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Meatball Pasta Bake Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Meatball Pasta Bake Recipe

Meatball pasta bake is one of those ultimate comforting dishes. Mini meatballs tucked away in gooey cheese and saucy pasta make this a comforting weeknight meal.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 5 Servings
Calories: 405 kcal
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 pound ground beef (90%/10%)
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese finely shredded
  • 1/4 yellow onion grated, or red onion
  • 3 garlic minced, cloves
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dried
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 egg beaten, large
  • 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • 1 marinara sauce 23-ounce jar or homemade
  • 4 ounces crème fraîche
  • 1 pound pasta I used orecchiette, cooked to al dente
  • 1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs and milk. Allow to soak for 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, Parmesan, onion, garlic, dried oregano, salt, crushed red pepper and egg.
  2. Mix until combined.
  3. Using a tablespoon (or small cookie scoop—my favorite tool for meatballs), scoop out the meat mixture, forming meatballs using your palms. Repeat until you’ve worked through all of the meatball mixture.
  4. In a medium skillet, set over medium heat, add the oil. When hot, cook the meatballs for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping them and cooking on the opposite side for an additional 4 minutes. Transfer the meatballs to a bowl. Pour the marinara into the skillet, along with the crème fraîche and stir until smooth. Cook until warmed, about 5 to 7 minutes, seasoning the marinara sauce to your liking (I added a bit of crushed red pepper and some additional salt).
  5. To a large baking dish, add the cooked pasta, marinara sauce and toss until combined. Add meatballs atop the pasta and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Transfer to the oven to bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until cheese is nice and melty. Garnish with Italian parsley, if you like.

Notes

  • Tips:
  • Equipment:
  • Le Creuset Braiser | Food Processor | Chef's Knife
  • You can freeze this! Just make the dish up until it needs to go into the oven. Transfer it to a freezer and oven safe pan and let cool before topping with the cheese and transferring it to the freezer. When you go to bake just be prepared to bake it for around 45 minutes to an hour for it to cook through from frozen.

Nutrition Information

Serving 4g Calories 405kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 23g (46%) Fat 32g (49%) Saturated Fat 14g (70%) Cholesterol 99mg (33%) Sodium 663mg (28%) Potassium 323mg (7%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 390IU (8%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 200mg (20%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 5 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 405

% Daily Value*

Serving 4g
Calories 405kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Protein 23g 46%
Fat 32g 49%
Saturated Fat 14g 70%
Cholesterol 99mg 33%
Sodium 663mg 28%
Potassium 323mg 7%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 390IU 8%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 200mg 20%
Iron 2mg 11%

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