Meatball Pasta Bake Recipe
Cheesy meatball pasta bake made with penne, marinara, and frozen meatballs—an easy, hearty dinner the whole family will love.
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 340kcal
Ingredients
- 16 ounce box penna pasta
- 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
- ¾ cup water
- 16-18 ounce package frozen meatballs
- 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese shredded & divided
- ½ cup parmesan finely shredded
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Fresh parsley for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook the pasta just until al dente, according to package directions. It will finish cooking in the oven, so don’t overcook it here.
- Mix it all together. In a large bowl, combine the cooked pasta, marinara sauce, water, frozen meatballs, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and Italian seasoning. Stir everything gently until it's evenly coated.
- Assemble the casserole. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and all of the parmesan cheese evenly over the top.
- Cover and bake. Use foil to cover the dish completely. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes to heat everything through and melt the cheese.
- Uncover and finish baking. Take off the foil and continue baking for another 12–14 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden and bubbly.
- Top and serve. Finish with a handful of freshly chopped parsley, then scoop and serve while hot!
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 506mg | Potassium: 385mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 441IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 191mg | Iron: 2mg