You don’t even have to boil the pasta for this easy dump and bake meatball casserole. With 5 simple ingredients, family-friendly weeknight dinners don’t get much better!
Table of Contents
If you love the ease of dump-and-bake dinners, be sure to try our popular pizza casserole, dump-and-bake chicken broccoli rice casserole, this pesto alfredo chicken pasta, this shrimp marinara, this ravioli casserole, this pomodoro sauce, these kid-favorite sesame chicken noodles, and this dump-and-bake salsa chicken, too!
Love this! It has become my go-to meal to make when I didn’t have a plan and I need something easy that I know the kids will love. It is my son’s favorite meal!
– Jessica
How to Make Meatball Casserole | 1-Minute Video
I’m constantly trying to figure out how to serve my family a variety of dinners that are relatively nutritious, don’t require expensive or weird ingredients, can be prepped in minutes, and that everyone at the table will enjoy. This cheesy meatball casserole is absolutely one of those meals!
What to Know Before You Get Started
- If you don’t have rotini, you can substitute with other similar short pasta shapes such as penne pasta or elbows. Just pick a pasta that has a similar cooking time as the rotini (about 7-8 minutes recommended on the package) — otherwise you’ll need to adjust the casserole’s baking time in the oven. For instance, rigatoni pasta will likely need a few extra minutes.
- Pick a high-quality, flavorful marinara sauce. With only 5 ingredients in the casserole, each individual ingredient is very important! A delicious sauce will yield a delicious meal. I like Rao’s brand, but any similar pasta sauce will work.
- Thaw frozen meatballs in the refrigerator before adding them to the casserole. I prefer smaller meatballs (sometimes called “bite size” or “cocktail size”) in this dish.
- Total cooking time will vary depending on the type of pan that you use and on your individual oven. Glass or ceramic baking dishes will take longer than metal pans, for instance. To know when your casserole is done, taste a bite of the pasta. The noodles should be tender and much of the liquid should be absorbed.
How to Make a Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
Weeknight dinners don’t get much easier than a dump-and-bake meatball casserole! I’ve included complete cooking instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s the overview:
- Combine the uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water, and thawed meatballs in a greased baking dish. This is a great opportunity to add other seasoning, if you like.
- Give everything a good stir to make sure that it’s completely combined. You might even want to use your hands or a spoon to gently press down, submerging as many of the noodles in the sauce as possible. At this point it will look really watery, but don’t worry! The pasta absorbs a lot of that liquid as it bakes, so you’ll end up with a rich, thick tomato sauce by the end.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Stir gently, and check to make sure that the pasta is al dente (almost done!). If it’s not, no problem — just cover the dish again and pop it back into the oven for 5-10 more minutes. Just be careful not to overcook the pasta, since you don’t want it to end up mushy and gummy by the end.
- Sprinkle cheese on top. Return the dish to the oven for a few more minutes, just until the cheese melts and the pasta is perfectly cooked.
- Garnish the casserole with herbs like fresh basil or fresh parsley for a bright, colorful touch. Extra grated Parmesan cheese is also delicious!
Serving Suggestions
Pair this cozy meatball pasta casserole with garlic bread, breadsticks, or focaccia bread; Caesar salad or a green side salad with red wine vinegar dressing; roasted broccoli, sauteed zucchini, or roasted yellow squash.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Make Ahead: You can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the fridge overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. You don’t want to overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy pasta.
- Storage: This casserole is best enjoyed immediately from the oven. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing this casserole because the texture of the pasta will not be great when thawed.
- Reheat individual portions of leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high.
This was absolutely excellent! A hit with the family and will definitely be adding to our favorites! Thank you so much!
– Heather
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Watch How to Make It
Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
- 1 (24 or 25 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 (14 ounce) package fully-cooked miniature (cocktail-size) meatballs (if using frozen meatballs, make sure that they are completely thawed before using)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian blend cheese
- Optional garnish: Parmesan cheese; fresh chopped herbs such as basil, oregano, or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, stir together uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water, and meatballs. Season with salt to taste; stir. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
- Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step. Sprinkle mozzarella over the top
- Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and pasta is tender.
- Garnish with optional toppings if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
The Best Meatball Casserole Recipe Variations
- I like to use smaller cocktail-size meatballs in the casserole because they’re easier to eat. That said, you can substitute with larger regular meatballs if that’s what you have available.
