Fettuccine, Winter Pesto & Meatballs

Easy Pasta Dinner Idea in under 30 minutes. Try our Winter Pesto Pasta recipe with Meatballs for dinner!

Winter Pesto Pasta Recipe |Fettuccine, Winter Pesto & Meatballs

December is one of the busiest months of the year for all of us. Here in the Worthey household, not only do we have all of our annual Christmas festivities, but the twins also celebrate a birthday, as well as my niece (and in the past, my Mom).

When it comes to making meals, I’m all for what’s easy, convenient, and budget-friendly. I’ve talked a lot about Johnsonville’s products this year, and now I’m back with another delicious recipe to share! You may be familiar with Johnsonville’s sausage and brat products, but did you know they also make meatballs.

Yes, their meatballs come in three different tasty flavors (Original Italian, Homestyle, and Three Cheese) and are fully cooked. I’m always a little hesitant about trying pre-packaged products. However, since I’ve been a fan of Johnsonville products for years and I trust this brand, I gave it a try.

We love pasta in our house. My boys are big fans of spaghetti, and I love preparing easy meals. Tonight was no exception. I’m prepping to leave for a work trip tonight; the twins went to a basketball game at their school, and Derrick working, I needed an easy meal. I pulled out a frozen bag of Johnsonville’s Orginal Italian Meatballs, following the directions, and placed them in the oven. As the meatballs were getting warm, I was able to get the pasta prepped and cooked. In under 30 minutes, I was able to pull off a delicious and appealing meal for my family.

Here’s a look at how we put it all together:

The Johnsonville meatballs should be placed in 350 degrees preheated oven and cooked for 2o  minutes. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fettuccine
• Shaved Carrots and sautéed Onions
• 1 cup shaved carrots
• 1 medium white onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ounce of melted butter

Directions:

1. Follow the cooking instructions on the package. Pasta should be served al dente.
2. Add EVOO and butter to medium-high heat until the olive oil and butter is hot. Add onions and stir until the onions are translucent. Spoon in the shaved carrots and sauté for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and seat aside.

Winter Pesto Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups collard greens
• 1/2 fresh parsley
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1/2 cup grated five peppercorn raclette cheese
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8  teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns

Directions:

1. Add chopped collard greens, fresh parsley, garlic cloves, cheeses, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground black peppercorns in a food processor, pulse until smooth. Add more olive oil if the pesto is too thick.
2. In a large bowl toss fettuccine with 3-4 tablespoons pesto, after the pasta is covered with pesto plate it.
3. Top the fettuccine with shaved carrots and sautéed onions, Add the Johnsonville meatballs and grate some fresh cheese over the entree.

Let’s eat! 

This pasta is such an easy dish, try it for dinner tonight! 

What are some of your favorite pasta dishes with meatballs? Drop me a comment below, I would love to hear from you! Be sure to check out Johnsonville’s Meatballs by visiting their website.