Description
Meatball Casserole delivers hearty, cheesy Italian comfort—juicy meatballs baked in rich marinara sauce, layered with creamy cheese, and topped with pasta for a warm, melty weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb cooked meatballs (homemade or store-bought)
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 8 oz pasta (penne, rotini, or rigatoni)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (optional for creamy texture)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine pasta, marinara sauce, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and cooked meatballs. Mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Spoon half of the pasta-meatball mixture into the baking dish. Add dollops of ricotta cheese (if using), then sprinkle half the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Layer the remaining mixture and top with the rest of the cheeses.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown.
- Garnish with parsley before serving hot.
Notes
- For a lighter version, use part-skim mozzarella and ricotta.
- To make gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta (ensure meatballs are gluten-free if needed).
- Let the casserole rest 5–10 minutes before serving to set.
- Omit ricotta if desired; the dish will still be creamy from the cheese layers.
- Leftovers refrigerate well for 3–4 days; reheat in the oven or microwave.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/6 of casserole)
- Calories: Approximately 480 calories
- Sugar: Approximately 9 g
- Sodium: Approximately 700 mg
- Fat: Approximately 21 g
- Saturated Fat: Approximately 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: Approximately 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: Approximately 60 g
- Fiber: Approximately 3 g
- Protein: Approximately 26 g
- Cholesterol: Approximately 70 mg
Keywords: Meatball Casserole, Italian casserole, cheesy pasta bake, weeknight dinner, meatball pasta bake