easy pasta meatball bake

this easy pasta meatball bake comes together in just about 30 minutes and is packed with whole grains, fiber, protein and veggies making it a perfect meal for busy weeknights!

Say hello to your new weeknight hero!

This easy pasta meatball bake is so simple to pull together, loaded with nutrition and something the whole family will eat!

You’re getting whole grains, protein, fiber & veggies in each bite, it keeps well in the fridge (meaning you can eat it all week long!) and it’s packed full of flavor.

You can make as much or as little of the elements from scratch as you want (store-bought versions of each work perfectly well!) and choose what veggies (if any) you want to add in.

On top of all that, it comes together in less than 30 minutes (most of which it’s just baking itself in the oven!). See now why I call it a weeknight hero?

I love this dish for all those reasons and the fact that it mixes up the usual pasta & meatball routine! I promise it’ll be a new go-to in your household for busy weeknights (and maybe even not so busy ones!)

easy pasta meatball bake

• Author: Cait
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
• Category: dinner
• Method: baked

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Description

this easy pasta meatball bake comes together in just about 30 minutes and is packed with whole grains, fiber, protein and veggies making it a perfect meal for busy weeknights!

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Ingredients

• 1 lb box whole wheat pasta (I used penne, you can use whatever you like best!)
• 12–14 cooked chicken meatballs (try these veggie-loaded baked chicken meatballs for even more veggies or these lentil meatballs for a meatless option!  I use Aidell’s Italian-style chicken meatballs if I’m doing store-bought)
• 2 cups broccoli, cooked until just tender
• 24 oz. jar marinara sauce (or make your own)
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded (*see note)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, finely shredded (*see note)
• Optional: fresh herbs (basil, oregano or parsley) for topping

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix together parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and set aside.
3. Cook pasta until just al dente (about 4-5 minutes), drain and return to pot.  At the same time, cook broccoli until just tender. 
4. Combine drained pasta and broccoli together in the pasta pot and add cooked meatballs, jar of marinara sauce and 1 cup of the parmesan/mozzarella cheese mixture.
5. Stir until well combined then add into prepared baking dish, making sure to evenly spread the meatballs throughout the dish.  Top with remaining 1 cup of cheese mixture.
6. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
7. Pull out after 20 minutes and top with remaining cheese, then return to the oven for another 10 minutes (or until cheese is just melted)
8. Remove from the oven, top with freshly chopped herbs of choice & serve

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Notes

• For the best melt, buy block cheese that you shred yourself.  Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking ingredients that don’t allow it to melt well.
• This will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
• To reheat, microwave individual portions on HIGH for 1 minute or until warmed to your liking.

Keywords: meatball, pasta, bake, dinner, easy, healthy

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