One Pan Meatball Pasta Bake

This One Pan Meatball Pasta Bake is comforting, easy to assemble, and is a great go-to pasta dinner everyone will actually love. The homemade meatballs are made in just one bowl, and you don't even have to boil the pasta for this one!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword one pan meatball pasta bake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Resting time 10

Total Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 548kcal

Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. white onion, grated or very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. milk
2-3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Pasta Bake

12 oz short pasta, rigatoni, penne, or ziti
3 cups marinara sauce
3 cups water or chicken broth
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt, adjust based on sauce
1½ cups shredded mozzarella, I used 1, 8 oz bag or shredded from a block
~1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Garnish: fresh parsley and chili flakes if desired

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Instructions

Preheat: Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Make meatballs: In a bowl, mix all meatball ingredients until just combined. Form into 1-1½ inch meatballs and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
1 lb ground beef, 1 egg, 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 2 Tbsp. white onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 Tbsp. milk, 2-3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp. ketchup, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Pre-bake meatballs: Bake at 375°F for ~12-15 minutes (they don’t need to be fully cooked because they’ll finish in the oven). Set aside. Start Timer
Assemble the pasta bake: In the baking dish, add the uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water or broth, Italian seasoning, and salt. Stir to combine.
12 oz short pasta, 3 cups marinara sauce, 3 cups water or chicken broth, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt
Add meatballs: Carefully add the pre-baked meatballs and gently nestle them into the pasta.
Bake (covered): Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Start Timer
Add cheese + finish baking: Remove foil and sprinkle mozzarella + Parmesan over the top. Bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes Start Timer, until the cheese is melted. I like to broil for the final few minutes until it’s bubbly and lightly golden.
1½ cups shredded mozzarella, ~1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Rest and serve: Allow to rest for a few minutes before diving right in. It's saucy, hot, and it all cooks so perfectly! Garish with fresh parsley and ENJOY!
Garnish: fresh parsley and chili flakes if desired

Video

Notes

Add extra sauce! One of the main problems with pasta bakes is the dryness since the pasta soaks up a lot of that yummy red sauce. When serving, add more warmed marinara on top. Be generous!
Use ground turkey instead of ground beef for the meatballs. I use 12 oz. because I felt the full pound (16 oz.) was just too much meatball to pasta ratio. If you don't mind extra meatballs, use the full pound of ground meat!
Different pasta: I haven't tested this recipe with a different noodle shape, but I bet it would work well! Perhaps a ziti or penne noodle would bake up similarly to rigatoni.
Feel free to add more flavor when assembling the ingredients in the bake. I find just a little salt and black pepper go a long way, but you could add Italian seasoning, oregano, onion powder, dried basil, parsley, chili flakes, etc.
Recipe inspired by Food and Wine.
This recipe was updated in June 2026.

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