I am a big fan of vegetarian and vegan cuisine. We eat veggies and salad basically every day of the week. However, there is one »meaty« thing/dish I love a lot and can’t resist when in front of me: meatballs! I don’t know why, but if they are served somewhere, I’m the first to grab one. Even if I have to push other people to the side ;P That’s why we have Meatballs with Parmesan & Arugula Risoni on a regular basis. They are sooo delicious! And quite easy and uncomplicated to prepare I may add. In a little more than 30 minutes you will get this dish on your table. Quicker than most delivery services ;P

Meatballs are just great – as a snack for a picnic or party, as a small meal when you are hungry during the day, or with a side for dinner… like these little fellas along with the Risoni. Meatballs are easy to prepare and can be done in advance – I love that a lot. Easy to make, easy to store, easy to transport. Perfect ;)
If you like Risotto, you’ll probably like these (creamy) Risoni as well. The consistency is similar to Risotto, but unlike the rice dish, the pasta is a little less »tricky« to prepare. You don’t have to constantly add liquid in order to get a creamy consistency. You just have to stir so nothing burns. Also, the pasta is done much quicker than the rice ;)

The recipe might look a bit long, but there is actually not that much to do. It’s just not that easy to explain everything in a short sentence ;P About those sage leaves in the recipe – they are optional. I know not everyone likes them, so you can easily leave them out if you like. It doesn’t make the dish less delicious I would say.
The arugula added to the Risoni not only adds color to the dish, but also some additional nutty flavors. If you are not a fan of arugula, you can use spinach instead, for example. Just add it a little earlier, so it can cook properly and wilt – the arugula usually takes less time for that ;)
If you are a fan of meatballs like me, I got some additional recipes for you that are worth trying:
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(3-4 servings)
For the meatballs:
some olive oil for frying
1 shallot, diced finely
2 garlic cloves, diced finely
18 oz. (500g) minced meat (beef & pork mixed)
3 tbsp. bread crumbs
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan
1 medium egg
1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
some cayenne pepper
salt, pepper
For the Parmesan & Arugula Risoni:
2 tbsp. butter
6-8 sage leaves
1 shallot, diced finely
2 garlic cloves, diced finely
1 cup (200g) Risoni
1 cup (240ml) dry white wine
1 1/2 cups (360ml) beef broth
1 oz. (30g) grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
3.5 oz. (100g) heavy cream (plus more if needed)
salt, pepper
1 handful arugula
(3-4 Portionen)
Für die Fleischbällchen:
etwas Olivenöl zum Braten
1 Schalotte, fein gewürfelt
2 Knoblauchzehen, fein gewürfelt
500g Hackfleisch (gemischt)
3 EL Semmelbrösel
3 EL Parmesan, gerieben
1 Ei (M)
1 EL frischer Salbei, gehackt
1 TL getrockneter Oregano
etwas Cayennepfeffer
Salz, Pfeffer
Für die Risoni mit Parmesan & Rucola:
2 EL Butter
6-8 Salbeiblätter
1 Schalotte, fein gewürfelt
2 Knoblauchzehen, fein gewürfelt
200g Risoni
240ml trockener Weißwein
360ml Rinderbrühe
30g Parmesan, gerieben (plus mehr zum Servieren)
100g Sahne (plus ggf. etwas mehr)
Salz, Pfeffer
1 Handvoll Rucola

DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Start with the meatballs. Peel and dice the shallot and garlic finely. Heat up a frying pan with a small amount of oil and heat up. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy – that only takes a minute or so. Remove from the heat, add to a bowl, and let cool down a bit. Set the pan aside for later.
2. Add the minced meat, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, egg, sage, and oregano to the bowl and mix well. Season with some cayenne pepper, salt, and regular pepper. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then shape 12 balls and set aside.
3. For the pasta peel and finely dice the shallot and garlic finely. Organize all ingredients you need because you will have to handle two frying pans at the same time ;)
4. Heat up the pan you already used for the shallots and garlic, add some more oil, and heat up to medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and fry from all sides – takes about 8-10 minutes. Try to move them often, so they get nicely browned from all sides. Keep the finished meatballs warm in case the pasta is not ready in time.
