Everyone loves a nice saucy Pasta Bake recipe! This meatball casserole is made with homemade meatballs (or frozen if you’re in a rush), spaghetti and a variety of cheesy toppings all baked into a delicious casserole.
Add a loaf of crusty bread and fresh tossed salad for a perfect meal!
Casseroles involving pasta, like a cheesy baked penne or a spaghetti casserole, are always welcome potluck at work or as the main attraction for any crowd!
Ingredients/Variations
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- PASTA Spaghetti is my choice here but any long pasta will do. Keep in mind it will bake more in the oven so be sure to cook it al dente (firm to the bite).
- SAUCE Make your own homemade marinara or use store bought to keep this extra quick!
- MEATBALLS This is one place I almost always use homemade. You can prep meatballs ahead of time and freeze them, the flavor is so much better than store bought.
- VEGGIES You can add veggies to the sauce in this reicpe if you’d like! Zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms are great options!
- CHEESE Cheese is added to the spaghetti as well as on top for great flavor! Shred it yourself for best results, pre-shredded has additives to keep it from clumping and it doesn’t melt as well.
How to Make Spaghetti Pasta Bake
Any decent meatball casserole calls for delicious meatballs! If you don’t want to make them by hand, replace them with defrosted/cooked premade meatballs for simplicity!
- Prepare the meatballs. Try spicy Italian sausage meatballs or even turkey meatballs!
- Mix pasta and cheeses (per recipe below) and place in the bottom of a 9×13 dish.
- Top with meatballs and sauce and bake until bubbly and browned.
Serve with a slice of garlic bread to soak up every last drop of that sauce!
TIP: Bake the meatballs right in the 9×13 pan you’ll use for the casserole… one less dish to wash!
What To Serve With Spaghetti And Meatball Pasta Bake
Anything that goes with regular spaghetti and meatballs or baked spaghetti goes with this super tasty pasta bake!
- There definitely has to be bread or breadsticks, right?
- Or try homemade garlic bread recipe because everyone will want to soak up every last drop of pasta sauce!
- Salad always goes great with spaghetti and a pasta bake is no different! Try this easy kale salad with fresh lemon dressing or a Caesar salad.
Easy Pasta Dishes
- Velveeta Mac and Cheese
- Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Lasagna Roll Ups
- Baked Penne Casserole
- Chicken Alfredo Bake
- Quick and Easy Sausage Pasta
Meatball Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ⅓ cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 egg
Casserole
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated, divided
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 28 ounces pasta sauce jarred or homemade
Instructions
- Grease a large casserole dish.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all meatball ingredients and form into 1″ balls.
- Place meatballs in a 9x13 dish and bake 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350°F. Remove the meatballs and set aside.
- Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain well and toss with olive oil.
- Stir together egg, parsley, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese & pepper to taste. Toss with the pasta and place it in the 9x13 dish.
- Top with meatballs and pasta sauce. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining cheeses and continue to bake until cheese is melted and browned, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
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The meatballs are phenomenal!! I always make an extra pound or two and just eat the meatballs for lunch!!
I’ve made this dish 3 times, now. My family absolutely loves it! I’ve even traded the spaghetti for penne pasta (It’s what I had on hand). I also doubled the recipe, due to a large dinner party, and made 1 pound of meatballs and 1 pound of Italian sausage. It’s been a hit every which way I’ve made it! Thank you!
I made this tonight for hubby’s birthday and it was a big hit. I made the meatballs with Italian Sausage and they were delicious. I will definitely be making it again, thank you.