Meatballs & Harissa Tomato Sauce with Green Beans & Orzo Pasta

Meatballs & Harissa Tomato Sauce

with Green Beans & Orzo Pasta

40 MIN
4 Servings
Wellness at Blue Apron
Find recipes that suit your lifestyle with our new nutritionist-approved dietary tags.
Fri Delivery Only
Recipe only available for Friday delivery.
WW™ Approved
Our recipes that have the WW™ Mark of Wellness make vegetables the star of your meal, utilize lean proteins, keep calorie counts in mind and limit saturated fat, sodium and added sugar, and use simple, wholesome ingredients to make dinnertime a nourishing and joyful experience. Smart Point Values ® (SPVs) are assigned to recipes on an “as packaged” basis. To learn more about WW™ visit our partner’s website at WW.com.
Vegetarian
Our vegetarian recipes contain no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood, but may include eggs, and animal-based dairy products, such as cheese and sour cream, as well as honey.
600 Calories Or Less
All of these delicious recipes come in at 600 calories or less per serving, ideal for those who choose to monitor their caloric intake, without sacrificing flavor. The US Food & Drug Administration recommends a 2000 calorie daily intake for the general population. The 600 calorie cap equates to 30% of total 2000 calories per day based on 3 meals per day with 200 calories remaining for snack or beverage.
Carb Conscious
Our Carb Conscious recipes provide a balanced approach to carbohydrate consumption by replacing refined carbohydrates from sources like white flour, rice, and cane sugar with high-fiber foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Our Carb Conscious recipes have 42g or less of net carbohydrates (total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber) per serving, a 25% reduction in net carbs compared to the average Blue Apron recipe served in 2019. Due to the natural variation in size of and contribution of produce in our recipes, some recipes can be badged as Carb Conscious at 45g or less net carbs per serving.
Mediterranean Diet
Our Mediterranean recipes are inspired by the Mediterranean Diet, a healthy eating plan recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans published jointly every five years by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS). This eating plan highlights the flavors and cooking styles from countries along the Mediterranean Sea, including those in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. These recipes showcase a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, as well as lean proteins and moderate portions of dairy.
Plant-Forward
Our Plant-Forward recipes are designed by our chefs to help support a flexible diet that emphasizes plant-based foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and other legumes like lentils and soy foods, and includes occasional, moderate portions of meat, poultry, fish, and seafood.
Diabetes Friendly
Our diabetes friendly offering allows you to enjoy wholesome options while adhering to the guidelines set forth by the nutrition experts at our partner at the American Diabetes Association. A recipe with this badge features non-starchy, fibrous vegetables with a limit on calories, total carbohydrates, saturated fat, added sugar and sodium. For those chefs following ADA guidelines, it is recommended that no additional salt be added to this recipe when prepared and for chefs to skip all salting steps of a recipe. See nutrition information on your current page or at blueapron.com for sodium “as packaged”. To find out more about the American Diabetes Association's guidelines visit our partner’s website www.diabetes.org.

From the Test Kitchen

We’re elevating these savory meatballs by loading ours with deliciously melty cheese curds, then cooking them in alightly spiced tomato sauce for rich, bright flavor in every bite. It’s all brought together over warm orzo pasta and green beans finished with a touch of crème fraîche.
CLICK FOR RECIPE CARD

Get Cooking
  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    770 Cals (est.)
View Full Nutrition
Nutrition Label
Download

Please note nutritional information, including ingredients and allergens, may differ from above based on your location. Location-specific nutritional information is available for viewing upon subscribing, or by logging in if you are already a subscriber.

fresh
ingredients
Meatballs & Harissa Tomato Sauce with Green Beans & Orzo Pasta
Title
  • 1⅛ lbs Ground Beef
  • 1 15-Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
  • ½ lb Orzo Pasta
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 6 oz Green Beans
  • 2 oz Sliced Roasted Red Peppers
  • 2 Tbsps Crème Fraîche
  • ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
  • 3 Tbsps Golden Raisins
  • 2 oz Cheddar Cheese Curds
  • 1 Tbsp Smoky Spice Blend (Smoked Paprika, Sweet Paprika, Ground Yellow Mustard, Garlic Powder & Onion Powder)
  • 1 Tbsp Red Harissa Paste
  • 1 Zucchini
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Prepare the ingredients & make the harissa tomato sauce:
1 Prepare the ingredients & make the harissa tomato sauce:

