A one-dish meal of your favorite meatballs (mine are Kirkland Signature® from Costco®). Creamy mushrooms, ranch sauce with vegetables, and pasta make this great comfort food.
Preparation Time
15 mins
Cooking Time
30 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Calories
480 Calories
Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add penne and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
Step 2
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir bacon in skillet until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel to drain.
Step 3
Cook meatballs in the bacon drippings in the skillet until browned, about 2 minutes per side; remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
Step 4
Stir flour and ranch mix into the retained drippings; cook and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly stream milk into the skillet while stirring; continue stirring and bring to a boil. Whisk cream of mushroom soup and ricotta cheese into the milk mixture; add meatballs, asparagus, and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the asparagus is tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
Step 5
Stir bacon into the sauce; season with red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Garnish sauce with Parmesan cheese and parsley; serve over cooked pasta.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 (8 ounce) package penne pasta
1 cup ricotta cheese (Optional)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (Optional)
1 (10.75 ounce) can low-sodium cream of mushroom soup
1 ¼ cups whole milk
2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix
2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into thin strips
8 frozen cooked meatballs, or more to taste, thawed
