This Swedish Meatball Pasta takes juicy, homemade meatballs and tosses them with pasta in a creamy, peppery sauce. It's an easy weekday dinner, but good enough to make for guests too.
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Tired of the same tomato-based meatball pasta every week? This version swaps it out for a rich and creamy sauce loaded with sautéed mushrooms and peppers. It's the twist your weeknight dinner rotation has been missing.
Looking for more hearty pasta dinners? Try my Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese, Lasagna Recipe, and Lamb Bolognese with Linguine too.
What Are Swedish Meatballs?
Swedish meatballs get their signature flavor from warm spices like nutmeg and allspice, which aren't used in regular meatballs. In this recipe, the allspice goes into the meatball mixture itself, while the nutmeg flavors the sauce. Swedish meatballs are also smaller than regular meatballs, and are traditionally served with a spoonful of tart lingonberry jam alongside the cream sauce.
Why This Recipe Works?
- These homemade Swedish Meatballs are creamy, spicy, and extremely delicious.
- You can prepare the meatballs in advance and keep them refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- You can adjust the spiciness by increasing or reducing the amount of chili.
- It's a fun twist on classic Swedish meatballs, with Turkish peppers, mushrooms, and a hint of chili instead of a plain cream sauce.
- Everything, meatballs, sauce, and pasta, comes together in one pan, so there's less washing up.
- It's ready in under an hour, making it just as good for a weeknight as it is for guests.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Ingredients for Meatballs
- Ground beef - Try to use mince with a minimum of 15% fat for extra flavor. Meat with a high-fat ratio is the key to soft and juicy meatballs. Ground lamb or pork would also work perfectly with this recipe.
- Onions - They add umami flavor and sweetness to the meatballs. Use a grater or chop them very finely with a knife. You can use yellow, white, brown, or red onions.
- Egg - It is necessary to bind the meat with the rest of the ingredients.
- Parsley - Finely chopped flat-leaf or curly parsley brightens the flavor of the meatballs. You can use half the amount of dried parsley if you don't have fresh ones.
- Allspice - This is the classic Swedish meatball spice, giving the meat a warm, slightly peppery flavor. Ground cloves make a good substitute in a pinch.
Ingredients for the Sauce
- Turkish green peppers- They are one of my favorite peppers I use for cooking, especially in my Turkish recipes. They are usually mild but some of them can be quite hot. Always check the spiciness before using them in your dishes. You can replace them with bell pepper or Spanish Padron peppers.
- Red pepper - Use a sweet type of red pepper such as romano peppers or bell peppers. Wash and slice the same size as green peppers.
- Mushrooms - Use any type of mushroom you can find. Wild mushrooms such as chanterelles or morels work great with this creamy sauce.
- White wine - Skip the wine if you want to make this pasta dish for your kids.
- Double cream - It is very similar to heavy cream. You can substitute it with whipping cream or milk and butter.
- Parmesan Cheese - No pasta is complete without parmesan cheese. Use a good quality block cheese and try to avoid already grated versions. Some of the best substitutes for parmesan are Grana Padano, Pecorino, or Manchego cheeses.
- Cheddar Cheese - It is optional, you can use any other cheese of your choice such as stilton, feta, or mozzarella.
How to Make Swedish Meatball Pasta
Prepare the Meatballs
Place ground beef, grated onions, egg, salt, freshly ground black pepper, coriander powder, chili, chopped parsley, and allspice in a large bowl.
Mix to combine and then knead for a few minutes.
Take a small amount from the mixture and then turn it into a bite-size meatball. Place them on a plate. Repeat until you run out of the mixture.
Place a large pan or a wok on high heat and then heat some vegetable oil. Add half of the meatballs and then nicely sear all sides until brown.
Make sure the oil is hot enough before adding the meatballs. We only want to give some color to the meatballs, not to cook them. Remove them to a plate and then repeat with the rest of the meatballs.
Prepare the Spicy and Creamy Sauce
When you finish browning the meatballs, add chopped onions to the pan. Nicely brown the onions for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced peppers and then sauté them for a few minutes before adding the sliced mushrooms.
Sauté the mushrooms until soft and then add the chili, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and white wine. Let the white wine reduce totally and then add the double cream. Let the sauce bubble up for a few minutes before adding the browned meatballs.
Cook for 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Start cooking your pasta in boiling water meanwhile.
Cook the Pasta and Combine with Meatballs
While preparing the sauce, put some water to boil for pasta. While the meatballs are cooking in the sauce, start cooking your choice of pasta in boiling water. Make sure to follow the instructions on the packaging.
Add grated cheese to the sauce before adding the cooked pasta and then add the chopped herbs. Give it a good stir, check the seasoning, and then garnish with some parmesan shavings.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Cook your pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for the best results. Don't add any oil to pasta water as it prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta and also delays boiling the pasta water.
- Don't overmix the meatball mixture. Overworking the meat makes the meatballs dense and tough instead of tender.
- Homemade meatballs have a soft texture and should be handled with extra care while pan-frying them.
- Use a small cookie scoop for evenly sized meatballs so they all cook through at the same rate.
- Chill the shaped meatballs for 15 to 20 minutes before frying so they hold together better and don't fall apart in the pan.
