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a plate of rigaton con polpette and arrabiata sauce
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4.57 from 16 votes

Rigatoni con Polpette and Arrabbiata Sauce

Rigatoni con Polpette and Arrabbiata Sauce - no doubt one of the best pasta dinners you can have. Casual yet sophisticated, this pasta dish is sure to please the entire family.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: arrabiate sauce, meatball recipe
Servings: 6
Calories: 816kcal

Ingredients

For Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground pork lean
  • 1 pound ground beef lean
  • ¾ cup breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried dill
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

For Arrabbiata Sauce

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup red wine I used Merlot
  • 19 ounce crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce I used Sriracha sauce but any hot sauce would work
  • 10 leaves fresh basil chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375℉. Place parchment paper over a baking sheet or spray it with cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients for the meatballs together well. Form the meatballs into small 1 inch balls. Mine were pretty small so I got about 60 meatballs. Place meatballs on prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes or until done.
  • In a Dutch oven or a large pot heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes or until onion is soft and starts to brown a bit, make sure you don't burn it though. Stir in the dried oregano and red chili flakes. Add the wine and cook for another 5 minutes until the alcohol burns off a bit.
  • Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, hot sauce, basil leaves and season with salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let this simmer for 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes you can start cooking the rigatoni according to package instructions. If you like your pasta al dente cook it for 2 minutes less than indicated on the package.
  • Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes.
  • Pour the sauce and meatballs over the rigatoni, sprinkle some Parmesan cheese and basil over and serve.

Notes

  1. The meatballs can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 4 days or up to 3 months in the freezer.
  2. This spicy, fiery tomato sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days and in the freezer for up 3 months. Pull the sauce from the freezer the day before you’d like to use it to allow it to thaw fully before reheating on the stove.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 816kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 467mg | Potassium: 1099mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 375IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 7mg