Something I personally find a lot of joy and fun in, is turning a familiar recipe into a soup version of itself, and that's just what I did with this cheesy rigatoni meatball soup.
Wonderful, Irresistible Soup!
Ah, soup... it's one of my favorite things to prepare and to eat.
I love the entire “dance” of preparing soup—stock simmering away while I chop, slice and dice all of those delicious and aromatic ingredients that'll create that wonderful depth of flavor... I create a little station next to my stove where I can begin the process of searing and browning, of stirring and sautéing, in order to ultimately achieve pure bliss in the form of a steaming, magical elixir that typically emerges only 25-45 minutes later.
What could be better? More soothing?
And while soup is certainly most cozy to enjoy in these colder months, a delicious bowl of savory, “liquid heaven” is something my husband and I eat all year long—spring, summer, fall or winter.
For us, soup is a complete meal, one that is so versatile and nourishing, one that thoroughly comforts us to our very cores.
Rigatoni and Meatballs are a Match Made in Soup Heaven
The base for this luxurious, rich and flavorful soup is a tomato one, filled with lots of garlic, herbs, and silky olive oil (even a tiny splash of red wine!). It's very similar to the flavors of a classic marinara sauce, only lighter. Savory meatballs are added in and gently simmered until they become nice and tender.
When this bright, velvety soup is ladled into a bowl filled with warm rigatoni, and topped with a sprinkle of creamy mozzarella, it becomes the perfect meal to enjoy when you're craving something nourishing, comforting, and Italian. (The kiddos will love it, too!)
Rigatoni meatball soup is one of our new favorites fit to be placed into our repertoire and enjoyed with a nice, toasty piece of garlic bread for dipping, and perhaps a glass of good red wine to sip on—really quite perfect for whatever season we find ourselves in.
Tips & Tidbits for Rigatoni Meatball Soup:
- Good quality lean, ground beef: I like to use 85/15 organic ground beef, as it has just the right amount of fat to lean meat, which equals flavor; but you can also use a leaner ground beef, just know that it will not be quite as tender in meatballs, since there is less fat.
- Substitute another ground meat: You can also use dark meat chicken or turkey as a substitute for beef, for a leaner version—you can even use ground lamb or pork, if you prefer.
- Make your meatballs first: I like to prepare the meatballs first, and have them ready to brown; I also use a tablespoon to scoop out portions of the meatball mixture to create bite-size meatballs, not too small but not too large to comfortably eat in soup form.
- Feel free to leave out the wine: I add in only a very small amount of red wine into the soup, and that completely cooks out; but if you prefer not to add wine, simply omit it.
- Vegetarian option: You can very easily prepare the soup on its own without any meatballs if you are looking for a vegetarian option, and substitute vegetable stock in place of the chicken.
- Prepare ahead: Separate elements of this recipe can easily be prepared ahead. You can prepare the meatballs a day or two ahead of time, and you can cook your rigatoni in advance as well. Just make the soup the day you plan to serve. Or, you can prepare the entire recipe, keeping the rigatoni separate, a couple of days ahead of when you plan on serving it—the flavor will be amazing! (If you make it ahead and it thickens up a bit, feel free to add a some water, if necessary.)
Feast your eyes on these, or just jump to the recipe:
Recipe
Rigatoni Meatball Soup
by Ingrid Beer
Print Recipe
Yield: Serves 8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Meatball Ingredients:
• 1 pound ground beef (85/15 ratio, organic if possible)
• 1 French roll (2-3 ounces), processed for 20-30 seconds in food processor for breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press (Need a good garlic press? Here's the link: Rowav Garlic Press)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Splash of milk or half & half (about 2 tablespoons)
Soup Ingredients:
• Olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• Pinch salt
• Pinch black pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup red wine (optional)
• 1 (28 ounce/ 793 gram) can organic whole, peeled tomatoes
• 6 cups warm chicken stock (I like Better Than Bouillon to make my stock)
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 8 ounces uncooked rigatoni, cooked according to package instructions
• Grated mozzarella cheese (about ¼ cup per serving, so about 2 cups total)
Preparation:
-Prepare your meatballs by placing your ground beef into a large bowl, and then adding in the remainder of the meatball ingredients; gently mix together just until combined, and using a tablespoon, scoop portions of the mixture and roll between your palms to form meatballs.
