Mini Meatball Pasta

So, my friend AJ (cook, gardener, IT extraordinaire) brought me some beautiful little cherry tomatoes from his garden the other day and that is what inspired this easy little pasta dish.

First, I made mini meatballs. I wanted everything to be close to the same size as the tomatoes. The meatballs consist of GF breadcrumbs, 1 lb ground beef, chopped garlic, red pepper flake, Italian seasoning and 1 egg. You have to get your hands in this stuff....no way around it. But keep these guys small. You should get around 24-28 from a pound of meat. Drizzle them with oil and put on a cookie sheet in the 350 oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Here's the cute tomatoes. Now, I cut them in half....I can't stand the explosion that happens when you bite one of these suckers whole. Maybe I'm weird....but if I am, its not just for that!

Here's the rest of the lineup. GF pasta swirls in the back. Jar of Ragu (I know, I am cheating), container of little fresh mozzarella balls. Be sure to get the tiny ones.
Did you know? The different names they give fresh mozzarella is just to denote the size!

I didn't take a bunch of process photos, but its pretty easy to put together. Cook pasta, drain and put back in pot. Add meatballs, tomatoes, sauce and mozzarella balls and toss. Top with Parmesan cheese.