Meatball Pasta Bake {30 Minute Meal}

Name: Meatball Pasta Bake {30 Minute Meal}
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tsp Sunflower oil; 340 g Meatballs; 1 Onion (Peeled and chopped); 3 Cloves of garlic (Peeled and chopped); 300 g Mushrooms (Sliced); 400 g Tinned chopped tomatoes; 1/2 tsp Chilli flakes; 2 tsp Sweet smoked paprika; 750 ml Vegetable stock; 4 tbsp Tomato puree; 250 g Pasta; 150 g Mozzarella; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

This simple Meatball Pasta Bake cooks all in one pan in about 30 minutes – no boiling the pasta! A hearty, warming comfort food bowl for the perfect quick-win dinner.

Big panful of Meatball Pasta Bake. A delicious 30 minute recipe.

You can rarely go wrong with a big bowl of pasta with meatballs, with rich, comforting tomato sauce. It usually goes down well with everyone in the family and is so just simple and satisfying.

We’re taking a big shortcut here of using ready-made meatballs for this recipe, but sometimes needs must, right? You can buy fresh in your weekly shop or even store frozen ones for ultra convenience when ideas, time or cupboard ingredients are in short supply.

Why you’ll love this Meatball Pasta Bake recipe

⭐️ Comforting, satisfying and delicious

⭐️ Convenient and quick

⭐️ Great for a batch cook

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Close up of meatball pasta bake in a pan, topped with cheese.

About this Meatball Pasta Bake

This actually isn’t a ‘bake’ in the traditional sense as we use the grill at the end to make the cooking more energy efficient, but it is in the sense it’s all cooked and heated together. If you prefer, you can put it back in the oven to melt the cheese on top instead (at 200C for about 20 minutes).

I know we’re cheating a bit here with the meatballs, and those of you who would rather make homemade ones can follow my easy Meatballs and Spaghetti recipe here and substitute them into this pasta bake instead. Or for something a little different, you could try my Ikea-style Swedish Meatballs.

I actually find the shop-bought meatballs hold their shape better than homemade for this recipe – bonus! Buying the best quality meatballs you can afford will make a difference to the outcome of the flavour too.

Meatball Pasta Bake Ingredients

Sunflower oil
Meatballs – Your favourite type
Onion – Fresh or pre-chopped frozen is fine
Garlic – Same as above
Mushrooms – I like chestnut as they have lots of flavour, you can swap in other vegetables if you prefer
Tinned chopped tomatoes
Chilli flakes
Sweet smoked paprika – NOT regular paprika!
Vegetable stock
Tomato puree
Pasta – Again, this is personal preference
Mozzarella – I used grated, but you could swap for another cheese if you prefer

How to make Meatball Pasta Bake

1. Heat the oil and brown the meatballs.

How to make Meatball Pasta Bake. Step 2.

2. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms and fry (according to the recipe timings below).

How to make Meatball Pasta Bake. Step 3.

3. Add in tomatoes, chilli, paprika, stock, puree, pasta and salt and pepper. Stir, put the lid on and simmer until the pasta is tender.

How to make Meatball Pasta Bake. Step 4.

4. Sprinkle cheese over the top and pop under the grill to melt the cheese for about 5 minutes.

Hint: If the pasta is not finished cooking and the sauce is already too dry, add a splash of water and continue cooking until the pasta is done.

Substitutions

Vegetables – My children HATE mushrooms with a passion but I just love them so much that for once, I did use them! They just picked them out and ate some extra cherry tomatoes on the side. Feel free to substitute for or add any other vegetable you prefer.

Leftovers

In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or on the hob with a dash of water before serving.

In the freezer I’m not a big fan of pasta from the freezer, all that said it’s still edible when defrosted and reheated fully, it can just go a bit squishy and overcooked.

Top tips

Paprika

Make sure the paprika is SWEET SMOKED PAPRIKA not regular paprika, or hot. Otherwise this will be very spicy!

Adapt this recipe

If you fancy something a little different, try adapting this recipe for my Meatball Orzo Bake or my Cheeseburger Pasta instead!

Meatball Pasta Bake FAQs

Is this too spicy for children?

I would say no. Omit chilli flakes if you want but it just gives a tiny touch of warmth.

Can you recommend an ideal pan to use for this recipe?

Use a NON-STICK pan for this. It will make your life so much easier. See my one pan recommendations here.