5. While the meatballs are cooking heat up a second frying pan (medium-high heat) and melt the butter. Add the sage leaves and fry until crispy – about one minute or so. While doing that the butter will brown (dark spots will appear on the bottom of the pan). This is fine, but you do not want to burn the butter – so keep an eye on the temperature and remove the pan from the stove in between, if necessary. Remove the crispy sage leaves and let drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Add the diced shallot and garlic to the pan and sauté briefly, then add the pasta. Mix everything, then deglaze with the white wine. From now on you have to stir almost constantly. Let the wine bubble up, then add the beef broth. When everything starts boiling again reduce the heat and let the pasta simmer for about 5-6 minutes – don’t forget to stir constantly/often. Also, keep an eye on the meatballs ;)
6. The Risoni will soak up most of the liquid, and you will get a consistency that is similar to risotto. Add the grated Parmesan and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. You want a creamy consistency that is not runny anymore but also not too thick/dry – if the mix gets too thick, add some more heavy cream. Last but not least add the arugula and fold it in.
7. Divide the creamy Risoni between bowls, add the meatballs on top, and decorate with the crispy sage leaves and some grated Parmesan. Season with some more salt and pepper if needed. If you have good olive oil you can drizzle a bit of that on top as well. Serve with a small salad or some bread on the side.
1. Mit den Fleischbällchen starten und dazu die Schalotte und den Knoblauch schälen und fein würfeln bzw. hacken. Etwas Öl in einer Pfanne erhitzen und die Schalotte und den Knoblauch darin kurz anschwitzen – dauert etwa eine Minute. Vom Herd nehmen und alles in eine Schüssel geben. Die Pfanne für die spätere Verwendung zur Seite stellen.
2. Hackfleisch, Semmelbrösel, Parmesan, Ei, Salbei und Oregano zur Schüssel dazugeben und alles gut vermischen. Mit Cayennepfeffer, Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Die Mischung etwa 5 Minuten ziehen lassen, dann 12 Kugeln formen und zur Seite stellen.
3. Für die Risoni ebenfalls eine Schalotte und Knoblauchzehen schälen und fein würfeln/hacken. Alle anderen Zutaten bereitstellen, da ab jetzt mit zwei Pfannen gleichzeitig gearbeitet wird und deshalb alles in greifbarer Nähe stehen sollte ;)
4. Die schon einmal benutzte Pfanne erneut mit etwas Öl erhitzen. Die Fleischbällchen hineingeben und von allen Seiten schön anbraten. Bei mittlerer Hitzezufuhr dauert das etwa 8-10 Minuten. Versucht die Bällchen oft zu wenden/bewegen, damit sie rundum schön Farbe bekommen. Die fertigen Fleischbällchen warmhalten, falls der Rest noch nicht fertig ist.
5. Während die Fleischbällchen brutzeln, eine zweite Pfanne erhitzen und die Butter darin schmelzen. Salbeiblätter dazugeben und knusprig anbraten – dauert etwa eine Minute. Achtet darauf, dass die Butter nicht zu heiß wird. Die Butter darf bräunen (dunkle Flecken am Pfannenboden), aber sie sollte nicht verbrennen – Temperatur also im Auge behalten und die Pfanne zwischendurch ggf. vom Herd ziehen. Die knusprigen Salbeiblätter aus der Pfanne nehmen und auf einem Stück Küchenpapier abtropfen lassen. Schalotte und Knoblauch ins noch heiße Fett geben und kurz anschwitzen lassen, dann die Pasta dazugeben und alles gut vermengen. Mit dem Weißwein ablöschen. Ab jetzt sollte man ständig rühren, damit nichts anbrennt. Wenn der Wein anfängt zu kochen, die Brühe dazugeben. Sobald alles wieder zu kochen beginnt, die Hitzezufuhr reduzieren und die Risoni etwa 5-6 Minuten köcheln lassen. Rühren nicht vergessen! Die Fleischbällchen ebenfalls im Auge behalten ;)
6. Die Risoni saugen beim Kochen den Großteil der Flüssigkeit auf und bekommen eine ähnliche Textur wie Risotto. Den geriebenen Parmesan und die Sahne dazugeben. Mit Salz und Pfeffer nach Belieben würzen. Es soll eine cremige Konsistenz entstehen – nicht zu flüssig, aber auch nicht zu fest/trocken. Zum Korrigieren ggf. noch etwas mehr Sahne dazugeben. Zum Schluss den Rucola dazugeben und unterheben.
