Here’s a comforting Swedish Meatball Pasta Bake — creamy, savory, and perfect for a family dinner 🍝🧆
Swedish Meatball Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 lb ground beef (or beef/pork mix)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon allspice or nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for browning)
Pasta & Sauce
- 12 oz pasta (egg noodles, penne, or rotini)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Topping
- 1–1½ cups shredded mozzarella or Swiss cheese
- Optional garnish: chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook pasta
- Boil pasta in salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Make meatballs
- Mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, salt, pepper, and allspice.
- Form small meatballs.
- Heat oil in a skillet and brown meatballs on all sides (they don’t need to be fully cooked). Remove and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce
- In the same skillet, melt butter. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in beef broth until smooth.
- Stir in cream and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer 3–5 minutes until thickened. Season to taste.
- Assemble the bake
- Combine pasta, meatballs, and sauce in the baking dish.
- Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top.
- Bake
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly golden.
- Serve
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot with a green salad or steamed vegetables.
Tips & Variations
- Use frozen meatballs to save time — just thaw first.
- Add mushrooms or peas for extra texture and flavor.
- For extra richness, mix a little sour cream into the sauce.
- Swap cheese for Gruyère for a more traditional Swedish flavor.
If you’d like, I can also share a slow cooker version, a one-pan skillet version, or a lighter weeknight option.
