Penne with Beef Meatballs

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.Trim and thinly slice mushrooms (skip if your mushrooms are pre-sliced!). Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Peel and mince or grate garlic.

Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

While pasta cooks, in a medium bowl, combine pork*, panko, 1 tsp Italian Seasoning (2 tsp for 4 servings), 1 TBSP plain water (2 TBSP for 4), salt (we used ½ tsp; 1 tsp for 4), and pepper. (Be sure to measure the Italian Seasoning; we sent more.) Form mixture into 1-inch meatballs.Swap in beef* for pork.

Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through, 12-14 minutes. TIP: Lower heat if meatballs begin to brown too quickly. Turn off heat; remove from pan and set aside. Wipe out pan.

Heat a drizzle of oil in same pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, scallion whites, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until softened, 2-4 minutes.Stir in sour cream, cream cheese, stock concentrate, ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water (⅓ cup for 4 servings), and 2 TBSP butter (3 TBSP for 4). Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Add drained penne and meatballs to pan with sauce; toss to coat. (TIP: If your pan isn’t large enough, carefully pour everything back into empty pasta pot.) If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until penne is coated in a creamy sauce.Divide pasta between bowls; top with Parmesan and scallion greens. Sprinkle with chili flakes to taste and serve.