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    You are here: Home / Recipes / Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Meatballs and Spinach

    Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Meatballs and Spinach

    BY: Courtney PUBLISHED: Sep 27, 2018 18 Comments UPDATED ON: Oct 16, 2024

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
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    This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cooked Perfect® Meatballs. All opinions are 100% mine.

    Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Meatballs and Spinach is a delicious pasta recipe without red sauce. Serve up this filling and satisfying meal in less than 30 minutes!

    garlic olive oil pasta with meatballs and spinach

    Have a kiddo or family member that despises Spaghetti Sauce? This recipe is super simple and a staple in our home and we think you’ll love it too! No sauce, just protein, a carb, a veggie, oh and don’t forget the cheese!

    garlic olive oil pasta with meatballs and spinach recipe

    I’ve learned that there are fresh meatballs at my store that I can cook up quickly without loading them with a tomato sauce base. Our family loves garlic olive oil pasta and then I can easily make this a complete meal by adding in some spinach and serving with a side salad or soup!

    pasta with olive oil and garlic with meatballs and spinach

    Ingredients for Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Meatballs and Spinach

    • Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs, Italian Style (Beef & Pork): Pre-cooked, flavorful meatballs made from a blend of beef and pork, seasoned with traditional Italian herbs and spices. Ideal for quick meals, as they only require reheating. You can also use homemade turkey, chicken, or beef meatballs.
    • Garlic: Fresh garlic is a must for this recipe, we do not recommend jarred garlic.
    • Olive Oil: A good quality olive oil enhances the flavor any pasta dish!
    • Pasta : We chose to go with linguine as it provides a nice balance between thinner noodles like spaghetti and wider ones like fettuccine.
    • Fresh Spinach: Adds color, flavorm and nutrition! We recommend using fresh, also keep in mind it wilts quickly so you may want to use more!
    • Parmesan Cheese: We love a bit of fresh parmesan cheese, you can leave out if you prefer but we find it adds great flavor!
    • Salt and Pepper: We use salt and pepper to taste.

    I prefer using baked turkey meatballs or refrigerated prepared meatballs. I want to be able to cook the food right away and I don’t want the spongy texture or the added water in the recipe from a frozen meatball. You can definitely use frozen, but there will be a bit more prep using them.

    How to make Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Meatballs and Spinach

    Bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta.

    meatballs with garlic for pasta dinner

    Heat up a skillet with the olive oil, garlic, and meatballs.

    quick and easy garlic olive oil pasta with meatballs and spinach recipe

    Once the meatballs are just about done you can add in the spinach and toss.

    easy pasta dinner garlic olive oil pasta with meatballs and spinach recipe

    Add the pasta to the meatball skillet and toss. Add in some pasta water if needed.

    spahgetti with garlic and olive oil with meatballs and spinach

    Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan.

    garlic and olive oil pasta recipe with meatballs and spinach
    garlic and olive oil pasta with meatballs and spinach

    This garlic and olive oil pasta recipe would work really well with the chicken meatballs as well if you’re avoiding beef!

    You may also like these meatball recipes

    • Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs
    • Warm Pasta Salad with Chicken Meatballs
    • Korean Style BBQ Meatballs with Warm Coleslaw
    Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Meatballs and Spinach is a delicious pasta recipe without red sauce. Serve up this filling and satisfying meal in less than 30 minutes!
    garlic olive oil pasta with meatballs and spinach

    Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Meatballs and Spinach

    Author: Courtney
    Garlic Olive Oil Pasta with Meatballs and Spinach is a delicious pasta recipe without red sauce. Serve up this filling and satisfying meal in less than 30 minutes!
    5 from 34 votes

    click the stars to rate this recipe

    Print Pin Recipe 🖤 Save Saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: italian meatballs, olive oil pasta, parmesan garlic pasta
    Prep Time: 7 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 22 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 338kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 package Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs in Italian Style Beef & Pork
    • 5 cloves garlic
    • 1/4 cup olive oil
    • 1/2 lb pasta we used linguine
    • 2 cups spinach fresh
    • parmesan cheese
    • salt + pepper to taste
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    Instructions

    • Bring a pot of water to boil and cook pasta.
    • Heat up a skillet with the olive oil, garlic, and meatballs.
    • Once the meatballs are just about done you can add in the spinach and toss.
    • Add the pasta to the meatball skillet and toss. Add in some pasta water if needed.
    • Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and a generous amount of freshly grated parmesan.