-Place a large soup pot (non-stick is ideal, if you have it, you can give this one a try: Calphalon Unison Nonstick 4-Quart Soup Pot with Lid) over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; once the pot is hot, add in the meatballs, working in a couple of batches, if necessary; if you have a non-stick pot, then you can leave your meatballs to brown on that first side, undisturbed, for about 2-3 minutes; if your pot is not non-stick, make sure to move it around vigorously for about 30 seconds when you add in the meatballs so they don't stick to the bottom before the sear up.
-Once the meatballs are browned on all sides (about 4 minutes total per batch), transfer them to a plate or bowl to hold; then, drizzle in a touch more olive oil (if needed), and add in the chopped onion.
-Saute the onion, scraping up the good bits from the meatballs as much as possible; add in the dried basil, oregano, and parsley, plus a pinch of salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using), and stir for a couple minutes until things soften.
-Add in the garlic and stir that to combine, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the tomato paste, and stir to incorporate that in, about 30 seconds or so; add in the red wine to deglaze (if using), and after about 20 seconds, add in the whole tomatoes and the chicken stock.
-Simmer the soup for about 15 minutes; then, using a blender or a hand-held immersion blender (my personal favorite for soup, here's the link: KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Blender), puree the soup until smooth.
-Add the meatballs into the soup, and bring it back to a gentle simmer; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes more until the meatballs are tender.
-To serve, add ½ cup of the cooked rigatoni to a bowl, and ladle in some of the soup (about 1 ½ cups) along with 4 meatballs; top with about ¼ cup grated mozzarella cheese, and either enjoy immediately, or place under the broiler for a minute to melt and slightly brown the cheese.
Believe it or not, we also turned Philly Cheesesteak into a stew! Check it out: Philly Cheesesteak Stew
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This looks delicious. tummy warming and soul nourishing. I cook Gluten Free, but simply switching to a gluten free pasta and using the heels of frozen gluten free frozen bread will be perfect substitutes. I can't wait to try this recipe, It's a refreshing change from the same-old soups in our rotation. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lucy! The pleasure is all mine! And your ideas for substitutions to make this gluten-free are absolutely perfect; it’s wonderful that there are so many simple swaps readily available to folks with gluten intolerance so that most meals can easily be prepared. I hope you enjoy! ❤️
My daughter is extremely picky eater and she gave this 2 thumbs up and said she would eat this again. She really loved the meatballs. My first time ever making meatballs so I will take the win. Perfect on a cool winter night! This is definitely a keep and will make it again. I didn’t realize I only had fire roasted tomatoes but the soup turned out yummy!
Aw, please tell your precious daughter "thank you" for her thumbs up, Sabra! When the kiddos are satisfied, I know from experience that it makes a momma's job with dinnertime much easier. 😉
Congrats on making such tasty meatballs on your first try as well as well—happy cooking to you, and I hope you all continue to enjoy this recipe (and perhaps even find a few more)!
Made your soup tonight and the family loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for letting me know, Melinda! So happy the family enjoyed!
Can this soup be frozen?
Hi Jan, I don't see why not. The only concern is that the meatballs might become a little mealy, but I honestly don't think it should be too much of an issue. And, of course, don't freeze the rigatoni—just prepare that fresh when you're ready to serve the soup.
Hope you enjoy!
I have froze my spaghetti sauce and meatballs and they were just as delish before freezing
Hi there, This is soooooo good. Thanks for this perfect soup on a very cold Canadian day. I will make it again.
