Pasta Meatball Casserole

I love making meatballs, because they are soft, juicy and a great appetizer for parties. For a while, I haven't baked a casserole dish and I felt the urge of reexperiencing the taste of a baked pasta with the cheese melted on top. A cheesy pasta meatball casserole is what was needed, a real comfort food at its best.

Serves 8
Preparation Time : 20 mins
Cooking Time : 1 hour
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
400g of your favorite pasta
28 oz. can spaghetti sauce
2-3 cups cheddar, grated
Parsley to garnish (optional)

Preparation

1. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion until transparent.

2. In a medium bowl, combine beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Shape meatballs about 1'' in size.

3. In the same skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs until all browned, about 20 mins. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente.

5. Preheat oven to 350F.

6. Transfer pasta into a 13''x9'' baking pan and combine with the spaghetti sauce. Scatter meatballs into the pasta.

7. Cover and bake for 45 mins until hot. Turn heat off, remove from oven and top with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven, uncover and cook until melted, about 3 mins. Serve.