Description
A hearty pasta bake featuring frozen fully cooked Italian-style meatballs, pasta, marinara sauce, and loads of cheese. Perfect for a comforting meal!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb frozen fully cooked Italian-style meatballs
- 12 oz uncooked short pasta (penne or rotini)
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef or chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.
- Add the uncooked short pasta to the baking dish, then pour in the marinara sauce, broth, and water.
- Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper, then stir everything together until the pasta is well coated and the seasonings are evenly distributed.
- Arrange the frozen meatballs evenly over the pasta mixture, gently pressing them down so they are mostly nestled into the liquid and sauce.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top of the meatballs and pasta mixture for extra richness.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the pasta is just tender when tested from the center of the dish.
- Carefully remove the foil, stir the casserole gently, and check the texture; if it looks a bit dry, add a small splash of hot water or broth and stir again.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over the top, followed by the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly browned around the edges.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and let it rest for 5–10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly and the pasta to set.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a pinch of red pepper flakes, if using, then scoop and serve warm.
Notes
- For a spicier dish, increase the amount of red pepper flakes.
- This casserole can be made ahead of time and reheated before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 54g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 75mg