Hi Nadia! I’m so excited you made this soup! Glad it’s been a cozy comfort on this cold day for you, and I’m so very happy you took a little moment to let me know it turned out well. ❤️
I just wanted to compliment you and your husband on the time and effort put into your recipes. the instructions are so clearly written and easy to follow with the photos being a clear guide through the cooking process. I haven't disliked any recipe that I have made from your site. Thank you, again, for such a pleasant place to find a delicious meal, dessert, or anything else that suits my taste buds.
Martha, thank you for such an encouraging comment—we truly appreciate that! My husband and I absolutely love what we do, so to receive a comment such as yours gives us a lot of joy. Thanks for taking some time to bring some light into our day; we hope you enjoy the recipe!
My mouth is honestly watering right now! I'm so glad I came across this recipe, because I've been freezing my butt off all day... this is exactly that comfort food inspiration I needed! Thanks for posting such an incredible looking soup, and I soooo look forward to trying this out.
Hi Faith, I'm so glad you came across this recipe, too! (It's especially good at helping to keep your butt from freezing off, so definitely have a go at trying this one out, haha!) 😉 I think you'll find some good, hearty comfort in it; here's to happy cooking!
Hi could I use beef stock and better then beef base instead of chicken? Also I am making this today. I was wondering if the meatballs hold during the hours of simmering. Do you usually boil noodles before seving?
Thanks...Snowed in on the East Cost... this definitely looks like the comfort food for the occasional. Also had a box of rigatoni for a while now I just didn’t know what to do with. 🙂
Hi Anna, you can certainly use beef stock, if you prefer! I noticed, though, that you mentioned "hours of simmering"; please take note that the recipe does not require hours of simmering. The meatballs, once browned, don't go back into the soup until it is pureed, and then it is only for a 15 minute simmer. And as far the pasta, cook that separate (you can certainly do this while the soup is cooking), and then add to your bowl before ladling the soup in. Hope you enjoy this cozy recipe on this cold day!
Hi there! Have you ever baked the meatballs rather than fried ?
Hi Lori, for this recipe I have not.
The reason that I like to brown the meatballs in the soup pot prior to proceeding with the recipe is that this provides the soup (and the meatballs) with an extra layer of flavor, which is always a good thing. This way, I don't lose any of the good stuff—the juices nor the browned bits—to a baking sheet. 😉
However, if you'd prefer to bake the meatballs, feel free. I have a couple of recipes on the site for meatballs—a baked chicken meatball and a mozzarella stuffed meatball—and you can roughly follow the steps for those if you'd prefer. (Just skip the step of rolling the meatballs in the breadcrumbs if using this method.)
Hope that gives you some info!
If I just wanted to make it as meatballs and sauce and serve over pasta, I could just cut down the liquid correct?
Hi Kelli, I would say yes.
Because I have not prepared this recipe in more of a "meatballs and sauce" sort of way, I don't have measurements to offer you; but going less on the liquid will certainly create a thicker consistency.
Hope you enjoy!
All I can say is YUM, Yum, Yum. I was looking for a recipe for meatball soup and I found THE only recipe I'll ever need.
That is so great Deborah! I'm thrilled to read that, and thank you for sharing—you put a big smile on my face! 🙂
This is a yummy comfort soup that the whole family enjoyed! I added pepperoni and sweet peppers. I also skipped the wine, and I added an extra 1/2 tsp of tomato paste with 2 tbsp of sugar. I already had meatballs I made with my own recipe that I thawed. Instead of whole tomatoes, I used organic crushed and sauced tomatoes with fresh basil. We accompanied it with rosemary and olive oil toast. We definitely will make it frequently! I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
Venus, thank you so much for sharing!
So happy you and your family are enjoying this hearty and cozy soup, and I love your personal tweaks!
Happy cooking to you as you peruse and prepare more of our recipes here—I think you will find many comforting and warming options to share with your loved ones. 😉
I'm lazy and don't want to make homemade bread crumbs. How much store ought crumbs would I use? Thanks!
