Dump and Bake Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole
This dump & bake Italian dinner will be on your table in less than 45 minutes! Super fast, super simple, & a crowd and kid pleaser!
Watch The Tutorial:
In this video I share 3 of my favorite School Night Dinner Recipes.
Perfect for busy week nights & tired moms!
Ingredients
16oz box of pasta, uncooked (we like penne or rotini)
25-32 oz. jar of pasta sauce
3 cups water
20 oz. package fully-cooked meatballs (thawed)
15oz. ricotta cheese
1/3. cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper (to taste)
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
fresh parsley (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Pour dried pasta into 9x13 pan. Add pasta sauce, water, & thawed meatballs. Use a spoon to gently stir, making sure that all of the pasta in submerged in the liquid.
Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine ricotta, parmesan, oregano, basil, and garlic powder in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Add salt & pepper (being careful not to over salt - remember the parmesan will taste a bit salty). Set ricotta cheese mixture aside.
Remove pasta bake from oven. Carefully remove foil. Spoon ricotta mixture into the pasta bake, dolloping it into the pasta and sauce. Do not stir. Top the dish with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Place back in oven for 10 minutes uncovered, until cheese has melted & sauce is bubbling.
Remove from oven. Top with fresh parsley if desired. Serve with salad and garlic bread.
Notes:
This casserole feeds our family of 7 dinner, plus we usually have leftovers too.
You can split this recipe in half and bake it in a 9x9 or 8x8 pan if needed.
If serving to kids that do not like ricotta cheese, you can always half the ricotta cheese mixture and just dollop it into one half of the dish. You could also skip the ricotta cheese portion of the recipe all together and just top the casserole with the spices, parmesan, and mozzarella.
This dish is a huge hit in our house! Our kids love it - I could easily make it weekly without a complaint! Personally I like to top mine with black olives & extra parmesan.
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