- 1 recipe Mealmaker Meatballs (see below)
- 8 ounces dried pappardelle pasta or fettuccine
- 1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into thin, bite-sized strips
- 1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrot, thinly bias-sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil
- 1 (24 ounce) jar Classico® Tomato and Basil pasta sauce
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 4 ounces Italian fontina or mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 2 ounces Parmesan or Romano cheese, finely shredded
- Mealmaker Meatballs:
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 1/4 cups soft French or Italian bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme, crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- Prepare and bake Meatballs (see Step 3). In a large pot or kettle cook pasta according to package directions until just tender; drain.
- Meanwhile, in a 10-inch skillet cook fennel, onion, carrots, and garlic in hot oil over medium heat for 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Return pasta to cooking pot. Add vegetable mixture, meatballs, and Classico(R) Tomato and Basil pasta sauce to pasta; toss to coat. Heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with the shredded cheeses.
- Mealmaker meatballs: Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil; set aside. In a large bowl combine the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Add beef; mix well. Shape into 24 meatballs (about 1 tablespoon mixture per meatball). Arrange meatballs in prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes or until juices run clear. Drain off fat. Makes 24 meatballs.