Description
This Italian Meatball & Mozzarella Pasta Bake is a comforting and flavorful dish combining al dente penne pasta, golden-fried meatballs, and a rich tomato and roasted red pepper sauce. Topped with melted mozzarella and fresh basil, this easy-to-make baked pasta is perfect for a hearty family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 340g penne
Meatballs & Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 12 meatballs
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- handful of basil leaves, picked and divided
- 190g jar roasted red pepper paste
- 690g jar tomato passata
Topping
- 1 ball mozzarella, drained and torn into chunks
Instructions
- Preheat and cook pasta: Heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the penne for 8 minutes until tender but firm. Drain and set aside.
- Fry the meatballs: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the meatballs and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown on all sides.
- Add garlic and basil: Stir in the crushed garlic cloves and half of the basil leaves. Fry everything together for 1 minute to release the flavors.
- Make the sauce: Pour in the roasted red pepper paste and the tomato passata. Stir well and bring the sauce to a boil over the heat, then remove the dish from the heat.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked penne to the sauce and stir to coat the pasta evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add mozzarella and bake: Scatter torn mozzarella chunks over the top of the pasta mixture. Drizzle with a little extra olive oil and sprinkle over the remaining basil leaves. Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.
Notes
- You can use store-bought or homemade meatballs depending on your preference.
- If you prefer a spicier sauce, add a pinch of chili flakes when frying the garlic.
- Feel free to substitute penne with other pasta shapes like rigatoni or fusilli.
- For a vegetarian version, replace meatballs with plant-based alternatives or roasted vegetables.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven or microwave.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta Bake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Italian, meatball pasta bake, mozzarella pasta, baked pasta, easy dinner, comfort food
