Make the meatballs. Start by mixing ground beef with breadcrumbs, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Roll the mixture into approximately 80 small, grape-sized meatballs.
Cook the mini meatballs. Brown the meatballs in a large skillet over low heat for 10 minutes with a little olive oil until they’re cooked through and nicely browned on the outside.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ditalini pasta according to package directions (usually 10-12 minutes) until al dente. Reserve a little pasta water before draining it in case you need to loosen the sauce later.
Warm the sauce. In the same skillet used for the meatballs, add your marinara or pasta sauce and let it simmer gently. Add the cooked meatballs back into the sauce and let them simmer together for 2-3 minutes so the flavors can meld.
Combine the pasta and meatballs. Stir in the cooked ditalini pasta and toss everything together until the pasta is fully coated in sauce and the meatballs are evenly distributed.
Garnish and serve. Finish with freshly grated mozzarella cheese before serving with your favorite sides.
