Description
This Italian Meatball & Mozzarella Pasta Bake is a flavorful, comforting dish featuring tender meatballs simmered in a rich roasted red pepper and tomato sauce, combined with perfectly cooked penne pasta, and topped with gooey melted mozzarella cheese and fresh basil. It’s a hearty, oven-baked meal perfect for a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 340g penne
Meatballs and Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 12 meatballs
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- handful of basil leaves, picked (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: Preheat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook for 8 minutes until al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Brown the meatballs: Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium heat. Add the meatballs and fry, stirring occasionally, until they are golden brown all over, about a few minutes.
- Sauté garlic and basil: Add the crushed garlic cloves and half of the picked basil leaves to the casserole dish with the meatballs. Fry together for one more minute until fragrant.
- Add sauces and combine: Stir in the jar of roasted red pepper paste and the tomato passata. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from the heat. Stir in the cooked penne pasta and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Prepare for baking: Scatter the torn mozzarella chunks evenly over the pasta mixture. Drizzle a little extra olive oil on top and scatter over the remaining fresh basil leaves.
- Bake the pasta: Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes, or until the mozzarella has melted and is bubbling.
Notes
- Use good quality Italian meatballs for best flavor.
- Ensure the pasta is cooked al dente as it will cook further in the oven.
- You can use fresh roasted red peppers blended if you cannot find a jar of roasted red pepper paste.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute meatballs with vegetable or plant-based meatballs.
- Serve with a side salad or garlic bread for a complete meal.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Italian, meatballs, mozzarella, pasta bake, roasted red pepper, penne, baked pasta, comfort food
