Beef and Sweet Pepper Pasta This beef and pasta recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to one month. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on March 12, 2019 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: 100212790.tif Start To Finish Time: 35 mins Servings: 6 Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 recipe Mealmaker Meatballs (see recipe below) 8 ounce 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 carrots, thinly bias-sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil or cooking oil 1 26 ounce jar spicy red pepper pasta sauce or mushroom and ripe olive pasta sauce Salt and ground black pepper 4 ounce Italian fontina or mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup) 2 ounce Parmesan or Romano cheese, finely shredded (1/2 cup) Mealmaker Meatballs 1 egg, beaten 1 ¼ cup soft French or Italian bread crumbs ¼ cup finely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano or dried thyme, crushed ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 pound lean ground beef Directions Prepare and bake Meatballs. 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 pasta sauce to pasta; toss to coat. Heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with the shredded cheeses. Serves 6. 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, 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. Each meatball: 41 cal, 2 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 21 mg chol., 71 mg sodium, 1 g carbo., 0 g fiber, 4 g pro. Make Ahead (Freeze): Prepare as above, except do not heat through. Transfer to a large freezer container or 1-gallon moisture- and vapor-proof plastic freezer bag. Cover container or seal bag. Place cheese in a self-sealing freezer bag. Freeze pasta mixture and cheese up to 1 month. To serve, thaw pasta mixture and cheese in refrigerator 1 to 2 days or until completely thawed. Transfer pasta mixture to a 3-quart microwave-safe casserole. Micro-cook, covered, on 100 percent power (high) for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through, gently stirring every 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve as above. Cooking Club Directions: Prepare as above, except do not heat vegetables and pasta through. Divide pasta-meatball mixture and transfer to 4-quart storage containers or 1-gallon resealable plastic bags for each member of the club. Divide cheese in resealable plastic bags. Refrigerate pasta mixture and cheese up to 2 days. To freeze, transfer to 4-quart freezer containers or 1-gallon moisture- and vapor-proof plastic freezer bags. Freeze up to 1 month. Test Kitchen Tip: You can cook a double batch of the vegetables by using a 12-inch skillet; the vegetables will cook in 15 minutes Reheating and Serving: Thaw pasta mixture, if frozen, and cheese in refrigerator for 1 to 2 days or until completely thawed. Transfer refrigerated or thawed pasta mixture to a 3-quart microwave-safe casserole; add 14 cup water. Micro-cook, covered, on 100% power (high) for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through, gently stirring every 5 minutes. Serve as above. Note: Use a blender or food processor to make soft breadcrumbs. About 1-1/2 ounces of break makes 1 cup of crumbs. Test Kitchen Tip: The job is quick when one person makes the meatballs while others perform other tasks. Set aside a spot at the kitchen table for the meatball maker to sit. Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 515 Calories 22g Fat 47g Carbs 31g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 515 % Daily Value * Total Fat 22g 28% Saturated Fat 9g 45% Cholesterol 112mg 37% Sodium 935mg 41% Total Carbohydrate 47g 17% Total Sugars 9g Protein 31g Vitamin C 10mg 50% Calcium 333.2mg 26% Iron 3.6mg 20% Potassium 229mg 5% Folate, total 108.9mcg Vitamin B-12 1.4mcg Vitamin B-6 0.3mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.