Hi Lori, I'd say you'd do well with about 1/2 cup of crumbs. Hope you enjoy!
This was a big hit in our household! I subbed vegetarian "ground beef" from Happy Little Plants (kinda like Beyond Beef's veggie ground beef) in the meatballs but otherwise followed the recipe with great results. We will be making this one again; thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Hi Catherine, I'm so happy to ready that!
What a wonderful substitution—I'm thrilled those meatballs turned out for you, and that you all enjoyed this tasty soup!
I have an onion allergy and wanted to know what I could substitute for that.
Hi Mariko, I would simply leave it out, as there really is no good substitute for onions. (If you're OK with garlic, perhaps more of that for flavor?)
Hello dear! This looks amazing! I am going to fix this tonight and was wondering what kind of wine you use.
Hi Sharon! Feel free to use whatever kind of red wine you have on hand. I honestly don't remember what brand/varietal I used for the recipe, as we have different reds in the house at any given time; but a nice cabernet would be great. Something you would enjoy drinking alongside! 😉
Hope you enjoy!
Made the soup tonight and it was absolutely delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!
My pleasure, Kimberly!
Thanks so much for taking some time to share your experience with me—I love to know when someone experienced some nourishment and comfort from a recipe of mine!
Hi- do you have to blend the soup together or can you skip that step? Don't have a blender, thanks!
Hi Lauren, no worries, it's not a total "must".
Just know that the consistency of your soup will be a bit different—more chunky, you could say. The blended version is like a thick, smooth sauce, almost; but if you don't mind the difference in texture, you'll be totally fine.
Hope you enjoy!
This looks amazing and I want to try it immediately! I have a blender, but not hand held. I would need to transfer it to the blender then back to the pot. Do you think that would work?
Thanks! Can't wait to make it!
Hi JoBeth, yes, that's exactly how I'd suggest you do it!
Just work in batches (so that the hot soup doesn't spatter on you or your kitchen), then transfer back to the pot, and proceed.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Made this last night and it was great! My family enjoyed it!
Hey Quinn, thanks for letting me know—so thrilled to read that!
I don't have a large soup pot but I do have a Dutch oven. Will that work for this recipe?
Hi Stephanie, a Dutch oven will work just fine, but it depends on how big it is. If it's large enough to hold the contents, it'll work just fine as a cooking vessel. Hope you enjoy!
I want to try this meal for my family tonight! But what kind of red wine would I use?
Hi Monica, any kind that you'd normally like to drink alongside!
I just always pretty much use whatever red I have on hand, which is typically a cabernet, or zinfandel, or a red blend.
Made this for my family of four the other night and they loved it! I used ground chicken for the meatballs; worked really well. I have requests to cook this again soon.
Rene, perfect substitution with the chicken!
So happy to read that the family enjoyed, and that you've got a recipe on hand to whip up whenever you all get a craving for something cozy, filling, and warming. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me!
Ingrid, this looks utterly delicious! I'm planning to make it today to help stave off the cold Wisconsin winter. I think this soup will do the trick! For some reason my brain is screaming at me to sub in Italian sausage for the ground beef. I think that little kick of fennel could be great. Will definitely be following you after seeing this, keep up the great work!
Hi John, that sausage will be delicious! (Actually, you know what might be interesting? If you mixed some beef with that sausage, and made Italian sausage meatballs!)
Hope you enjoy this warming and hearty soup, and I'm so glad to read that you plan on following me here...may you enjoy many more cozy and comforting recipes! 🙂
Hello! Looking to make this as our Christmas meal, it’s also my birthday and hate having a mess in the kitchen ! Looking to make this xmas eve and serve on xmas, I know you said to keep the rigatoni separate but how do you go about warming up when made ahead ? Trying to be easy 🙂
Hi Nella, how fun—hope you enjoy the recipe!
