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Home » Recipes » Dinner

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

February 28, 2024 by Sky Pilgreen 32 Comments

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This comforting Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake is perfect for any night of the week. Made with homemade meatballs and pasta sauce, this pasta bake is a family favorite that is always hits the spot.

Cheesy Meatball Pasta bake

When it comes to comfort food, pasta is at the top of my list, right next to Classic Beef Roast. I love just about anything with pasta, and when combined with tender, flavor meatballs and tons of cheese, who can resist.

If it were up to my oldest son, he would put meatballs in just about anything. While meatballs may not fit in every dish, they certainly belong in this cheesy pasta bake.

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Key Ingredients

Ground Beef - I use 80/20 for this recipe, but feel free to use what you prefer.

Breadcrumbs - The breadcrumbs help to "bind" the meatballs so that they do not fall apart.

Cheese - Both parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese are needed for this recipe. Freshly shredded is best.

Egg - The egg also helps "bind" the meatballs.

Diced Tomatoes - I prefer petite diced tomatoes in my pasta sauces but feel free to use whatever you have.

Pasta - For this recipe I used mini penne pasta. However, any pasta shape will work. I often use fusilli pasta, regular penne pasta or rotini pasta for this pasta bake.

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

How To Make Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

Step 1 Make the meatballs. Mix together the meatball ingredients, portion into 25 equal portions.

Step 2 Cook the meatballs. Brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and set on a paper towel lined plate. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.

Step 3 Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and set aside until needed.

Step 4 Make pasta sauce. Sauté the onion sin the reserved fat. Once tender add in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in the remaining pasta sauce ingredients and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Step 5 Assemble cheesy meatball pasta bake. Add the meatballs and pasta to the pasta sauce. Stir to fully combine. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and top with shredded cheeses.

Step 6 Bake. Place in a 350°F for 30-45 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

How To Cook Meatballs

You can cook the meatballs two different ways.

Stove Top Meatballs - In a skillet over medium heat brown the meatballs on all sides. Don't fully cook the meatballs here, just brown them. They will continue cooking in the oven.

Oven Baked Meatballs - To bake the meatballs in the oven simply place them on a parchment lined baking sheet after rolling them. Place in an 375° F and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and continue with the recipe.

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📖 Recipe

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

This comforting Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake is perfect for any night of the week. Made with homemade meatballs and pasta sauce, this pasta bake is a family favorite that is always hits the spot.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Course Dinner
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons parsley fresh or dried
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Pasta Sauce

  • ½ large onion small diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 29 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • To Taste pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil

Other Ingredients

  • 10 ounces mini penne pasta or your choice
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients.  Mix well to combine.  
  • Portion into 25 equal meatballs.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the meatballs and cook until browned on all sides.  Remove from the pan and place on a paper-towel lined plate.
  • Pour off the fat left in the skillet, reserving about 2 tablespoons.  Reduce heat to medium.

Pasta Sauce

  • Add the onions to the skillet and sauté until tender.  Next add in the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
  • Now pour in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, reduce the heat to low.  Stir in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.  
  • While the sauce is simmering cook the pasta to al dente and preheat an oven to 375°F.
  • Once the pasta sauce is done simmering, mix in the pasta and meatballs.  Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and cover with the cheese.
  • Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.  Enjoy!
Keyword cheesy meatball pasta bake, freezer friendly, meatballs, pasta bake

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Comments

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Beth says

    March 13, 2024 at 10:42 am

    This recipe is so good! It's got all the Italian flavors I love, and it's soooo cheesy. DEE-licious.

    Reply
  2. Tayler says

    March 13, 2024 at 10:28 am

    This is my new go to pasta recipe! I've made it twice now and my family just loves it!

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 13, 2024 at 10:36 am

      I love hearing that! My family loves this recipe too!!

      Reply
  3. Dana says

    March 13, 2024 at 10:12 am

    This is so tasty! We stuffed ours into hoagies for meatball subs and it was perfect.

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 13, 2024 at 10:36 am

      Oh, that sounds delicious!

