Description
This Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole offers an irresistible flavor with simple prep. It’s a perfect solution for a quick dinner with pasta, meatballs, and cheese baked together.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (31-32 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
- 14 ounces frozen fully-cooked miniature (cocktail-size) Italian-style meatballs, thawed
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian blend cheese
- Optional garnish: Parmesan cheese; fresh chopped herbs such as basil or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the prepared dish, whisk together marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add the uncooked pasta and thawed meatballs to the dish, stirring to combine and spreading them evenly in the sauce. Gently press the noodles down to ensure they are submerged in the liquid.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and stir gently. Check the pasta to ensure it is al dente; if still too hard, cover and return to the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, then check again.
- Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the top and bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and pasta is tender.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
For a bit of spice, add red pepper flakes to the marinara sauce.
You can substitute any pasta shape if rotini is not available.
Feel free to use frozen meatballs of your choice, just ensure they are thawed before adding.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 390
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 950mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 45mg