Pasta with Pork & Basil
Submitted by ginny1
Pasta with pork and basil meatballs in a creamy Parmesan and Dijon mustard sauce with sauteed mushrooms. Tossed with fusilli and fresh herbs for a rich one-dish dinner.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minTiny pork meatballs seasoned with fresh basil, garlic, and Parmesan get pan-fried until golden, then bathed in a creamy sauce built from chicken stock, butter, and double cream finished with Dijon mustard. Toss everything with fusilli and a handful of fresh herbs, and you’ve got a one-dish dinner that feels like a proper occasion.
The meatballs are small on purpose. About 32 from a pound of pork means each one is bite-sized, which lets them cook through quickly and gives you more golden, crispy surface area per meatball. Flour your hands before rolling so the sticky mixture doesn’t cling.
Deglazing the frying pan with stock after cooking the meatballs and mushrooms captures all those browned bits and folds them into the sauce. That’s free flavor you don’t want to leave behind.
Pro Tips
- Shake the pan while frying the meatballs instead of turning them with tongs. This keeps them round and prevents them from falling apart.
- Cook in batches. Crowding the pan drops the temperature and steams the meatballs instead of browning them.
- The sauce holds well. Cover the casserole and keep it in a low oven while you boil the pasta. You can also make it hours ahead and reheat gently.
- Add the herbs after the pasta, not during cooking. Fresh basil, chives, and parsley wilt instantly from the residual heat and stay vibrant.
Variations
- Turkey meatballs: Swap the pork for ground turkey for a lighter version. Add an extra tablespoon of Parmesan to compensate for the leaner meat.
- Spicy cream sauce: Stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes and a splash of white wine when deglazing for extra kick.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix all the meatball ingredients thoroughly.
Season the meat with 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons basil and 1 smallish garlic clove, as well as salt and pepper.
Flour your hands and shape the mixture into about 32 small balls.
Fry in batches in a non-stick pan for 5 minutes or more until golden and cooked right through.
Shake the pan frequently so the meatballs keep in good shape and cook evenly.
Transfer to a casserole and keep hot.
Slice the mushrooms thickly, sauté them well and add them to the meatballs.
Then “wash out” the frying pan with the chicken stock.
Make a smooth rich sauce with the butter, flour, stock and cream.
Add any juices that have collected in the casserole and simmer for several minutes.
Away from the heat, season with salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons Parmesan and 1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs, cover and keep hot in a low oven.
The mixture can be kept hot for some time without spoiling, or it can be prepared ahead and reheated close to serving.
Boil the pasta until al dente and drain well.
Add it to the casserole together with a small handful of fresh herbs -- about 2 tablespoons each basil and chives, and 1 of parsley -- and toss gently to mix well.
Garnish with more basil, and serve with an undressed salad.
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