7. Die cremigen Risoni auf Schüsseln aufteilen, die Fleischbällchen darauf verteilen und mit den knusprigen Salbeiblättern und etwas geriebenem Parmesan dekorieren. Bei Bedarf noch mit mehr Salz und Pfeffer würzen. Wer gutes Olivenöl hat, kann hier auch noch ein klein wenig darüber träufeln. Zum Gericht passt ein kleiner Salt und/oder etwas Brot als Beilage.

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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
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Meatballs with Parmesan & Arugula Risoni
- Prep Time: 00:20
- Cook Time: 00:15
- Total Time: 00:35
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italy
Description
A great dish that also looks great but does not take a lot of time to get ready: Meatballs with creamy Parmesan & Arugula Risoni. Packed with flavors. So good!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
some olive oil for frying
1 shallot, diced finely
2 garlic cloves, diced finely
18 oz. (500g) minced meat (beef & pork mixed)
3 tbsp. bread crumbs
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan
1 medium egg
1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
some cayenne pepper
salt, pepper
For the Parmesan & Arugula Risoni:
2 tbsp. butter
6–8 sage leaves
1 shallot, diced finely
2 garlic cloves, diced finely
1 cup (200g) Risoni
1 cup (240ml) dry white wine
1 1/2 cups (360ml) beef broth
1 oz. (30g) grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
3.5 oz. (100g) heavy cream (plus more if needed)
salt, pepper
1 handful arugula
Instructions
1. Start with the meatballs. Peel and dice the shallot and garlic finely. Heat up a frying pan with a small amount of oil and heat up. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until soft and glossy – that only takes a minute or so. Remove from the heat, add to a bowl, and let cool down a bit. Set the pan aside for later.
2. Add the minced meat, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, egg, sage, and oregano to the bowl and mix well. Season with some cayenne pepper, salt, and regular pepper. Let sit for about 5 minutes, then shape 12 balls and set aside.
3. For the pasta peel and finely dice the shallot and garlic finely. Organize all ingredients you need because you will have to handle two frying pans at the same time ;)
4. Heat up the pan you already used for the shallots and garlic, add some more oil, and heat up to medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and fry from all sides – takes about 8-10 minutes. Try to move them often, so they get nicely browned from all sides. Keep the finished meatballs warm in case the pasta is not ready in time.
5. While the meatballs are cooking heat up a second frying pan (medium-high heat) and melt the butter. Add the sage leaves and fry until crispy – about one minute or so. While doing that the butter will brown (dark spots will appear on the bottom of the pan). This is fine, but you do not want to burn the butter – so keep an eye on the temperature and remove the pan from the stove in between, if necessary. Remove the crispy sage leaves and let drain on a piece of kitchen paper. Add the diced shallot and garlic to the pan and sauté briefly, then add the pasta. Mix everything, then deglaze with the white wine. From now on you have to stir almost constantly. Let the wine bubble up, then add the beef broth. When everything starts boiling again reduce the heat and let the pasta simmer for about 5-6 minutes – don’t forget to stir constantly/often. Also, keep an eye on the meatballs ;)
6. The Risoni will soak up most of the liquid, and you will get a consistency that is similar to risotto. Add the grated Parmesan and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. You want a creamy consistency that is not runny anymore but also not too thick/dry – if the mix gets too thick, add some more heavy cream. Last but not least add the arugula and fold it in.
7. Divide the creamy Risoni between bowls, add the meatballs on top, and decorate with the crispy sage leaves and some grated Parmesan. Season with some more salt and pepper if needed. If you have good olive oil you can drizzle a bit of that on top as well. Serve with a small salad or some bread on the side.
Notes
Have fun in the kitchen!
Adapted from theoriginaldish.com
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