One Pot Meatball Pasta
Ziti, shelf-stable meatballs, and sauce powder cooked down in a single pot until the noodles drink the sauce.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 6 oz
- cal / oz
- 103
- protein
- 28 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Ziti or penne | 6 oz | penne cooks a little faster |
|---|---|---|
| Marinara sauce | 1 cup | shelf-stable pouch, or 3 tbsp tomato powder plus water |
| Powdered whole milk | 2 tbsp | replaces the fresh milk in the original |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Onion powder | 1 tsp | |
| Dried oregano | 1 tsp | |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
| Shelf-stable meatballs | 8 to 10 | canned or vacuum-packed, already cooked |
| Shredded mozzarella | 2 oz | low-moisture; skip in heat above 70 F |
| Grated parmesan | 2 tbsp | the green-can kind keeps for months |
Method
- Bring 600 ml of water to a boil, then stir in the pasta, marinara, milk powder, garlic, onion, oregano, and salt.
- Drop the heat to a low simmer and cover. Stir every couple of minutes so the pasta does not weld to the bottom.
- At twelve minutes, add the meatballs and push them under. They only need to heat through.
- Cook another five to eight minutes until the pasta is done and the sauce has tightened. Add splashes of water if it goes dry early.
- Kill the heat, scatter the mozzarella and parmesan over the top, and put the lid back on for two minutes.
- Let it sit off the stove a few more minutes. The sauce thickens as it cools.
The original bakes this in an oven for forty minutes. On a stove you get the same result faster, because the pasta cooks directly in the sauce instead of waiting for a covered dish to come up to temperature. The starch that comes off the noodles is what thickens everything, so do not drain anything and do not use more water than the recipe calls for.
Fresh milk becomes powdered milk, and the meatballs come from a can or a vacuum pouch rather than a freezer. Both changes are about temperature control you do not have. The mozzarella is the one weak link: it goes greasy above about 70 degrees, so leave it home on hot trips and lean on the parmesan.
Packing
Pasta, milk powder, and all the spices go in one bag at home. Sauce pouch, meatball pouch, and cheese ride separately.
Variations
- No mozzarella in warm weather. Parmesan alone still works and does not sweat.
- Swap the meatballs for a pouch of chicken or a summer sausage cut into coins.
- A handful of dried mushrooms in with the pasta adds body without weight.
https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/one-pan-meatball-casserole