Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake
A hearty pasta dish made with penne or ziti, homemade tomato sauce and homemade meatballs and layers of gooey mozzarella cheese. Impossible not to like!
- Prep time
- 30 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup parmesan
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 heaped tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 pinch red chili flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can diced tomatoes ( (14.5 oz or 400 g))
- 2 cans tomato sauce ((14.5 oz or 400 g))
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sugar
- 340 g penne or ziti pasta (whole wheat or regular) ((12oz))
- 1 small bag shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- 1
For the meatballs:
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the finely diced onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, When it starts to soften, add the garlic and continue to cook until golden brown and soft. Set aside to cool.
- 3
Heat oven to 220 C (425 F). Line baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- 4
In a large bowl, place all the ingredients (including the sauteed onion/garlic mixture). Knead with your hands (great time to use rubber gloves) until thoroughly combined. Roll into meatball sized balls and place each ball on the parchment lined baking sheet.
- 5
Bake for 20 minutes, stirring the meatballs around halfway through. You’ll bake until you cut into one and you see it’s cooked through and the outside is golden brown.
- 6
For the tomato sauce:
- 7
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat till hot. Add the garlic and saute 1-2 minutes or until softened. Add the diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce, the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer, add the meatballs*, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C (350F)
- 8
To prepare the pasta:
- 9
Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Cook it just al dente as it will continue cooking in the oven. Drain the cooked pasta and set aside.
- 10
After the meatball sauce mixture has simmered, add the cooked pasta into the sauce and toss to combine. Place half the mixture into a large casserole/baking dish and then sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese. Add the other half of the pasta mix, and top with remaining shredded mozzarella.
- 11
Bake for 30-35 minutes until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted. Broil for 2-3 minutes to get the cheese golden brown if necessary.