toss tomato in a small bowl with a drizzle of olive oil (large drizzle for 4 servings), salt, and pepper. Set aside until ready to serve.
Once pasta is done, heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30-60 seconds.
Add cream sauce base, sun-dried tomato paste, and ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water (½ cup for 4 servings). Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and combined, 1-2 minutes.
Add drained pasta; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.
Divide pasta between shallow bowls. Top with meatballs, tomato, and Parmesan. Serve.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many found it tasty, though some felt it needed more seasoning. Consider adding extra herbs or garlic for deeper flavor 🍲.
- Ease of prep: Quick and simple to make, perfect for busy weeknights. Some found forming meatballs time-consuming; consider larger, fewer meatballs.
- Suggestions: Cook tomatoes with sauce instead of adding raw. Reduce Italian seasoning in meatballs; distribute between meat and pasta for balance.
- Leftovers: Some had plenty left over, but noted it didn't reheat well. Consider adjusting portion sizes if not eating immediately.
- Sauce: Many wished for more sauce. Add extra pasta water or tomato paste for a creamier, more abundant sauce.
- Meatballs: Some found meatballs dry or bland. Try cooking them briefly in the sauce to improve moisture and flavor.
Reviews from our home cooks
The tomatoes that came in the meal were not ripe, so I had to switch out for my own from the farmers market. The meatballs were made per recipe directions, but were dry. There needed to be more sauce that would coat the meatballs. I did add garlic powder to the meatball mixture.
I wish they offered this one more. The meatballs are fantastic. It's not too much for the sauce. They blend well together it's delicious
I would like a little more tomato paste - next time I make this I think I will just add my own extra tomato paste. Could use a little more parmesan cheese as well - I just added my own extra cheese.
Good and easy, cooked the tomatoes in with it instead of adding on later, thought that was a strange part of the recipe. So glad I did
Needed a bit more sauce to really coat the pasta since its the heavy penne - rather than a lighter one of spaghetti or even bowtie. But very flavorful!
Very good. I was surprised at how good the meatballs were. It was very delicious.
This turned out pretty good even though I overcooked the meatballs a little bit.
Very creamy, I wish it could have some more seasoning, overall very good
I use only half of the pasta and it's plenty. We've found that most of the HF meals with pasta include way too much pasta. I keep the half I don't use and reserve for other cooking.
We liked it but would add a small chopped onion and cooked with the garlic.
