Alfredo Style Italian Meatballs

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I love to cook. If you have followed Buy This Cook That for any amount of time, you probably have that figured out. Sometimes, I love to cook 100% from scratch. Other times, I’m all about tasty shortcuts that taste like homemade. I am about to share with you a wonderful dinner recipe that is a little bit of both: Alfredo Style Italian Meatballs. Tender Italian meatballs slow simmered in a creamy, rich alfredo sauce served over a bed of hot linguine pasta.

Guys, this recipe is a keeper!

Alfredo Style Italian Meatballs. Guys…This is so yum.

Alfredo Style Italian Meatballs are so good, I’m not even playing. This recipe is perfect for family dinner or even a romantic date night at home. Think about it…savory Italian meatballs in a cheesy alfredo sauce, twirled around in hot pasta. This recipe has all of the “good stuff” rolled into one.

Are you wondering which part of this recipe is from scratch and which part is homemade? Confession time: our secret weapon for this recipe is Rao’s Homemade Alfredo Sauce.

I absolutely love making my own sauces from scratch. But tonight, I’m letting the experts at Rao’s do all of the work. I’m glad I did. This sauce is amazing and hands down is my new favorite alfredo sauce. (I’ve got to admit, it is better than mine.)

Rao’s is a premium sauce that is slowly crafted, and made from ingredients found in your kitchen. This delicious creation was born in Rao’s Legendary Restaurant in New York, so this is the real deal Italian experience. You can now find Rao’s sauces (along with everything else you need) at your local Walmart.

My husband loves alfredo dishes, and this sauce on my homemade Italian meatballs went to the top of his list.

For more recipe inspiration from Rao’s, click here.

How to Make Homemade Italian Meatballs:

Making your own Italian meatballs is so easy, you’ll be rolling them out for everything. There is nothing fancy to it, and you probably have everything you need already in your fridge and pantry. Get the complete ingredient list at the bottom of this post.

1. In a large bowl, add LEAN ground beef, egg, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, milk, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
2. With your hands, work the mixture until everything is mixed evenly.
3. Portion small tablespoon (or smaller) sized amounts and gently roll them with your hands into round balls.
4. Arrange the meatballs on a baking pan with a drip tray beneath.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes.
6. DONE.

TIME SAVING TIP: Double or even triple this recipe. Use what you need now, and freeze the rest for a recipe down the road. To freeze, arrange the meatballs in a single layer on wax paper. Freeze for one hour until solid. Transfer to an airtight storage container or freezer bag and keep frozen until ready to use. Reheat by simmering in your favorite Rao’s sauce.

Meatballs turn out perfectly every single time this way. You may need to adjust the cooking time for your oven, but I’ve found that 18 – 20 minutes is the perfect amount of baking time. If your meatballs are larger, adjust as needed.

The Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese are the perfect flavors for this Alfredo Italian Meatball Recipe.

Now comes the easy part. Pour a jar of your favorite Rao’s Homemade Alfredo Sauce over the prepared meatballs. Why haven’t I tried this before? Italian meatballs + cheesy alfredo sauce is a combination of Italian classics that is meant to be.

You will not believe the homemade taste of Rao’s. I have made my own sauce in the pasta, and have tried many jarred varieties. This is the best and I’ve already purchased three more jars for my pantry. (My husband even asked me “Did you make this sauce?”)

I wish I could have said yes.

Love this Recipe? Try these:

Savory Pumpkin Pasta

Marinara Meatball Skillet

Baked Chicken Parmesan

Marinated Tomato + Portabello Mushrooms

Let the meatballs simmer in the alfredo sauce for 20 minutes. You want the flavors of the lean beef and creamy alfredo to meld into deliciousness.

To serve, ladle a generous helping of meatballs and sauce over your favorite hot pasta. Or, you can stir your prepared pasta into the skillet and mix it all up.

COUNTING CARBS? If you are counting carbs and cutting back on pasta, this recipe is low carb when served over zucchini noodles or riced cauliflower.

I like to sprinkle fresh chopped parsley or spinach over the top for color. This recipe is perfect sprinkled with grated cheese, too.

Look for Rao’s Homemade Pasta Sauce in the pasta sauce aisle at Walmart.

What I love the most about this sauce is that is uses high quality, simple ingredients like cheese, cream, garlic and butter. Exactly what I would use. They use only fresh parmesan and romano cheese….and you know how I feel about good cheese, right?

With a little homemade and a little help from Rao’s, we created this tasty dinner recipe that my whole family loved. I’ll definitely be making it again soon. Although next time, I’m not sure that I’ll share. 🙂

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4.75 from 4 votes

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Alfredo Style Italian Meatballs

Your family will love this comforting combination of Italian classics. This recipe features homemade tender Italian meatballs slow simmered in cheesy alfredo sauce, and is best served over hot pasta.

Course Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian meatballs

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4

Calories 628 kcal

Author Buy This Cook That

Buy This

• 15 ounces Rao's Homemade Alfredo Sauce
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded
• 1/8 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 8 ounces dry linguine pasta prepared to package directions
• chopped fresh parsley or spinach optional garnish
• shredded parmesan or romano cheese optional garnish

Cook That

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a slotted broiling or baking pan and place it on top of a drip pan. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine the lean ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan, milk, and all seasonings. Using your hands, combine the mixture until the ingredients are well combined.

3. Portion small tablespoon-sized amounts of the meatball mixture and roll gently with your hands to form round balls.

4. Arrange the meatballs on the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 18 - 20 minutes. 

5. Transfer the meatballs to a large skillet. Pour the jar of Rao's Homemade Alfredo Sauce over the top. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Serve over hot pasta and garnish with fresh chopped parsley, spinach and sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe Notes

To make this recipe low-carb, serve over riced cauliflower instead of hot pasta. 

Recipe is easily doubled.

Nutrition Facts

Alfredo Style Italian Meatballs

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 628 Calories from Fat 243

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 27g 42%

Saturated Fat 13g 65%

Cholesterol 185mg 62%

Sodium 1106mg 46%

Potassium 557mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates 51g 17%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 4g

Protein 39g 78%

Vitamin A 2.2%

Calcium 12.3%

Iron 22.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.