What I do to warm up the rigatoni is to rinse it in a colander under hot water for a moment or two, just to take the "chill" off; then, I allow them to thoroughly drain so they're not wet before adding them to my bowl, and even toss them with a little touch of olive oil. Then, the hot soup will warm them even further.
Hope that helps!
Not bad! Next time if probably add some celery and/or bell peppers 🙂
Do you drain the tomatoes? I made it tonight flavor is GREAT, but it came out very watery.
Hi there! No, I don't drain the tomatoes.
When you describe things as "watery", that shouldn't be the case. Of course, because it is soup, it is going to be thinner than a sauce, with a rich, broth-y texture that's easy to ladle.
However, you could always drain the tomatoes next time, if you'd prefer, which would definitely cause things to be a bit thicker. 🙂
This was so good! Didn’t have a ton of time, so used frozen Italian-style meatballs (but followed the rest of the recipe exactly). Bet it would have been even better using your recipe for meatballs from scratch, but just wanted to say how delicious it was even with this substitution.
Perfect, Genevieve! Thanks for the "review", and I'm so glad you enjoyed!
I used Trader Joe’s party sizes meatballs for something easier on a weeknight and ahhhh so good!! I’m going to try your meatballs recipe on a weekend the next time I make this, which will be soon. Thanks for this recipe!
Perfect short-cut, Betsy! (I love Trader Joe's—they're stuff is really great quality.)
So glad you enjoyed, and when you have more time to prep the meatballs, I hope you enjoy those too!
How can I make this in the crock pot
This recipe is ridiculous! As in, ridiculously amazing! I made this yesterday for my family. What a hit! They aren’t especially soup eaters, but this is so much more than that. I did make mine in stages during the day because it is a bit time consuming, but you could even prep the meatballs the day before. I did all my sautéing in the instant pot so it was one dirty pan and easy to heat the soup back up at dinner time. The only change I did; I didn’t have the 28 oz tomatoes, so I substituted my homemade roasted purées tomatoes since it’s going to be puréed anyway. By the way, DO NOT skip the purée step. It really makes the texture silky. By making mine earlier in the day, it cooled down to blend easily. I tried to eat more when it was cold. I wanted it for breakfast. And lunch. But, I really want to use it for dinner. It is two full meals for my family of four- as long as I can keep everyone out of it. Make this. You will be so glad you did. Thank you!
Rachelle, thanks so much for such a wonderful review! I'm also grateful that you shared your process making this recipe in the instant pot—there have been some questions about that here, and I think others who are interested in this method will find it helpful.
So very glad you and your family enjoyed!
This was so good!! I used “meatloaf mix” my supermarket sells for the meatballs instead of straight hamburger meat, so they had some pork and veal in them too. Delish!! I will definitely be making this again ☺️
Perfect, Erin! Thanks so much for sharing!
Ingrid, this recioe is perfection! I didn't change anything. Your meatball recipe alone is excellent and will be my go-to for other recipes. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and, of course, your love.
Hi Linda, so very glad you enjoyed—thank you for commenting! (And you've now got the bonus of a "got-to" meatball recipe, to boot.) 🙂
Just made this last night in the instant pot. Fabulous and fairly easy. Thanks!
Hi Trudy, that's wonderful—so glad you enjoyed!
I have been using your recipes for over a year now and have enjoyed them very much, Ingrid. Your recipes are spot-on, and the way you explain the procedures are detailed enough so that there is no guess work (unlike so many online sites that offer techniques, etc., to preparing food).
With regards to this recipe? I used to have a recipe for meatball soup, but lost it many, many years ago. I have not been able to find it... but this one looks just as delicious and will more than likely end my search.
Thank you again for all of your hard work. Every time I follow one of your recipes, I feel like I've attended a culinary class myself (and I'm 73 years old and trust me, have been cooking for longer than you've been alive)!
Sorry... I just HAD to let you know much I appreciate your recipes, your techniques and your site!