- Turkey meatballs, Italian meatballs, beef, chicken, or pork meatballs will all work. Pick your favorite!
- I use frozen meatballs for convenience, but fresh, fully-cooked meatballs are also fine in this recipe.
- For other twists on this recipe, try a dump-and-bake creamy tomato pasta with turkey meatballs, this dump-and-bake veggie and meatball casserole, and these dump-and-bake tortellini and meatballs.
- Cooking for a Smaller Family: Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. Check the pasta after 30 minutes, as it may be done slightly sooner than the larger pan.
More Dump and Bake Recipes to Try
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Alfredo Casserole
45 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Shrimp Alfredo
1 hour hr 5 minutes mins
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Parmesan Casserole
50 minutes mins
This recipe was originally published in September, 2015. It was updated in November, 2024.
Can this be made with glutenfree pasta?
Hi Kasandra! We haven’t tested it with gluten-free pasta, but many readers have had success with it!
Can you double this recipe for a crowd? Or even triple it? Would baking times or liquid need to be adjusted? Thanks!
Hi Jen! If doubling, we would recommend using two baking pans to ensure everything cooks evenly. We hope you enjoy!
If you wanted to make ahead. Could you just add the frozen meatballs, and let them thaw in the casserole dish over night before cooking the next day? Could you add frozen veggies the same way?
Hi Amanda! We probably wouldn’t recommend it, because the meatballs and veggies would release moisture and cause the pasta to become soggy. Using thawed meatballs you can assemble the casserole a few hours in advance, or even leave it covered in the refrigerator overnight before baking. The pasta will start to soften and absorb some of the liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. You don’t want to overcook the casserole or you’ll end up with gummy, mushy pasta. Hope this helps!
Hi, can this be cooked on the stove top? Thank you. Love all your recipes.
Hi! We don’t recommend cooking this on the stovetop and it’s not likely to cook properly. We hope you still enjoy!
If using frozen but raw meatballs should you cook them before adding to the dish?
Hi, Casey! I haven’t tried this recipe with raw meatballs, but my inclination would be to at least brown them in a skillet (or bake them in the oven) before adding them to the dish. That way you’re sure to have fully-cooked meatballs by the end, and you won’t end up with too much grease/drippings in the actual casserole. Let me know if you give it a try!
Yummy! My meatballs were frozen and I heated them up in my dutch oven. Once thawed I threw them into the bake as directed, The sauce baked right into the noodles giving such great flavor. I used my favorite jar of pasta sauce added garlic and onion powder cooked it and topped it with Parmesan, mozzarella baked another 5 mins and garnished it with my basil from the garden. It was a one pot success!!!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Rachel! Thank you for trying it out.
I’m preparing to make this dish tonight for family. I have uncooked meatballs which I have defrosted. Do they need to be cooked before dumping?
Hi! I recommend starting with fully-cooked meatballs for a couple of reasons. First, this ensures that you don’t end up with undercooked meatballs when the pasta is tender. Second, it prevents the meatballs from releasing too much grease and drippings into the casserole as they cook. Hope you enjoy the meal!
Delish. Used bow 12 oz bow tie pasta and Prego traditional. So much easy.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
What is the best way to reheat this meal?
Hi Erin! We recommend reheating individual portions of leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high.
We hope you enjoy!
Super easy and tasted great! I added a couple pinches of red pepper flakes because I like the heat, but I bet it would have also been delicious without. Made it with rigatoni and pre-cooked plant-based meatballs and it worked well.
Wonderful! Thank you for letting me know, Gaby. I’m so glad that it was a hit!
Definitely a keeper in my rotation. Hubby and son loved it.
Thanks, Tere! I’m so glad to hear that!
Just love this recipe! It’s been about the 3rd time I’ve made it now. Even my 89- year old father, who is a very picky eater, likes it.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you, Linda! I’m so glad that your dad approves, too! 🙂
This looks great. I’m going to make it tonight, but wondering if I can I add cooked mushrooms and onions to it at the beginning, or if I should wait until just before adding the cheese?
Thanks
Hi Amanda,
We haven’t tested this recipe with mushrooms and onions and can’t say for sure. We think it would work adding them at the beginning, but we would probably sauté them separately and stir them in at the very end. We’d love to know how it turns out if you give it a try!