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4.9 from 90 votes

Meatball Pasta Bake

This Meatball Pasta Bake is a rich and delicious comfort food dish that you can also pack out with vegetables. An easy dish to make to feed a hungry crowd.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 475 kcal
Course: Main Course , Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: Italian , American , British

Ingredients

  • 250 g penne pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil for the meatballs
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil for the vegetables
  • 12 meatballs
  • 0.5 red onion diced
  • 0.5 onion diced
  • 1 Courgette (zucchini) zucchini, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 8 mushrooms sliced
  • 60 g spinach
  • 500 ml passata
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 2 garlic clove crushed
  • 2 tablespoon tomato puree
  • 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 40 g cheddar cheese grated
  • 40 g mozzarella grated

Instructions

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  1. Preheat your oven to 190°C/170°C(fan)/375°F/Gas 5.
  2. Put 250 g Penne pasta in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 12 minutes.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a pan and when hot, add 12 Meatballs and cook stirring regularly - this will take around 10 minutes. Take them out of the pan and set aside.
  4. Add 1 teaspoon Olive oil to the pan and add 2 Garlic clove, 0.5 Red onion, 0.5 Onion, 1 Courgette (zucchini), 1 Red bell pepper, 1 Green bell pepper and 8 Mushrooms. Gently cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
  5. Drain the pasta and put back in the pan with the cooked vegetables and 500 ml Passata, 1 tablespoon Dried oregano, 1 tablespoon Dried thyme, 2 tablespoon Tomato puree, 2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar and 60 g Spinach and stir well.
  6. Transfer to a large baking tray.
  7. Add the meatballs.
  8. Add 40 g Cheddar cheese and 40 g Mozzarella on top.
  9. Put into your oven for 20 minutes.

Notes

  • Make this a little bit more indulgent by mixing some breadcrumbs with the cheese before crumbling it on top.
  • Give this dish a green veggie boost my mixing in some grated courgette (zucchini) and spinach when mixing it all together. You could even add vegetables in to the meatballs.
  • Make sure all the vegetables are chopped up really small, so they all cook well. You can use a chopping attachment on a food processor if you want to make it a bit easier.
  • Reserve a little of the pasta water to add to the sauce to make it nice and silky.
  • Like a kick of spice to your meals? Add some red chilli flakes in to the mix. Some Worcestershire Sauce goes well too.
  • You can make a vegan version of this by using your favourite vegan meatballs and using a vegan cheese alternative.
  • You can make this dish creamier by mixing some cream cheese in to the cooked pasta.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1portion Calories 475kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 71g (24%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Cholesterol 49mg (16%) Sodium 213mg (9%) Potassium 1372mg (39%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 15g (30%) Vitamin A 3451IU (69%) Vitamin C 93mg (103%) Calcium 238mg (24%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 475

% Daily Value*

Serving 1portion
Calories 475kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 71g 24%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 49mg 16%
Sodium 213mg 9%
Potassium 1372mg 29%
Fiber 8g 32%
Sugar 15g 30%
Vitamin A 3451IU 69%
Vitamin C 93mg 103%
Calcium 238mg 24%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.