Sheri, thank you so very much, from the bottom of my heart, for your comment. I am so touched and honored that you've been following and preparing some of my recipes for over a year now!
I truly appreciate it when a reader shares with me that the info I provide in my recipes (not only ingredients, but steps, preparation, etc.) are easy to follow and informative. Then I know that I am being effective, and that is really what I'm after when I share my recipes.
I hope you enjoy this comforting soup, and continue to find nourishment and pleasure in the recipes here on our site, and be blessed by them.
Again, I appreciate your readership, and my heart is so full. 🙂
This was the literal definition of "comforting".
Eating this soup was like being hugged by someone with a warm blanket around your shoulders.
I'm going to make this all the time now. I am going to make this for everyone I know.
Thank you!
Liz, thank you for such a kind, heart-felt comment. My hubby read it to me and said, "This is bringing me to tears!" So very touched...
I'm thrilled you enjoyed the recipe so very much, and expressing that you would like to prepare and share it with others in your life means the world to me. This is the very reason why I write and share my recipes here, so that they can, in some small way, touch peoples lives by comforting and nourishing them.
Again, thanks so much for sharing your experience, and happy cooking!
This soup came out so good! I’m 16 years old and I didn’t think I could make this. But the instructions were really easy to follow. My whole family loved this and it was refreshing to have a new meal at the table. 10/10!
Hi Lilly, I am super impressed! 16?! How awesome are you for preparing this recipe for yourself and your family!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience with me, as it really, really touched me. I'm thrilled to read when a teen or young adult goes into the kitchen and gets creative, and whips up something really amazing to share with the people they love. Kudos to you!
Glad to know that my instructions were easy to follow, and that this recipe is worthy of a 10/10! I hope you get the chance to peruse and find some more recipes on the site to prepare and comfort and nourish not only yourself but your loved ones with.
Happy cooking, Lilly!
How can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
Hi Lindsay, great question.
Since the 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes called for in the recipe contains roughly 3 1/2 cups, then I'd suggest substituting roughly the same amount of the fresh tomatoes, only I'd cut/chop them into larger chunks, and get rid of excess seeds.
If you have the tomato paste, then definitely do use that. Actually, you should increase the quantity slightly to 4 tablespoons rather than the 2 called for, if possible, to add some "richness" that will be missing since you're using fresh tomatoes. (Canned tomato products are typically a bit thicker, saucier and richer, so please keep that in mind when it comes to the texture of your soup perhaps being slightly different than pictured.)
Apart from those tweaks, proceed with the recipe as is.
Hope that helps, and I hope you enjoy your version using fresh tomatoes!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I made it as written but thickened it by blending and adding a tiny bit of slurry and some cream. This I did for my granddaughter who prefers creamy soup to brothy soup. The meatballs have so much flavor and were nice and tender. Granddaughter loves it and has it moved it to the top of her list of favorite soups. That's saying something since we have spent the last few weeks trying new soup recipes and that's a lotta soup we've eaten, I can tell you. Good job! Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, wonderful to read that! Makes my heart very happy... 🙂
Glad you made the recipe according to your personal tastes/needs, and hopefully, you will return to it often to find a little comfort, nourishment and coziness whenever you and your granddaughter need it!
I loved everything about this recipe. The meatballs are fabulous! I had a bowl of leftover for supper tonight that was even better the first time. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for your lovely comments—so glad you enjoyed!
When it comes to soups, I find the leftovers are even richer and more flavorful, so I'm happy you enjoyed yours. 😉
I absolutely love this recipe! My husband does not eat soup, nearly of any kind, but he said this is his favorite food that I make! I couldn't believe it when he said it. This is one of our favorite go to meals especially when it's cool outside in the fall or winter. Thank you so much for the recipe! Will definitely be using it a lot! 😁
Hi Nikki, so glad to read that! Thank you for sharing, and here's to enjoying this recipe for years to come!
Love this recipe. Have made it several times and definitely a keeper. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for letting me know, Lori! So happy you're enjoying.