This Meatball Pasta Casserole recipe is crazy delicious comfort food, with ziti pasta, cheese, and meatballs baked altogether in a rich, flavorful tomato sauce. It’s a hearty meal that the whole family will love!
Take the chill off a cold day with this cozy Meatball Pasta Casserole recipe. It’s flavorful with tender beef & Italian pork sausage meatballs, chewy tubes of ziti pasta, gooey mozzarella, and a rich, herby tomato sauce. This meal is super satisfying and a whole lotta fun!
Why We ❤️ This Baked Ziti With Meatballs
There’s lots to love about this meatball pasta bake, but this first bullet point is top of the list for my family:
- SO MANY good things! My family’s all about pasta and cheese (my baked shrimp macaroni and cheese is a favorite!) – and when meatballs and a yummy tomato sauce are also included, well it’s a total win!
- Hearty & satisfying. From the pasta to the protein-rich meatballs and mozzarella, this dish will leave you feeling satisfied.
- Makes awesome leftovers. IF there are any leftovers, I assure you that your family will be fighting over who gets them for lunch the next day. All the flavors get more time to meld, which means even more flavor.
Recipe Ingredients
I’ve outlined the ingredients you’ll need for this meatball pasta casserole below. Find the exact ingredient amounts and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter. If you use salted, you’ll likely want to cut back on added salt.
- Onion & garlic – These offer delicious earthy, pungent flavors to the dish.
- Ground beef & Italian pork sausage – These two flavorful proteins combine to make the meatballs. I’m a huge fan of Italian pork sausage, as it’s super flavorful – I’d never think about making my lasagna soup without it!
- Egg & bread crumbs – These help bind the meatballs together.
- Salt & pepper – For simple added seasoning.
FOR THE ZITI AND SAUCE
- Canned tomatoes – I created this recipe with crushed tomatoes and petite diced tomatoes – and my preference is always for Red Gold® brand tomatoes; they’re simply so good.
- Ziti – My pasta of choice for this dish is ziti, just like in my chicken cheesesteak baked ziti. You can use another pasta shape, like penne or spirals.
- Italian seasoning – This adds delicious herby flavor to the red sauce.
- Salt & pepper – More simple seasoning.
- Red pepper flakes – Just a little bit adds so much to this meatball casserole!
- Fresh herbs – These include Italian parsley and basil.
- Mozzarella cheese – A combination of cubed block mozzarella and little fresh mozzarella balls infuse the casserole with gooey, chewy pockets of cheesy goodness.
Recipe Tips & Variations
This beautifully simple casserole can be adjusted to suit your tastes and what you have in the pantry. Here are a few of my best tips for making baked ziti with meatballs:
- Try a different protein. You can swap out the ground beef in the meatballs for ground turkey or chicken if you want to lighten things up.
- Use a store-bought sauce. If you’re short on time, you can use a jar of your favorite pasta sauce in place of the homemade sauce (although, I do recommend making it homemade!).
- Don’t overcook the pasta. This is key – to avoid a mushy final result, cook the pasta just to al dente or even a touch less. The pasta will soak up some of the sauce while it bakes, so try to start with firmer pasta.
- A different pasta shape. Ziti is my pasta shape of choice for this meatball pasta bake, but penne or rigatoni will also work. Kids may enjoy spiral-shaped pasta, but tube-shaped pasta, in my opinion, is the best vehicle for the sauce.
- Add veggies. If you want to tuck in a few veggies, go right ahead! You can cook them when you are making the sauce. Some ideal choices include chopped red bell peppers, diced zucchini, chopped baby spinach, or sliced mushrooms.
What To Serve With Meatball Pasta Bake
While this is a one-dish dinner, I like to add a side of vegetables or a fresh salad to finish it off. You can also serve slices of crusty bread and softened salted butter. A few more suggestions are below.
- Salad. A rich main dish needs a crunchy side salad! My roasted beet salad, Italian chopped salad, or Mediterranean chopped salads are refreshing sides to the heavier main meal.
- Garlic bread. We love rounding out our comfort food meatball pasta bake with the ultimate comfort food side – cheesy homemade garlic bread!
- Vegetables. A green vegetable or two balances the heartiness of the meatball pasta casserole. Try a plate of roasted asparagus or a warm grilled vegetable salad with big portions of pasta.
Proper Storage
Another aspect of this casserole that I love is that it keeps well! You can store it all together or portion it out into individual containers to make reheating easy. Here’s how to store leftovers:
- Fridge – Placed cooled, leftover pasta in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer – To help yourself later, transfer individual portions of meatball pasta casserole into freezer-safe containers and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost the casserole in the fridge before reheating it.
- To Reheat – Place the casserole in an oven-safe dish and rewarm it in a preheated 350°F oven until it’s heated through and the cheese is melted. Or, heat the casserole in the microwave: Place it in a microwave-safe dish and heat it in 1-minute increments until hot.
More Easy Casseroles
Meatball Pasta Casserole
Ingredients
For the Meatballs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ½ cup finely minced yellow onion
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound bulk Italian pork sausage
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
For the Ziti and Sauce
- 12 ounces ziti pasta
- 1 can (28 ounces) Red Gold® Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) Red Gold® Petite Diced Tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 12 ounces block mozzarella, cut into ½" cubes
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella pearls (small balls)
Instructions
- In a large skillet with tall sides, over medium to medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add onion and saute, stirring regularly. After 5 minutes, stir in garlic. Saute for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until onion is completely soft and translucent. Transfer onion and garlic to a plate and spread out to cool.
- To a large bowl, add beef, pork, and egg. Sprinkle bread crumbs, salt, and black pepper evenly over the top, followed by the cooled onion and garlic. Mix to combine evenly with your hands. You could also use a wooden spoon or stand mixer, but I prefer using my hands for the most evenly combined mixture.
- Using a 1-1/2 tablespoon measure (I like to use a 1-1/2 tablespoon scoop), portion meat mixture, roll into balls, and then transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place the same large skillet (no need to wash it) over medium heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Once butter is melted, swirl it around to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add meatballs. Brown meatballs on all sides, and cook for about 20 minutes total. Transfer meatballs to a platter or sheet pan.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. While meatballs are browning, cook ziti in a pot of salted boiling water, until just barely al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Place same large skillet over medium heat (do not wash it). Add crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and stir them into the tomatoes. Stir in Italian herb mix, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer. Fold meatballs into tomatoes and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring a couple times. Stir in chopped parsley and basil, and then remove skillet from heat. Fold in drained ziti.
- Transfer half of ziti/meatball mixture to a large baking dish. Spread block mozzarella pieces over the top. Add remaining ziti/meatball mixture, spreading it out evenly. Top with mozzarella pearls. Cover dish loosely with foil (do not press foil onto the ziti/meatball mixture) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the dish is hot and bubbling nicely. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes or so. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley over the top if desired. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
This post is sponsored by Red Gold Tomatoes. It was originally published in 2019, then updated in 2024.
I love to make a recipe in my leisure time. Finally, I found a delicious recipe “MEATBALL-BAKED-ZITI” that I’ve never seen before. So, Many Thanks.
I’m making this now. Bake at 350?
Oops! Yes, 350. I’ve updated the recipe. Thank you!!
wonderful recipe, love that it’s more like a bolognese recipe than the more typical spagetti-meatballs dishes, so thank you
You’re welcome. Thank you so much, Sabrina.
Yum! Â
Extra meatballs for you. :)