    Tried this recipe?

    We’d love to know what you think! Please leave a rating and comment to share your thoughts on this recipe. Your feedback helps us continue sharing free, high-quality recipes with you. Thank you so much!

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    Notes

    Nutrition does not include meatballs as nutrition varies.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 225mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1405IU | Vitamin C: 5.4mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1.3mg

    The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.

    nutrition disclaimer
    Tried this recipe?Mention @courtneyssweets or tag #courtneyssweets!
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    POSTED IN: Main Course Recipes

    About Courtney

    Family, Food, and Photography are Courtney's passions and you'll see all of that on this blog. She is happily married to her husband Chris and together they have two amazing kiddos!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Leslie

      February 08, 2020 at 5:04 am

      This was Delicious!! I added the whole 9 0z. bag of spinach. The directions did not state what to do with the garlic (mince it or chopped) so I just minced them. I also just used Costco’s frozen Italian meatballs.

      Reply
      • Courtney Lopez

        February 08, 2020 at 9:14 am

        So glad you enjoyed!

    2. Lisa Bilqk

      April 24, 2020 at 10:10 am

      Made this for last nights dinner! It was absolutely delicious. Only change I made was using my own meatball recipe. I cooked the meatballs on there own. Added the spinach and cooked pasta to the oil and garlic then added the meatballs to toss altogether . Will be adding this to my rotation for sure. Thank you

      Reply
    3. Georganne

      February 04, 2021 at 5:06 pm

      This is my easy quick go to meal!
      My family loves it. They Even eat the spinach.

      Reply
      • Courtney

        February 05, 2021 at 4:43 pm

        This makes us so happy! Yay for everyone eating their greens too! 😀

    4. Danielle Lloyd

      October 20, 2021 at 4:56 pm

      Really, really delicious, and easy to make vegetarian (I use portobello mushrooms) and/or vegan (I use vegan parmesan). My husband literally said “definitely found a new favorite!” He loves wider noodles, like linguini. So easy to make and modify (more or less garlic, different meatballs or chicken sausage, etc). Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Courtney

        October 22, 2021 at 10:17 am

        I’m so glad you guys loved it! So easy to swap vegan too 😀

    5. Kim

      December 07, 2021 at 11:44 am

      Made this for my family and the children begged this to be done again though the week so we’re having it again tonight, lovely recipe! Thank you ♡

      Reply
      • Courtney

        December 07, 2021 at 1:29 pm

        Yay! So happy to hear that you guys, especially the kiddos enjoyed and want more! 🙂 You’re so welcome!

    6. Anna

      March 07, 2022 at 6:50 pm

      It was so delicious that my 10 year old daughter asked to have it every day!

      Reply
      • Courtney

        March 08, 2022 at 8:32 am

        Oh wow! So happy you guys enjoyed it, especially your daughter! What win 😀

    7. Mia

      March 12, 2023 at 12:31 pm

      Made this just like the recipe stated and it was delicious! I passed it on to friends who also made it and found it simple and quick with no fuss.

      Reply
      • Courtney

        March 15, 2023 at 11:37 am

        We’re so glad you enjoyed and thank you so much for sharing our recipe!! 😀

    8. Jon

      April 18, 2023 at 5:02 pm

      How many ounces should the frozen meatballs be? I see large bags and smaller bags at my grocery store.

      Reply
      • Courtney

        June 08, 2023 at 8:12 am

        I would go for a standard size. This used 16 meatballs.

    9. Helen Moreno

      March 21, 2024 at 5:54 pm

      This recipe is so good plant based! I use Impossible homestyle or Italian meatballs roasted in the oven for 15 minutes. I then add them with the spinach to the Olive oil and Garlic and toss. Season per the recipe and top with parm or pecorino Romano!
      My meat eating hubby loves this recipe! Cheers! 🍷

      Reply
    10. Grammy

      June 15, 2025 at 5:17 pm

      My family loved this!

      Reply
      • Courtney

        June 21, 2025 at 6:38 am

        So glad you and your family enjoyed!!

    5 from 34 votes (26 ratings without comment)

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