Tuscan Meatballs with Orzo Pasta is impressive enough for company but still simple enough for a Tuesday night. Tender meatballs and tiny orzo simmer in a rich sauce loaded with sun-dried tomatoes that is finished with garlic, sour cream, and Parmesan for a cozy, rich-but-not-heavy dish that makes everyone want to go back for seconds.
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Quick Summary:
Taste: creamy sauce with tender beef meatballs, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and nutty Parmesan
Effort: moderate prep, all in one pan for easy cleanup
Time: under an hour from start to finish, less if using precooked meatballs
Feeds: serves 6
Make ahead: yes, use precooked or frozen meatballs to save time
Orzo is one of my favorite types of pasta. It has that perfect rice-like shape with a tender bite that holds up beautifully in just about anything. It's great for simple but flavorful sides like my Lemon orzo with Asparagus or as the base of a hearty main dish, like this creamy Tuscan meatball recipe or my Orzo Alfredo with rotisserie chicken added in.
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What you need to make Tuscan Meatballs with Orzo
For the meatballs:
- Ground beef. Ground chicken or ground turkey will also work. If you prefer a coarse, loose meatball texture choose a coarser grind; finely ground meat will give a more compact meatball.
- Egg.
- Onion.
- Breadcrumbs. Plain fine breadcrumbs give a finer texture, but panko breadcrumbs can be used for a coarse, loose meatball texture.
- Herbs & spices. Dried oregano, dried thyme, smoked paprika, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt & pepper
- Olive oil. For sautéing; any cooking oil with a high smoke point (such as avocado oil) can be used.
For the pasta & sauce:
- Butter.
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil.
- Herbs & spices. Dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, smoked paprika & garlic powder
- White wine. A dry white such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- Orzo pasta.
- Fresh basil leaves.
- Water or chicken broth. Chicken broth adds extra flavor when cooking rice or pasta in a sauce, and chicken broth contains twice as much protein to liquid than beef broth, so it's a better choice than beef broth even when cooking beef dishes.
- Sour cream. Plain greek yogurt or heavy cream may be substituted.
- Grated Parmesan cheese.
- Optional garnish: additional Parmesan cheese, fresh basil, or parsley.
See recipe card for quantities.
✨ Meatball Shortcut ✨
Use purchased frozen meatballs (Costco's Italian beef meatballs are perfect for this recipe) or bulk meatball recipe from the freezer to cut prep time for this recipe down to about 35 minutes with less mess. Thaw the meatballs first and sauté them to sear them on all sides for the best flavor.
How to make Tuscan Meatballs with Orzo
Gather the ingredients for the meatballs (1). Process 1 large onion in a food processor until smooth, or finely dice the onion (2). In a bowl, mix ground beef, egg, half of the onion, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, cumin, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper until uniform consistency (3). Form meatball mixture into 24 meatballs (4).
Sear the meatballs on all sides in olive oil (5). Remove meatballs and set aside. auté the remaining onion in butter for 2-3 minutes (6). Drain and chop ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes and add to the onions; cook another minute. Add dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and white wine, and mix well (7). Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half, stirring occasionally. Add 1½ cups orzo pasta (8).
Add chicken broth to the pan. Stir well, and bring to a simmer. Once the liquid is boiling, return the meatballs to the pan to cook. Add 10 fresh basil leaves to the skillet (9).
In a small bowl, temper sour cream by whisking a couple of tablespoons of the hot broth into the sour cream (10). This warms the sour cream and prevents the sauce from curdling. Set the sour cream aside.
Cover the skillet and simmer the pasta and meatballs in the liquid for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is al dente and meatballs are cooked through to 160ºF.
Add the tempered sour cream to the skillet and stir gently (11). Cook for 2 -3 minutes.
Turn off the heat, and add grated Parmesan cheese (12). Mix gently, and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve garnished with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Make it your own
- For added nutrients, add 2 cups of fresh spinach before adding the sour cream
- Spice it up with crushed red pepper flakes
- Swap the pasta for another small shape such as ditalini, or leave off the pasta and reduce the liquid for a lower carb version
Storage and freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb moisture, so you may want to add a little water or broth when reheating.
To freeze or prep ahead, prepare and sear the meatballs and refrigerate or freeze separately. Prepare the sauce through reducing the wine. Store in a separate airtight container together with the meatballs for up to 4 months in the freezer or 24 hours in the refrigerator.
To prepare from frozen, thaw meatballs and sauce overnight in refrigerator then proceed as follows.
To prepare: In a large skillet heat sauce, and add 2 cups chicken broth and 1½ cups uncooked orzo pasta. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Add meatballs and 10 fresh basil leaves to the skillet. Cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through to 160ºF, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Temper ½ cup sour cream with a little of the hot broth mixture, then add to skillet with 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Mix gently and garnish with fresh basil before serving.
Recipe
Tuscan Meatballs with Orzo Pasta
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1 large onion
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, for sautéing
For the orzo and sauce:
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1½ cups orzo pasta, about 9 ounces
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 10 fresh basil leaves, plus extra for garnish
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare the meatballs
- Process 1 large onion in a food processor until smooth, or finely dice the onion.
- In a bowl, mix 1.5 pounds ground beef, 1 egg, half of the onion, ¼ cup breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, and¼ teaspoon black pepper until uniform consistency.
- Form mixture into 24 meatballs.
Sauté the meatballs
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Sear meatballs on all sides until browned (they don't need to be fully cooked).
- Remove and set aside.
Cook the meatballs, orzo & sauce
- In the same pan, add 1½ tablespoons butter Sauté the remaining onion for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain and chop ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the onions and cook another minute.
- Add ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon dried basil, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 cup white wine and mix well. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half, stirring occasionally.
- Add 1½ cups orzo pasta and 2 cups chicken broth to the pan. Stir well, and bring to a simmer.
- Once the liquid is boiling, return the meatballs to the pan to cook. Add 10 fresh basil leaves to the skillet.
- In a small bowl, temper ½ cup sour cream by whisking a couple of tablespoons of the hot broth into the sour cream. This warms the sour cream and prevents the sauce from curdling. Set the sour cream aside.
- Cover the skillet and simmer the pasta and meatballs in the liquid for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until orzo is al dente and meatballs are cooked through to 160ºF.
- Add the tempered sour cream to the skillet and stir gently. Cook for 2 -3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, and add 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Mix gently, and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Spoon into a plate or bowl and garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition per serving
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