Everyone loves a nice saucy Pasta Bake recipe! This meatball casserole is made with homemade meatballs (or frozen if you’re in a rush), spaghetti and a variety of cheesy toppings all baked into a delicious casserole.
Add a loaf of crusty bread and fresh tossed salad for a perfect meal!
Casseroles involving pasta, like a cheesy baked penne or a spaghetti casserole, are always welcome potluck at work or as the main attraction for any crowd!
Ingredients/Variations
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- PASTA Spaghetti is my choice here but any long pasta will do. Keep in mind it will bake more in the oven so be sure to cook it al dente (firm to the bite).
- SAUCE Make your own homemade marinara or use store bought to keep this extra quick!
- MEATBALLS This is one place I almost always use homemade. You can prep meatballs ahead of time and freeze them, the flavor is so much better than store bought.
- VEGGIES You can add veggies to the sauce in this reicpe if you’d like! Zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms are great options!
- CHEESE Cheese is added to the spaghetti as well as on top for great flavor! Shred it yourself for best results, pre-shredded has additives to keep it from clumping and it doesn’t melt as well.
How to Make Spaghetti Pasta Bake
Any decent meatball casserole calls for delicious meatballs! If you don’t want to make them by hand, replace them with defrosted/cooked premade meatballs for simplicity!
- Prepare the meatballs. Try spicy Italian sausage meatballs or even turkey meatballs!
- Mix pasta and cheeses (per recipe below) and place in the bottom of a 9×13 dish.
- Top with meatballs and sauce and bake until bubbly and browned.
Serve with a slice of garlic bread to soak up every last drop of that sauce!
TIP: Bake the meatballs right in the 9×13 pan you’ll use for the casserole… one less dish to wash!
What To Serve With Spaghetti And Meatball Pasta Bake
Anything that goes with regular spaghetti and meatballs or baked spaghetti goes with this super tasty pasta bake!
- There definitely has to be bread or breadsticks, right?
- Or try homemade garlic bread recipe because everyone will want to soak up every last drop of pasta sauce!
- Salad always goes great with spaghetti and a pasta bake is no different! Try this easy kale salad with fresh lemon dressing or a Caesar salad.
Easy Pasta Dishes
- Velveeta Mac and Cheese
- Taco Stuffed Pasta Shells
- Lasagna Roll Ups
- Baked Penne Casserole
- Chicken Alfredo Bake
- Quick and Easy Sausage Pasta
Meatball Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ⅓ cup fresh bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 egg
Casserole
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded, divided
- ½ cup parmesan cheese grated, divided
- 1 large egg slightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 28 ounces pasta sauce jarred or homemade
Instructions
- Grease a large casserole dish.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine all meatball ingredients and form into 1″ balls.
- Place meatballs in a 9x13 dish and bake 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 350°F. Remove the meatballs and set aside.
- Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain well and toss with olive oil.
- Stir together egg, parsley, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese & pepper to taste. Toss with the pasta and place it in the 9x13 dish.
- Top with meatballs and pasta sauce. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining cheeses and continue to bake until cheese is melted and browned, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner
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Made this for my 3 teenage grandsons and got the seal of approval.
So glad it was a hit, Amy!
1 pound of meat does not make 20 meatballss as shown in the picture, however the pan shown is definitely a 9×13 as the recipe calls for. I’m a little confused.
Hi Joanne, when the meatballs are formed into 1″ balls as directed it is enough meat to make 20. If making them larger you won’t be able to make as many. I hope that helps.
This my new favorite recipe! It’s a great take to a party dish.
If im looking to bake one of these for my kids, and one for me & my husband (we eat differently than our kids)- can i use a smaller tin ie 9 x 6 and just half the recipe? what would you suggest :)? Thank you!
That should work just fine Vanessa! The bake time will likely be less, so I would be sure to check it early. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
Could this be made with plant based cheese?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Sue. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
how long will this last in the fridge?
This will be good in the fridge for 3-4 days after baking. Enjoy Jessica!
I would like to freeze half of this recipe. I will be making it in two pans. One to eat right away and one to freeze. For the pan going in the freezer, do you recommend baking it first and then freezing it or freezing it without baking?
I would suggest freezing before baking. Thaw in the fridge overnight before baking.
this was very good thanks for the recipe
Really good recipe, we loved it. I did not change anything except that Quite a few pots were dirtied in this but end result was delicious :)
A Definite keeper!
I don’t know if anyone else has noticed but pepper is mentioned twice in step 5 but does not appear in the list of casserole ingredients, hence there was no pepper as I did not see it until spaghetti was in the pan with meatballs on top :)
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Carolyn! Sorry for the confusion, this recipe has been updated.
This recipe was very good. LOVED the meatballs .
It was a delish easy dish to put together. I used frozen meatballs as I was looking for a use for them up. Definitely a repeat.
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Janet!
I’ve made this twice for my two kids. One is very picky and loves it!! Definitely a easy recipe for work and school nights.
We love when even the pickiest of eaters can’t help but dig in! Definitely a sign of a yummy recipe. Glad they both enjoyed this one Erin!
Will be trying , NEED A COOKBOOK from you?
I really hope to have one soon!
I 100% agree!! We need a cookbook!!
I was looking for a way to use some frozen meatballs and came across this recipe. It was excellent! I also used Rao’s. Always a good choice. After heating the meatballs I made as written EXCEPT I mistakenly reversed the cheese. Instead of a quarter of the cheese in the spaghetti I put three quarters in the spaghetti and a quarter on top. I will do this again. That extra cheesy pasta was wonderful with still plenty of cheese on top. Overall, this recipe is a keeper. I will make again and again.
Such a happy accident, Allen. Extra cheesy pasta sounds extra delicious to me!
This casserole turned out super delicious! It was easy to put together and everyone wanted more.
Yummy! I used frozen Angus meatballs and doubled the recipe using 16 oz box of spaghetti and 2 jars of sauteed onion, garlic, and tomato chunky pasta sauce. Everyone liked it. My mom suggested having some extra sauce on the side in case someone would like it more saucy. I thought it was just right. The cheese mixture in the pasta really set this recipe over the top. Thanks!
Great recipe
This was a huge hit and our house!!!!
Looks like good food is being made.
Can this be prepared and frozen before baking?
Yes it can. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as directed. You’ll likely need to add a little bit of extra time if it’s cold from the fridge.