      Reply
  4. suja md says

    March 13, 2024 at 9:48 am

    Amazing recipe, Enjoyed it thoroughly.

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 13, 2024 at 10:01 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Chenee says

    March 10, 2024 at 10:57 am

    OOH this looks so good! I bet the kids would love it too!

    Reply
  6. Andrea says

    March 10, 2024 at 10:13 am

    What marvelous flavors in this hearty and comforting pasta bake. My family are going to go crazy for it.

    Reply
  7. Charla says

    March 10, 2024 at 10:02 am

    Made this last week only using dairy free cheese as a sub and it was delish.

    Reply
  8. Angela says

    March 10, 2024 at 8:50 am

    Love this! My kids went crazy for this pasta dish. Definitely adding this to my dinner rotation. YUM!

    Reply
  9. julia says

    March 10, 2024 at 4:37 am

    this was so delicious, the pasta sauce is something out of this world!

    Reply
  10. Kelley says

    March 07, 2024 at 9:13 am

    This was delicious! Pure comfort food! Will be on our weekly dinner rotation now.

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 07, 2024 at 9:29 am

      Oh, that's wonderful to hear!

      Reply
  11. Lauren says

    March 07, 2024 at 9:06 am

    My kids devoured this meatball bake! They've already requested that I make it again - great recipe!

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 07, 2024 at 9:28 am

      My kiddos love this meatball bake too! So glad y'all like it!

      Reply
  12. Tiffany says

    March 07, 2024 at 8:52 am

    This is a perfect weeknight dinner for my family! My kids love eating it and me and my husband love it too! Thanks!

    Reply
  13. Kate says

    March 07, 2024 at 7:34 am

    This pasta is soooo good. We loved the flavors and the oozy cheese topping.

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 07, 2024 at 9:26 am

      Thank you, Kate!

      Reply
  14. Sonia says

    March 02, 2024 at 8:57 am

    What a wonderful idea – thank you so much for sharing this recipe and all that cheesy goodness! My friends LOVED it! Thanks again!!!!

    Reply
  15. Dina and Bruce says

    March 02, 2024 at 8:36 am

    Just when we thought we had made meatballs all the ways. This cheesy goodness happened! Yum!

    Reply
  16. Tara says

    March 02, 2024 at 7:55 am

    Oooh, such a fantastic pasta dish. You had me at all the melty cheese. It looks absolutely amazing.

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 02, 2024 at 8:36 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  17. Suja md says

    March 02, 2024 at 7:16 am

    I made this for my family, It was delicious. Thanks for this

    Reply
  18. Sisley says

    March 01, 2024 at 8:44 am

    there is only one way my family would like meatballs more and that is covered in cheese! So delicious and so much fun to make.

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 01, 2024 at 9:18 am

      My family is the same way, anything covered in cheese is a winner! Glad your family liked these cheesy meatballs!

      Reply
  19. Tayler says

    March 01, 2024 at 8:03 am

    I made this pasta bake for dinner last night and it was wonderful! Perfectly cheesy and easy to make!

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 01, 2024 at 9:19 am

      So glad that you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply
  20. Gianne says

    March 01, 2024 at 7:15 am

    The meatballs are flavorful and juicy, the pasta is perfectly cooked, and the cheese on top is just divine. It's easy to make and a crowd-pleaser every time!

    Reply
    • Sky Pilgreen says

      March 01, 2024 at 9:20 am

      Thank you, Gianne!

      Reply
  21. Dannii says

    March 01, 2024 at 6:54 am

    This was total comfort food. My kids really enjoyed it too.

    Reply
  22. Ned says

    March 01, 2024 at 6:28 am

    Cheese, pasta and meatballs were the perfect combo and I loved this recipe so much! Thank you!

    Reply

Welcome!

Welcome! I'm Sky, the creator of Simply Scratch Made. I’m passionate about helping home cooks make simple, delicious meals from scratch. From my kitchen to yours, let’s cook with confidence!



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