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Finely chop the cheese curds. Medium dice the zucchini. Halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Combine the diced zucchini and chopped garlic in a bowl. Cut off and discard the stem ends of the green beans; cut into 1-inch pieces. Roughly chop the peppers. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, harissa paste, a big pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup of water.  

Form the meatballs:
2 Form the meatballs:

In a large bowl, combine the beef, chopped cheese curds, breadcrumbs, and spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix to combine. Shape the mixture into 12 tightly packed meatballs. Transfer to a plate.

Brown the meatballs & zucchini:
3 Brown the meatballs & zucchini:

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Add the prepared zucchini and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the peppers are softened. 

Cook & finish the pasta:
4 Cook & finish the pasta:

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook 5 minutes. Add the green bean pieces and continue to cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add the crème fraîche, raisins, and chopped peppers; stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Cover to keep warm. 

Finish the meatballs & serve your dish:
5 Finish the meatballs & serve your dish:

Add the harissa tomato sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter) to the pan of browned meatballs and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally and spooning the sauce over the meatballs, 4 to 5 minutes, or until the liquid is slightly reduced in volume and the meatballs are cooked through. ** Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished meatballs and sauce over the finished pasta. Enjoy! 

Tips from Home Chefs

About Blue Apron

Ba hero

Blue Apron delivers original, step-by-step recipes and fresh ingredients to customers nationwide. Our menus change every week, so with each delivery you learn to cook inventive new dishes with seasonal ingredients. By letting us source these hard-to-find ingredients for you, you'll get food that is fresher and cheaper than you can get at your local supermarket, and there's no waste because we only send you what you need for each recipe.

We named our company “Blue Apron” because chefs around the world wear blue aprons when they're learning to cook, and it has become a symbol of lifelong learning in cooking. We believe you're never done learning in the kitchen, so we design our menus to ensure you're always learning new cooking techniques, trying new cuisines, and using unique ingredients.

Blue Apron is a weekly subscription service with no commitment - you can skip a week or cancel at any time with a week's notice. We can't wait to cook with you!

Get This Recipe Delivered

Meatballs & Harissa Tomato Sauce

Prepare the ingredients & make the harissa tomato sauce:
1 Prepare the ingredients & make the harissa tomato sauce:

Fill a medium pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Finely chop the cheese curds. Medium dice the zucchini. Halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Combine the diced zucchini and chopped garlic in a bowl. Cut off and discard the stem ends of the green beans; cut into 1-inch pieces. Roughly chop the peppers. In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, harissa paste, a big pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup of water.  

2 Form the meatballs:

In a large bowl, combine the beef, chopped cheese curds, breadcrumbs, and spice blend; season with salt and pepper. Gently mix to combine. Shape the mixture into 12 tightly packed meatballs. Transfer to a plate.

Form the meatballs:
Brown the meatballs & zucchini:
3 Brown the meatballs & zucchini:

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the meatballs. Cook, turning occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Add the prepared zucchini and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until the peppers are softened. 

4 Cook & finish the pasta:

Meanwhile, add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook 5 minutes. Add the green bean pieces and continue to cook 2 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add the crème fraîche, raisins, and chopped peppers; stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Cover to keep warm. 

Cook & finish the pasta:
Finish the meatballs & serve your dish:
5 Finish the meatballs & serve your dish:

Add the harissa tomato sauce (carefully, as the liquid may splatter) to the pan of browned meatballs and zucchini. Cook, stirring occasionally and spooning the sauce over the meatballs, 4 to 5 minutes, or until the liquid is slightly reduced in volume and the meatballs are cooked through. ** Turn off the heat. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished meatballs and sauce over the finished pasta. Enjoy!