This meatball pasta bake is the perfect comfort food dish that is satisfying and delicious. Loaded with both meatballs and Italian sausage, this pasta bake is made with a homemade sauce, lots of melty cheese, and farfalle pasta. The combination of textures and flavors is simply irresistible.
I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. Casseroles are the best thing ever for a busy parent! When my kids lived at home, I made casseroles all the time. They’re just so quick and easy, and you can feed an army with them. And trust me, when you have teenagers, you will feed an army. Their friends descend on your home (and kitchen) after school like locusts! That’s why I always loved making this meatball pasta bake. It was a great dinner, and it made an equally great afternoon snack for my kids and their friends. Even now that my kids are gone, I still make this recipe quite a bit for me and my guy. It’s so good, and it reheats so well.
Meatball Pasta Bake
This delicious casserole is chock full of both meatballs and Italian sausage links. I cook the sausage until it’s nicely browned, then I brown the meatballs. I cook the bell peppers and onions in the same pan until tender to get all that great flavor infused into them. Finally, I combine the meatballs, sausage, and veggies with a simple tomato sauce, cooked pasta, and tons of cheese and bake the entire thing until it’s melty and bubbly. That’s all there is to it! It takes about 60 minutes from start to finish, and when I’m all done, I have a dish hearty enough for a meal when my kids come to visit, perfect for bringing to potlucks or simply a nice dinner that I can reheat the next day.
Why You’ll Love This Meatball Pasta Bake Recipe
- It’s a classic pasta bake recipe made with a homemade sauce, lots of melty cheese, meatballs, and Italian sausage, and it is seasoned perfectly.
- It’s a quick and easy pasta recipe perfect for those busy weeknights or for any occasion.
- The flavor combination of the meatballs, Italian sausage, melty cheese, and seasoned homemade sauce is simply irresistible.
Meatball Pasta Bake Ingredients
This recipe uses just a few simple ingredients you can find in your kitchen or in one quick trip to your local grocery store. There’s nothing fancy here. Just delicious, classic flavor.
- Beef and pork frozen meatballs
- Italian sausage links
- Butter
- Green bell pepper
- Yellow onion
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Pasta water
- Oregano
- Basil
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Mini farfalle pasta
How to Make Meatball Pasta Bake
Making this recipe is as easy as shopping for the ingredients. It comes together quickly and easily, making it the perfect dinner or potluck dish. You’ll be all done in just about an hour!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 2: Cook the Pasta
In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water, and return the pasta to the pot.
Step 3: Cook the Sausage
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Then, cook the sausage links until all sides are browned. Remove the sausage from the heat and slice into ½-inch slices when cool enough to handle. Add meatballs to the same skillet and brown on all sides. Remove.
Step 4: Cook the Vegetables
Add the sausage back to the pan along with bell pepper and onions and cook until tender.
Step 5: Add the Sauce Ingredients
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, pasta water, oregano, basil, garlic powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Stir and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat.
Step 6: Add the Meatballs and Pasta
Add the meatballs, stir, and cook for 10 minutes. Then, add the pasta and stir to combine.
Step 7: Layer the Pasta Bake
Pour half the pasta bake mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle it with half of the mozzarella cheese. Then, add the remaining mixture and top with parmesan cheese followed by the rest of the mozzarella cheese.
Step 8: Bake
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Cook the vegetables in the same pan as the sausage so they can absorb all that delicious flavor left in the bottom of the pan.
- Use the largest skillet you have so it’s easy to cook the filling. You can also use a Dutch oven if you prefer.
- Be sure to reserve and use the pasta water in the sauce. The starch in the water will help the sauce thicken to the perfect consistency.
- Be sure you cook your pasta to al dente and no further. Overly soft pasta will break apart when it’s stirred into the tomato sauce mixture, and it will get mushy while it bakes.
Variations
- For an even spicier version of this recipe, use hot Italian sausage.
- For a mild version of this recipe, omit the red pepper flakes.
- You can use any variety of short pasta for this recipe. They all work!
- Use turkey meatballs for a healthier version.
- Make this a quicker, semi-homemade dinner by using your favorite pasta sauce in place of the homemade sauce.
What to Serve with Meatball Pasta Bake
This meatball pasta bake is a full, hearty meal in one dish, so I recommend keeping things simple. I love to serve this dish with a simple side salad and crusty bread, garlic bread, bread sticks, or garlic knots.
Recipe FAQ
Meatball pasta bake is essentially spaghetti and meatballs in a casserole form. Italian sausage and meatballs are combined with a simple, homemade tomato sauce, pasta, and cheese, and baked until bubbly.
Any kind of pasta noodle will work with meatballs. Long noodles like spaghetti are the traditional choice for classic spaghetti and meatballs, but they can be served with any kind of noodle depending on your desired presentation.
Meatballs do get more and more tender the longer you cook them in sauce – to a point. If you cook them for too long, they’ll absorb too much sauce and become mushy. Meatballs should be fork-tender but not soggy when they’re finished cooking.
This is actually a contested idea in the cooking world. Some cooks contend that cooking raw meatballs in the sauce results in more tender meatballs. On the other hand, some cooks say that browning the meatballs first or cooking them completely helps them retain their shape and avoids a greasy final dish. It’s really a matter of personal preference.
Meatballs are usually pan-fried before adding them to sauce. This gives them a nice, golden exterior and traps their juices inside them where they belong.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Meatball Pasta Bake
Refrigerate this bake for up to 4 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
To reheat the bake, defrost it if frozen. Then, add it to a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 until heated through.
Try This Delicious Meatball Pasta Bake Recipe Today
This recipe is as easy as it is delicious, making it a great weeknight dinner or dish for potlucks and gatherings. It’s hearty, filling, and so good. It’s also super easy to make, so everyone wins! Give this recipe a try, and I know you’ll love it as much as I, my family, and my friends do.
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Meatball Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 14 ounce beef and pork frozen meatballs, thawed
- 5 Italian sausage links
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- (2) 15 ounce tomato sauce
- 12 ounce tomato paste
- ½ cup pasta water
- 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 16 ounce mini farfalle pasta
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 deep baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large pot, bring water to a boil over medium high heat. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente.
- Save ½ cup of pasta water, set aside. Drain the remaining water and return to the pot.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add sausage links and cook until all sides have browned.
- Remove from the skillet, and when cool enough to handle, slice into ½-inch slices.
- In the same skillet, add the meatballs and brown on all sides. Remove.
- Return the sausage to the pan and add diced bell pepper and onions. Cook until the veggies are tender.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, pasta water, oregano, basil, garlic powder, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Add meatballs to pan and stir to combine. Continue cooking for 10 minutes.
- Add pasta, stir to combine, and pour half of the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle half the mozzarella cheese next, followed by the remaining mixture.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and then add the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
- Carefully remove from the oven and enjoy with a side salad and crusty bread.
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