- You can double the recipe for the meatballs and freeze some for later. They will keep frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
- Reserve a splash of pasta water before draining. Add it to the sauce if it gets too thick once the pasta goes in.
- After searing the meatballs, deglaze the pan with a splash of the wine before adding the onions to lift the browned bits stuck to the pan. That's where a lot of the flavor is.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy and cheesy dish goes well with a nice bowl of salad. Try it with Arugula Spinach Salad, Gavurdagi Salatasi, or some refreshing Greek Cucumber Salad.
For a traditional touch, serve with a spoonful of lingonberry jam on the side. Its tartness balances the rich, creamy sauce, just like it does with classic Swedish meatballs.
You can also serve Spicy and Creamy Swedish Meatball Pasta with some bread such as Italian Cheese and Herb Bread, Pakistani Roghni Naan, Garlic Naan - Indian Flatbread, or Bazlama.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Let the meatball pasta cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, warm it gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of milk or cream to loosen the sauce, stirring occasionally. You can also microwave it in short bursts, stirring in between, until heated through.
If you'd like to prep ahead, shape the raw meatballs and freeze them on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook them straight from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the searing time.
Recipe FAQs
Tube-shaped pasta like penne holds the creamy sauce nicely, but you can use any pasta you like. For a flat-ribbon type, try Fettuccine, Linguine, Tagliatelle, or Pappardelle.
You can, but the flavor won't be quite the same, since store-bought meatballs are rarely seasoned with allspice and nutmeg. If you use them, stir a pinch of both spices into the sauce to get closer to the classic Swedish flavor.
Yes, you can fully cook the meatballs and sauce a day ahead and refrigerate them separately from the pasta. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of cream or milk, then toss with freshly cooked pasta just before serving so it doesn't dry out.
This usually happens if the cream boils too hard or the cheese is added over very high heat. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer once the cream goes in, and stir in the cheese off the heat or on low for a smooth, silky sauce.
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Swedish Meatball Pasta
Equipment
- 1 digital kitchen scale
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 grater
- 1 measuring spoons
- 1 Measuring cups
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 14 oz minced beef (400 grams)
- 1 medium onion (grated)
- 1 small egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes or powder
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying
For the Creamy Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium onions (thinly sliced or finely chopped)
- 2 Turkish green peppers (or 1 green bell pepper or 3-4 padron peppers)
- ½ red pepper
- 9 oz button or chestnut mushrooms (250 grams)
- 1 red chili (finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup white wine (120 ml)
- ½ cup double cream
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup grated cheddar
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- few sprigs fresh thyme (finely chopped)
- 14 oz penne pasta (400 grams)
- parmesan shavings (to garnish)
Instructions
Making the Swedish meatballs
- Place ground beef, grated onions, egg, salt, freshly ground black pepper, coriander powder, chili, chopped parsley, and allspice in a large bowl.
- Mix until nicely combined and knead for a few minutes.
- Take a small amount from the mixture and turn it into a bite-size meatball. Place on a plate. Repeat until you finish the mixture.
- Place a large pan or a wok on high heat and heat some vegetable oil.
- Add half of the meatballs and nicely sear all sides until brown. Remove to a plate and repeat with the rest of the meatballs.
- Add grated cheese to the sauce before adding the cooked pasta and then add the chopped herbs.
- Give it a good stir, check the seasoning and garnish with some parmesan shavings.
Preparing the creamy sauce
- When you finish browning the meatballs, add chopped onions to the pan.
- Nicely brown the onions for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sliced peppers and saute for a few minutes before adding the sliced mushrooms.
- Saute the mushrooms until soft and then add the chili, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and white wine.
- Let the white wine reduce totally and then add the double cream.
- Let the sauce bubble up for a few minutes before adding the browned meatballs.
- Cook for 8-10 minutes until the meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Start cooking your pasta in boiling water in meanwhile.
Cook the pasta and combine with the sauce
- While the meatballs are cooking in the sauce, start cooking your choice of pasta in boiling water. Make sure to follow the instructions on the packaging.
- Add grated cheese to the sauce before adding the cooked pasta and then add the chopped herbs.
- Give it a good stir, check the seasoning and garnish with some parmesan shavings.
Video
Notes
- Use ground beef with at least 15% fat for juicy, tender meatballs. Leaner beef will dry out during frying.
- Homemade meatballs are soft and delicate, so handle them gently while pan-frying and turn them with a spatula rather than tongs.
- Cook your pasta in plenty of salted boiling water for the best results. Don't add oil to the pasta water, as it prevents the sauce from sticking to the pasta and can delay the water from boiling.
- No allspice on hand? Ground cloves make a good substitute, though the flavor is stronger, so use a little less.
- For a traditional touch, serve with a spoonful of lingonberry jam on the side to balance the rich, creamy sauce.
- Omit the wine and chili if you're making this for kids.
- You can double the meatball mixture and freeze the extras uncooked on a tray, then transfer to a bag once solid. They'll keep for up to 3 months.
- Leftovers keep for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer, in an airtight container.
Semira says
The meatballs are flavoursome and the sauce is to die for! A new favourite in the household.
Janet says
Super delicious, great flavour combo.