Scale
Ingredients
- 16 oz. ziti/penne/rigatoni pasta
- 1 jar (24 oz.) marinara sauce
- 1 lb. frozen, pre-cooked Italian meatballs/homemade meatballs (see notes)
- 8 oz. mozzarella, fresh/shredded
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta until just before al dente
- Drain and rinse pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process
- Simmer the marinara sauce oven medium heat in the skillet. Add the meatballs to the skillet, coat them fully in the sauce and simmer about 5 minutes
- Combine meatballs and sauce with pasta and mix well
- Transfer to a 9×13 casserole dish and top with mozzarella cheese
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and is bubbly
- Dish and serve hot sprinkled with chopped fresh basil
Notes
Homemade Parmesan Meatballs:
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. ground beef
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup Italian bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine all the meatball ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands
Scoop out about 1 golf ball sized meatball mixture, roll it in your hands to make meatballs. I used an ice cream scoop
If pan-frying: Over medium high heat, brown the meatballs in batches in some oil until evenly browned, about 5-8 minutes. Remove meatballs and drain on paper towels.
If baking: Bake the meatballs on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees F for 10-12 minutes