A new twist on a classic dish. Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs is an Asian-Italian fusion pasta recipe.
Juicy pork meatballs, a spicy Asian sauce, sautéed mushrooms, and classic spaghetti noodles. Better than take-out!
We love playing in the kitchen creating great-tasting fusion food. Greek nachos are a prime example. Moroccan lamb egg rolls are a delicious twist too.
Who doesn’t love a great spaghetti and meatball dinner? I know it is always a favourite around here.
There are many wonderful variations for this classic meal. So many ways to make the sauce. Different meats to make the wonderful juicy meatballs, and of course your choice of pasta. I think you can pretty well make classic spaghetti and meatballs different every time.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for Asian spaghetti and meatballs can be found at the bottom of this post.
For this Chinese pasta recipe, I decided to make pork meatballs. There are lots of Chinese recipes that incorporate chicken, so I wanted to switch it up.
The regular tomato sauce was replaced with a sweet and spicy chili sauce, and I also sautéed some fresh mushrooms for some added texture and flavour.
This Asian Spaghetti Recipe Needs:
- ground pork
- sliced white bread
- Worcestershire sauce
- salt
- pepper
- garlic
- sweet Thai chili sauce
- soy sauce
- Sriracha sauce
- red chili paste
- honey
- garlic powder
- pasta
- olive oil
- Agave
- dry white wine
- rice wine vinegar
- cornstarch
- sesame oil
- fresh mushrooms
- garnish like pea shoots, sesame seeds, or peanuts (optional)
We just happen to love meatball recipes. They are great in lots of delicious ways.
Jerk Turkey Meatball Subs are fun for lunch or dinner. A great way to switch up the protein combined with a Caribbean flair.
You can never go wrong with Olive Cocktail Meatballs. A great way to get any party started.
If you are a lamb lover, Grilled Kofta Kebabs are for you. They are like big meatballs (stretched out) on a stick.
Of course, if you want to stick to the classic spaghetti recipe, be sure to check out my Simple Roasted Tomatoes to make the best pasta sauce.
Ground turkey is budget-friendly too. Since we are exploring world cuisine, why not give this Turkey Verinoque a try? A classic French meat pie that is so easy to make.
Making Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs
This easy noodle recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner. There are a few steps, but nothing is difficult. Full instructions can be found in the recipe card.
Step One: Making the Pork Meatballs
- Combine the meatball ingredients in a bowl.
- Shape into balls (about the size of golf balls).
- Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven, and drain on paper towels to remove excess fat.
Step Two: Making The Spicy Asian Sauce
- Combine all the meatball sauce ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the cooked meatballs and toss.
Step Three: Preparing the Chinese Noodles
- Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
- Drain and add a touch of oil.
- Heat the sauce in a wok or skillet.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened.
- Add the drained pasta noodles and toss.
Step Four: Mushrooms and Garnish
- You can totally omit this step if you like. However, it does add to the dish.
- Thinly slice the fresh mushrooms.
- Cook in a small pan with a bit of oil.
Now it’s time to eat. Plate the spaghetti into serving bowls. Top with several meatballs. Garnish. Dig in.
Suggestions/Recipe Tips
Pasta – I used spaghetti noodles, but feel free to use any type of pasta you like. Rice noodles or soba noodles would be delicious too.
Meatballs – are made from pork, but beef, chicken, and turkey are great alternatives.
Vegetables/Garnish – if mushrooms are not your thing, try some grated carrots or green onion. Peanuts and sesame seeds are also delicious.
Spices/Seasonings – easily adjusted to your liking. Make it as spicy as you like, or not at all.
Storage – make lots, this recipe keeps several days in the fridge. Perfect for another meal during the week. Store in a sealed container. Reheat in a covered dish at a moderate temperature in the oven.
Love pasta and looking for more great recipes, give these a try:
Want to try your hand at making homemade gnocchi from scratch? This herbed potato gnocchi recipe is easy and so delicious.
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Looking for more fun fusion recipes to try? Here are a few:
Chinese Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
For the Pork Meatballs:
- 24 ounces ground pork
- 2 slices white bread (no crust and soaked in water just enough to cover the bread)
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons Thai sweet red chili sauce
For the Meatball Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons organic soy sauce
- 1 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- 2 tablespoons red chili paste
- 3 tablespoons raw organic honey
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Spaghetti:
- 16 ounces pasta (spaghetti or linguini)
- 1 teaspoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons Agave nectar
- 3 tablespoons red chili sauce
- ½ cup organic soy sauce
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 6 fresh mushrooms (sliced)
Instructions
To make the Meatball Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
- Set aside till ready to use.
