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    Home » Pasta Recipes

    Published: Oct 13, 2014 · Modified: May 8, 2022 by Renée · This post may contain affiliate links · 18 Comments

    Orecchiette with Meat Sauce

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    Orecchiette with Meat Sauce is a deliciously quick and hearty meal that will be on the dinner table in no time.

    Orecchiette pasta with ground pork and lamb meat sauce.

    *Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2014. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.

     

    I'll bet you thought October was all about the pumpkin, right? Well, did you know that October is actually National Pasta Month? Yep. True story.

    So, to honor one of my favorite ingredients of all time (i.e. pasta), I'm excited to share this Orecchiette with Meat Sauce with you. This recipe is super simple to make, and the flavors are just incredible.  The night I made this pasta for my family it was met with some enthusiastic two thumbs from everyone there, including me. 🙂

    I've got another little tidbit of information for you...did you know that the word orecchiette means "little ears" in Italian? Yup. How cute is that? Orecchiette might be my favorite shape of pasta just for that reason. Those Italians...they're so smart!
     
    Little ears pasta with a deep, rich meat sauce of lamb and pork.
     
    The meat sauce for this recipe is a combination of ground lamb and ground pork. Together they're browned in a skillet along with some green pepper and onion. From there I added some tomato paste, beef broth, pasta water, Parmesan cheese, and butter to finish. Spoon the meat sauce over the cooked pasta, stir to combine, and serve with additional Parmesan cheese to finish.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    ORECCHIETTE WITH MEAT SAUCE   {PRINT THIS RECIPE}
    Servings: 6-8          Prep Time: 15 minutes          Cook Time: 10 minutes

    1 box or bag dried orecchiette pasta
    1 pound ground pork
    1 pound ground lamb
    1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
    1 medium red onion, finely chopped
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    ½ teaspoon black pepper
    1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
    2 cups beef stock or broth (I used low sodium)
    1 - 2 cups pasta cooking water (reserved from the cooked pasta)
    2 tablespoons butter
    1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese plus additional for garnish

    -In a large stockpot, prepare the orecchiette according to the package directions, Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and keep it warm.
    -In a large skillet over medium/high heat brown the ground pork and lamb, stirring occasionally.
    -Stir in the bell pepper, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook an additional 3-4 minutes.
    -Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the tomato paste, beef stock, and 1 cup of pasta water.
    -Stir to combine. If you'd like a thinner sauce, add some additional reserved pasta water.
    -Add the butter and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
    -Add the meat sauce into the pan with the pasta and stir well to combine.
    -Serve hot with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

    Little ears pasta is mixed with ground pork and lamb meat sauce, green pepper, onion and garlic.
     

    Thank you for visiting me here today in my Kudos Kitchen. I sincerely hope you've enjoyed this recipe as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Angela {Mind Over Batter} says

      October 16, 2014 at 1:02 am

      Well. I heard rumors it was pasta month. The rumors are true. Thank you for confirming with this delicious pasta!!

      Reply
    2. Nutmeg Nanny says

      October 15, 2014 at 11:54 am

      Orecchiette are one of my most favorite pasta shapes. They are so cute 🙂 This meat sauce looks so hearty and delicious. Perfect for fall!

      Reply
    3. Lauren says

      October 14, 2014 at 11:06 pm

      This recipe looks so warm and comforting! Perfect for pasta month. 🙂

      Reply
    4. Amanda Tynis says

      October 14, 2014 at 10:40 pm

      I love a good meat sauce! And pasta! Sounds like my kind of dinner!

      Reply
    5. Karissa K. says

      October 14, 2014 at 6:29 pm

      I love orecchiette. They're like mini pasta bowls, hehe.

      Reply
    6. Brenda@SugarFreeMom says

      October 14, 2014 at 2:54 pm

      Love the sauce! My family loves meaty sauces and this one looks perfect!

      Reply
    7. Sarah Caron says

      October 14, 2014 at 11:50 am

      This sauce looks amazing. And with the orecchiette -- yum. I can't imagine a better pasta to act as vehicle for getting it from plate to mouth!

      Reply
    8. Ginny McMeans says

      October 14, 2014 at 6:30 am

      I am so happy it is national pasta month. Great comfort food up there in your post!

      Reply
    9. Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic says

      October 14, 2014 at 3:09 am

      Orecchiette is always a big hit with me. LOVE how meaty your meat sauce is!

      Reply
    10. Martha@A Family Feast says

      October 14, 2014 at 1:01 am

      I'm really wishing I had a bowl of this for dinner! Looks delicious!

      Reply
    11. Paula Jones says

      October 13, 2014 at 9:37 pm

      I love orecchiette. Such a fantastic pasta shape. Perfect for holding all that marvelous meat sauce.

      Reply
    12. Marjory @ Dinner-Mom says

      October 13, 2014 at 8:52 pm

      Love the "little ears" and the sauce looks delish!

      Reply
    13. The Food Hunter says

      October 13, 2014 at 3:46 pm

      My kind of meal!

      Reply
    14. Back for Seconds says

      October 13, 2014 at 7:49 pm

      This looks delicious!

      Reply
    15. Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez says

      October 13, 2014 at 4:42 pm

      Yay, Happy National Pasta month - this looks amazing! I love lamb in a meat sauce.

      Reply
    16. Amy @Very Culinary says

      October 13, 2014 at 3:55 pm

      orecchiette is so underutilized - awesome dish!

      Reply
    17. foody schmoody says

      October 13, 2014 at 3:15 pm

      Orecchiette is my absolute favorite pasta! Their shape is just a perfect vessel for catching things! I actually have an orecchiette recipe coming out this week - I can't get enough of it lately!

      Reply
    18. Rebecca {foodie with family} says

      October 13, 2014 at 3:03 pm

      I'm not always a huge pasta fan, but I always love orecchiette. I'm not sure why it appeals to me so, but it does. This sounds great.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Renee! I've been a passionate home cook for over 40 years. I specialize in easy-to-make comfort food dishes from appetizers to desserts and everything in between.

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