Creamy Rigatoni with Meatballs and Broccoli

⏱️ Prep Time: 5 minutes • 🍳 Cook Time: 20 minutes

This is one of my favorite kinds of dinner hacks because most of the work is already done for you. Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese becomes the sauce for rigatoni, then I add crispy air fryer meatballs and a little extra garlic, butter, black pepper, and Parmesan to make the whole thing feel more like a pasta dinner than a frozen vegetable shortcut.

Rigatoni tossed with cheesy broccoli and crispy meatballs, finished with shredded Parmesan.

The Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese is the life hack here. I microwave it according to the package directions while the pasta cooks, then add it to a skillet where I've already sautéed fresh garlic in butter. The broccoli comes with enough cheddar sauce to coat the pasta, and the butter and garlic give it a little more flavor.

I like rigatoni because the cheese sauce gets inside the pasta, but there's no reason to buy a special shape for this. Penne, shells, or another short pasta would work too. I also add garlic powder and plenty of cracked black pepper once the broccoli hits the skillet.

For the meatballs, frozen is the point. I cook them in the air fryer while everything else is going, then toss them into the pasta at the very end. Dinner is basically ready in the amount of time it takes to boil the rigatoni.

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Ingredients

🍽️ Servings: 4 • 🔥 Calories/Serving: ~620 • 💪 Protein/Serving: ~27g

• 12 oz rigatoni

• 12 frozen Italian-style meatballs

• 2 (10 oz) packages Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

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Steps

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook according to the package directions until tender. Before draining, scoop out about ½ cup of pasta water and set it aside.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, air fry the frozen meatballs according to the package directions until browned and heated through.

Step 3

Microwave the Green Giant Broccoli & Cheese according to the package directions.

Step 4

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until you can smell the garlic but it hasn't started to brown.

Step 5

Add the cooked broccoli and cheddar sauce to the skillet. Season with the garlic powder and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir everything together and let it warm for 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 6

Add the drained rigatoni to the skillet and toss until the pasta is coated in the broccoli cheddar sauce. If the sauce feels too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water and toss again.

Step 7

Add the crispy meatballs and gently toss everything together. Divide between bowls and finish with shredded Parmesan and more cracked black pepper if you want it.

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Make it your own!

• 🌶️ Give it some heat
  Add red pepper flakes to the butter and garlic before adding the broccoli.

• 🧀 Make it extra cheesy
  Stir a handful of Parmesan into the skillet before adding the pasta, then add more on top.

• 🍝 Use whatever pasta you have
  Penne, shells, ziti, or another short pasta can take the place of the rigatoni.

• 🥦 Add more broccoli
  If you want a higher broccoli-to-pasta ratio, add some plain steamed broccoli along with the cheesy broccoli.

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