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!
Ingredients
Scale
- 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
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13” baking dish with cooking spray.
- Mix together parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and set aside.
- Cook pasta until just al dente (about 4-5 minutes), drain and return to pot. At the same time, cook broccoli until just tender.
- 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.
- 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.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- 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)
- Remove from the oven, top with freshly chopped herbs of choice & serve
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
