Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Baked spaghetti and meatballs is an easy casserole, made in the oven and full of the best Italian flavors. Spaghetti noodles and homemade meatballs are smothered in sauce and coated with gooey, melted cheese. All this combined makes this simple baked spaghetti and meatballs recipe insanely delicious.

Nothing completes a spaghetti dish like cheesy, garlic bread. Sneak a vegetable in with your bread by using our Cauliflower Breadstick recipe. This Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread is another delicious option. Both are awesome to dip into the pasta sauce from your baked spaghetti and meatballs.

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MORE PASTA RECIPES
Creamy Garlic Pasta | Elbow Macaroni Pasta Salad

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INGREDIENTS FOR BAKED SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

You will need:

For the Meatballs

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb Italian ground pork
• ½ cup Italian breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

For the Pasta

• 8-oz spaghetti noodles, cooked per package directions
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ¾ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• 32 oz of your favorite red pasta sauce

For the Casserole Toppings

• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

Meatballs: If you prefer not to make your own homemade meatballs you can use store-bought frozen meatballs in this recipe. Just make sure to completely thaw them before using them in your casserole. Likewise, you can freeze your homemade meatballs and thaw them out to use them on a later date.

Pasta: Any type of noodles would work for this recipe. If you prefer to use smaller, bite sized noodles in place of the long spaghetti noodles, I would recommend penne or rotini. If you don’t have spaghetti noodles but would like to stick with a long noodle, you could use angel hair, fetticini, or linguini.

Sauce: Any red sauce will work to make baked spaghetti and meatballs. For a fun twist on this recipe, you could also use a pink sauce that combines a white and red sauce. You could also opt to use a white sauce, if you prefer!

HOW TO MAKE THIS BAKED SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS RECIPE

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.

STEP TWO: In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, Italian breadcrumbs, whole milk, minced garlic, Italian seasonings, onion powder, dried parsley, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and lightly beaten eggs. Using your hands, mix all ingredients in the bowl until just combined, being careful not to overmix the meat.

STEP THREE: Use a small scoop to form small meatballs, or a large scoop to form large meatballs. A small scoop will make about 34 meatballs, and a larger ice cream scoop will form about 17 meatballs. You can also use your hands!

STEP FOUR: Place the meatballs on the foil lined baking sheet and place in the oven. Cook at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes if making small meatballs, 25 minutes if making large meatballs. They should be cooked through at this point and browned on the top. Remove from the oven and set aside.

STEP FIVE: Cook spaghetti per package directions. Drain water and add noodles back to the pot. Drizzle olive oil over noodles and toss to coat. Add ¾ cup mozzarella, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp fresh parsley, and ⅛ tsp ground black pepper. Toss pasta to coat with cheese and seasonings.

STEP SIX: Turn the heat down on your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add noodle mixture to the bottom of the baking dish.

STEP SEVEN: Remove meatballs from the baking sheet and place them on top of the noodle mixture. Nestle each meatball down in the noodles so that only the top half is sticking out.

STEP EIGHT: Add 32 ounces of your favorite pasta sauce to the top of the casserole. Use a fork to kind of spread out the noodles in-between the meatballs so the sauce can fall down in the noodles.

STEP NINE: Cover the casserole and place in the oven at 375 degrees. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining cheeses (1 1/4 cup total) over the top of the casserole.

STEP TEN: Place back in the oven at 375 degrees and continue to cook for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and sides are bubbling.

STORAGE

IN THE FRIDGE: Store leftover baked spaghetti and meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge, if you plan to eat it within a few days. This casserole also makes for a great freezer meal. Place the airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months and allow it to thaw out completely before reheating it in the oven.

IN THE FREEZER: You can also store any leftover meatballs in the freezer. They are easy to thaw out and reheat in a casserole or put on top of spaghetti when you are ready to use them at a later date. Simply store them sealed tight in a Ziploc freezer bag.

Baked spaghetti and meatballs is an easy casserole, with classic flavors that you love in a pasta dish. Spaghetti noodles and homemade meatballs are swimming in pasta sauce and coated with a delicious cheese blend. This is a simple oven baked dish for your next family dinner night.

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