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baked meatballs with rigatoni pasta in a white casserole dish topped with basil and parmesan cheese
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Back-Pocket Baked Meatballs and Pasta

This Back-Pocket Baked Meatballs and Pasta dish 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
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 548kcal

Ingredients

For the meatballs

  • 12 oz. ground beef
  • 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tbsp. white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Tbsp. ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano

For the pasta bake

  • 12 oz. rigatoni, uncooked (about 4 cups dry pasta)
  • 28 oz. store-bought marinara sauce (We love Rao's)
  • 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, torn or cut into small cubes
  • 2 cups water
  • salt and black pepper to taste
  • fresh basil and Parmigiano reggiano for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F. 
  • Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, gently mix together all of the ingredients for the meatballs. Work the meat just until combined either with clean hands or a spoon.
    12 oz. ground beef, 1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 2 Tbsp. white onion, finely chopped, 1 large egg, 1 Tbsp. ketchup, 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. dried parsley, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • Form into small meatballs: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out some of the meat mixture and roll into a ball ~2 Tbsp. each. Continue shaping until all meat is used and place on the prepared baking sheet, not touching. You will have about ~20 meatballs.
  • In a 8x10 inch baking dish spread half of the uncooked rigatoni in an even layer.
    12 oz. rigatoni, uncooked (about 4 cups dry pasta)
  • Arrange half of the uncooked meatballs and mozzarella chunks over the pasta.
    8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, torn or cut into small cubes
  • Spoon half of the marinara on top.
    28 oz. store-bought marinara sauce (We love Rao's)
  • Repeat layers with the remaining pasta, meatballs, mozzarella, marinara sauce. Season the top with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. (Be sure to cover all the noodles with sauce to prevent them from burning or becoming dry).
  • Add 2 cups water to the dish, cover with foil and bake until pasta is tender and the meatballs have reached an internal temperature of 165°F. ~1 hour.
    salt and black pepper to taste, 2 cups water
  • Uncover and broil for a few minutes until tops are lightly browned and the bake is bubbly.
  • Cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm and garnish with fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese. Serve with more marinara sauce if desired.
    fresh basil and Parmigiano reggiano for garnish

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! 
  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Potassium: 827mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 924IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 268mg | Iron: 4mg