Description
A comforting and easy casserole featuring uncooked penne pasta and frozen meatballs, baked in marinara sauce and topped with melty cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 (12 oz) box uncooked penne pasta
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups water (or beef broth for more flavor)
- 1 (1 lb) bag frozen meatballs (about 24 meatballs)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (optional)
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Stir together uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water (or broth), frozen meatballs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder until well mixed and pasta is submerged.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35–40 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
- Remove foil, sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered for another 10–15 minutes, until cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden.
- Let casserole rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
Ensure ingredients are well combined to avoid unevenly cooked pasta.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 490
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 50mg