Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

Delicious homemade meatballs smothered in a rich tomato-based sauce, mixed together with pasta and covered with loads of melty cheese!

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.

Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

  • Made with Homemade Meatballs and Homemade Pasta Sauce.
  • Easy to make and full of flavor.
  • Make ahead and freezer friendly.
  • Easily customizable!
  • Great for feeding large families or dinner parties.
Cheesy Meatball Pasta bake

Ingredients Needed

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.

Tomato Sauce – Plain tomato sauce for the pasta sauce.

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

Onions – For flavoring the pasta sauce.

Garlic – Freshly minced garlic for flavoring the pasta sauce.

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.

Herbs & Spices – Oregano, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder for seasoning the meatballs and the pasta sauce.

Worcestershire Sauce – The Worcestershire Sauce is used in flavoring the meatballs.

Customizing Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

This recipe is super easy to customize to make it your own. Here are a few suggestions.

•Substitute the homemade meatballs with premade frozen meatballs.
•Use a mixture of pork and beef for the meatballs.
•Use jarred pasta sauce instead of the homemade pasta sauce.
•Add some veggies to your sauce. Mushrooms, zucchini and spinach are all great additions to 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 9×13 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.

What to Serve with Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake

Roasted Cauliflower

The Best Garlic Bread

Sautéed Zucchini and Squash

Homemade Breadsticks

Garlic and Herb Rolls

What do you put in meatballs so that they don’t fall apart?

Breadcrumbs and eggs are added to the meatball mixture to keep them from falling apart. It is important to add both the breadcrumbs and eggs, so the meatballs don’t fall apart.

FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube to stay connected!

Tried This Recipe?

Leave a review below, I would love to hear how it turned out! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

5 from 22 votes

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.

Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake
Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 85 mins Total Time 1 hr 45 mins Difficulty: Beginner Cooking Temp: 375  °F Servings: 6

Ingredients

Meatballs

Pasta Sauce

Other Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Meatballs

    In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients.  Mix well to combine.  

  2. Portion into 25 equal meatballs.

  3. 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.

  4. Pour off the fat left in the skillet, reserving about 2 tablespoons.  Reduce heat to medium.

Pasta Sauce

  1. Add the onions to the skillet and sauté until tender.  Next add in the minced garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.

  2. 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.  

  3. While the sauce is simmering cook the pasta to al dente and preheat an oven to 375°F.

  4. Once the pasta sauce is done simmering, mix in the pasta and meatballs.  Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and cover with the cheese.

  5. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @simplyscratchmade on Instagram so that I can see all of your recipes!

Pin this recipe and share it.

pinit
Sky

Sky Pilgreen

A Food and Homesteading Blogger

Hi, I'm Sky! Welcome to Simply Scratch Made, where my love for all things food comes to life. This blog is dedicated to sharing homemade recipes and providing tips on homesteading for all.

32 Comments

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






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






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






  4. 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!






Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *