Stir together the beef broth, ½ cup half and half, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, chicken bouillon cube, and dried oregano, basil, and parsley in a large measuring cup with a spout, then set it aside and measure the remaining ingredients before you start cooking. Having everything ready keeps the sauce smooth and helps the pasta cook evenly once it hits the pot.

Place the ground beef, crushed Ritz crackers, 3 tablespoons half and half, whisked egg, grated Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning, salt, and onion powder in a large bowl and mix just until combined. The mixture should hold together easily, and gentle mixing keeps the meatballs tender instead of tough.

Heat the oven to 400 °F and lightly grease a large light-colored baking sheet. A prepared pan makes it easy to move quickly once the meatballs are rolled.

Shape the beef mixture into ¾-inch meatballs and arrange them on the baking sheet, then bake for 10 min and, if you want a little color, broil at 475 °F for up to 1 min before setting them aside. Keep them small and spoon-sized so they fit the pasta perfectly, and cook them until they’re no longer pink in the center and reach 160 °F for ground beef as checked with a thermometer, following the USDA temperature for ground beef meatballs.

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium-low heat while the meatballs bake, then add the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 min, stirring often. The paste should darken toward a brick red color and smell richer and sweeter; if you like, add a pinch of smoked paprika here for subtle smoky depth.

Pour in the broth mixture, add the tomato sauce, and bring it to a boil, then stir in the anellini and return the pot to a boil before cooking uncovered according to the package directions. The sauce will look thin at first, but it thickens as the pasta releases starch, so scrape the bottom often with a silicone spatula to keep anything from sticking.

Taste the pasta before finishing the dish and make sure it’s cooked the way you like. The rings should be tender with a little structure left, not chalky in the center.

Fold in the baked meatballs, sprinkle in the freshly shredded Parmesan, and stir until the cheese melts into the sauce, then take the pot off the heat and serve. The finished sauce should look creamy and glossy, with little meatballs tucked into every spoonful.