Pork Meatball Marinara Ramen
Spaghetti and meatballs is the kind of dish that makes you nostalgic for Sunday dinners at your grandmother's house, even if your grandmother never made it. It's comfort food in its purest form, with tender meatballs swimming in marinara sauce that's been simmering long enough to make the whole house smell like an Italian restaurant. Swapping out the spaghetti for ramen noodles is the kind of fusion move that either makes you a culinary rebel or gets you disowned by half your family, depending on their tolerance for experimentation. The ramen noodles soak up the marinara sauce just as well as pasta, the meatballs are juicy and tender with that perfect blend of pork and seasonings, and the whole thing tastes like home even if you've never actually been to Italy. It's hearty, it's satisfying, and it's proof that some flavor combinations are universal.
Tomatoes bleed red—meatballs surrender to heat—basil whispers home.
Let Me Tell You...
I learned to make meatballs from my friend's mom, who was one of those Italian women who cooked by feel and got offended if you asked for measurements.
She'd stand at the stove with a wooden spoon in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, tossing ingredients into a bowl until it looked right.
Ground pork, breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper. "You'll know it's ready when it feels like this," she'd say, squeezing the mixture in her hand.
I had no idea what "this" felt like, but I nodded and pretended I understood.
The meatballs she made were perfect, tender and juicy with just enough seasoning to make you want another one before you'd finished the first.
Mix just until combined or they'll get dense and tough.
I started making meatballs at home, using her method as best as I could remember it.
Ground pork instead of the usual beef because pork has more fat and fat equals flavor.
I'd mix in breadcrumbs soaked in milk to keep them tender, an egg to bind everything together, and enough garlic and Parmesan to make it clear these weren't going to be boring.
I'd roll them into balls about the size of a golf ball, brown them in a pan, and then let them finish cooking in marinara sauce that I'd bought from a jar because I'm not a monster who makes everything from scratch.
The crust adds flavor and keeps them from falling apart.
The marinara sauce was the easy part.
I'd heat it up in a pot, drop the browned meatballs in, and let the whole thing simmer for twenty minutes while the meatballs soaked up the tomato flavor and the sauce got richer from the pork fat.
The smell that filled my kitchen was intoxicating, all garlic and tomatoes and basil, and I'd eat at least one meatball straight from the pot before I even thought about serving it.
One night, I didn't have spaghetti but I did have ramen noodles, and I figured they'd work just as well.
I cooked the noodles, drained them, and ladled the marinara and meatballs over the top.
The starch helps the sauce cling to the noodles.
The first bite was pure comfort.
The meatballs were tender and juicy, the marinara was rich and tangy with just enough sweetness from the tomatoes, and the ramen noodles soaked up the sauce like they were made for this exact purpose.
I topped it with fresh basil and a snowstorm of grated Parmesan, and suddenly it didn't matter that I wasn't using spaghetti.
The flavors were the same, the comfort was the same, and that's what mattered.
It's the kind of meal that makes you feel like you're home, even if you're eating it alone in a tiny apartment with mismatched furniture and too many plants.
Ingredients
- 2 packages ramen noodles (discard seasoning packets)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra for serving)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (divided)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
Preparation
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Let sit for 5 minutes until the breadcrumbs absorb the milk.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, soaked breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Roll the mixture into meatballs about 1.5 inches in diameter (you should get about 12-14 meatballs).
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes total. They don't need to be cooked through yet. Remove the meatballs and set aside.
- In a medium pot, heat the marinara sauce over medium heat. Add the browned meatballs to the sauce, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through and tender.
- While the meatballs simmer, cook the ramen noodles according to package instructions until just tender. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
- Divide the cooked ramen noodles between two to three serving bowls. If the marinara sauce is too thick, stir in a splash of the reserved noodle water to thin it slightly.
- Ladle the marinara sauce over the noodles and top each bowl with 4-5 meatballs.
- Garnish with torn fresh basil, the remaining chopped parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes if desired.
- Serve immediately while hot.