To make the Meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400º F and get a pan/dish ready and set aside.
- Combine all the meatball ingredients together, but DO NOT over mix.
- Shape into balls (about the size of a golf ball) and place in prepared pan/dish.
- Bake in oven for about 30 minutes until browned and cooked through.
- Remove from oven, cool slightly and place meatballs on paper towel to drain any excess fat.
- Combine the sauce with the meatballs and set aside.
To make the Spaghetti:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil.
- When it is boiling, season water with salt and cook pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking get the sauce ready by combing all ingredients except olive oil and garlic.
- In a wok heat olive oil over medium heat.
- Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add sauce mixture and cook till thickened (about 2 minutes).
- Drain cooked pasta and add to sauce in wok.
- Sauté the fresh mushrooms in a bit of olive oil in a shallow fry pan.
When ready to serve:
- Place some of the pasta from the wok into a serving bowl.
- Top with 3-4 meatballs that are covered in sauce.
- Add some mushrooms to the bowl.
- Garnish (I used fresh pea shoots).
- ENJOY!!
Beth
This is really interesting, but looks so delicious and tasty! Can’t wait to give this a try! My husband is going to love this!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
It quickly became a hit in our house too.
Dannii
Spaghetti and meatballs is total comfort food and I love this Chinese twist on it.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is so much better than takeout….I bet your family will love it.
Stephanie
This is such a delicious way to change up our regular spaghetti and meatballs! My husband and I loved it and my boys ate it, which is good for them! Definitely making this one again.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
We love this recipe too. So much better than takeout.
Marisa Franca
Oh boy, I love the Asian influence. What a great variation of spaghetti and meatballs. We just had Pad Thai at our daughter’s house the other night and I’m still craving some Oriental dishes. I’ve never even thought of doing our meatballs and pasta Chinese style — Hubby I know would love it. Can’t wait to try it!!
Homemade & Yummy
Oh man….I love this recipe. Now that you have me looking at it again…I need to make it soon.
Julia (@imagelicious)
Oh, I love all the asian flavours in this recipe. Such a familiar comfort food but with a really cool twist! Awesome idea!
Homemade & Yummy
Yes it is a fun twist on the classic dish, not to mention totally delicious.
Veena Azmanov
Oh gosh.. such a lovely twist of the classic. I Love it Gloria!! Love the flavors.!! Must try soon!!
Homemade & Yummy
It is a fun and different way to enjoy the classic dish.
Melissa
I love the idea of putting a twist on a classic like spaghetti and meatballs. Definitely need to try it!
Homemade & Yummy
It is so delicious.
Cassie | Crumb Kitchen
This is really interesting, Gloria! I’m a huge fan of the traditional spaghetti and meatballs, but I also love Chinese take out. The best of both worlds? 🙂
Chef G
It is a great twist on a classic dish.
Joyce
Interesting take! To add more depth of flavours you can also consider adding ginger to your spaghetti sauce or sub white wine with Chinese cooking wine. We also marinate/season our meat with Chinese cooking wine.
Chef G
Thanks for the suggestions, I will have to give them a try.
Samantha | My Kitchen Love
Love the twist on this recipe Gloria! Looks delicious!
Chef G
Yup it certainly is delicious.
Marie-Pierre Breton
You could have called this recipe “Marco Polo” pasta;) since he was the first Italian to bring the pasta to Italy from Asia. The origin of pasta is in your dish, I’ll try it for sure, and love the spicy touch!
Chef G
Thanks…we love it.
Angela
What a fun recipe. Love this twist on spaghetti and meatballs! Love making Asian inspired recipes at home.
Chef G
It really is a great twist on a classic dish.
Tara
Yum! This pasta looks like such an amazing fusion of flavors! That sauce sounds perfect.
Chef G
It is a fun and tasty dish.
Censie Sawyer
What an interesting recipe. My kids love meatballs and we love chinese food so i am totally adding this to our meal plan! Yummy!!!
Chef G
Hope you enjoy it…we sure do!!
Joyce from Live Laugh Love Post
WOW! These pictures make me hungry! I love Chinese foods! I never try this with meatballs before. Anyway, I will give it try for weekend. Thank you for sharing this recipe. 🙂
Chef G
Hope you enjoy it…we sure do!!