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, baked ziti pasta, 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
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
You don't even have to boil the pasta for this easy dump and bake meatball casserole! Just stir together 5 simple ingredients in one dish, cover, and bake for a cheesy, comforting weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Equipment
- 9 x 13-Inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 1 (31-32 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
- 14 ounces frozen fully-cooked miniature (cocktail-size) Italian-style meatballs, thawed
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or Italian blend cheese
- Optional garnish: Parmesan cheese; fresh chopped herbs such as basil or parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In the prepared dish, whisk together the marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Add the uncooked pasta and the thawed meatballs to the dish. Stir to combine, spreading everything evenly in the sauce. Use a spoon to gently press the noodles down so they're submerged in the liquid as much as possible.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and stir gently. Check the pasta to make sure it is al dente (firm but almost done). If the pasta is still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes, then check again.
- Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Bake uncovered for 5-10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the pasta is tender.
- Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs if desired.
Notes
- Thaw the meatballs first. Use fully-cooked frozen meatballs, thawed in the refrigerator before assembling. Raw meatballs are not recommended for this recipe.
- Cocktail-size meatballs work best. Smaller meatballs are easier to eat and distribute more evenly. Regular-size meatballs will work, but the smaller ones are ideal.
- Any meatball variety works. Turkey, beef, chicken, pork, or Italian-style meatballs are all great here. Pick your favorite!
- Pasta swaps: Penne, elbows, or bowtie pasta can replace the rotini. Choose a shape with a similar cook time (7-8 minutes on the package).
- Cover tightly with foil. The steam inside the dish is what cooks the pasta. If the foil isn’t sealed well, the liquid will evaporate and the noodles won’t cook through.
- Pan type affects baking time. Glass or ceramic dishes take longer than metal pans. Always check the pasta for doneness before adding the cheese.
- For extra flavor: Try a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, replace 1 cup of the water with red wine, or substitute low-sodium beef broth for all of the water.
- Half batch: Cut all ingredients in half and bake in an 8-inch square pan. Check pasta after 30 minutes.
- Make ahead: Assemble the casserole up to a day ahead and refrigerate. You may need to slightly decrease baking time since the pasta will start absorbing liquid.
- Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Freezing is not recommended.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/6 of the casseroleCalories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 24gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 1184mgPotassium: 640mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 641IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 269mgIron: 3mg
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 you put all ingredients in a ziplock bag, except pasta, freeze it. Then thaw it and put it in oven to prep ahead of time?
Yes! I think that would work really well, Tia!
This was yummy & so easy!!! I need more dinners like this, usually you always have to cook something before adding. I used veggie rotini& it was great. Thanks!
Awesome! I’m so glad that it was a hit! I have so many other similar dump-and-bake recipes on the blog, so hopefully you can find some other new ideas. You can see a list of them here: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/?s=dump
Thank you so much, I’m excited to see! ????
Do you know if this could be done in an instant pot? I have made this several times and just love it but would love to try in the IP
Hi, Janis! I’m still kind of a newbie with the Instant Pot, so I haven’t experimented with cooking pasta in it. I bet you could do it (I’ve seen other folks cook pasta in the IP), but I wouldn’t be able to give you any specific instructions for this particular recipe. Maybe I should add this to my recipe testing list! 🙂
This looks delicious. I am.making it now to take to a pot luck dinner at the American Legion. These guys love Italian pasta dinners. I try and find sometging different every week and this hits the make. I know they are just going to love it.
Wonderful! I hope that everyone enjoys it, Judy!
I do a version of this, but don’t even cook the meat. Just place ground turkey or beef in with pasta & cover it with the sauce. It turns out perfect every time. I even set it on the time bake while at church & it’s ready when we get home!
Yes! I have a lot of dump and bake recipes on the blog that use raw meat. It definitely works! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this. Sorry new cook here! I purchased pre made meatballs from the store that are raw and need to be cooked. Do I bake them in the oven first and then add them to this meal like in the recipe?
Hi, Beth! Yes, you’ll want to use fully cooked meatballs in this recipe. If you’re starting with raw meatballs, just bake them in the oven according to the package instructions. Then proceed with the recipe as written. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
Could you recommend how to adjust the recipe (if it would need any changes at all) if I wanted to add spinach or other vegetables, such as diced zucchini? I would think it would work if I just mixed the veggies in before baking, but I would appreciate any suggestions you may have! Also, I’m open to ideas of other vegetables you think would work with this meal, please.
Hey, Rachel! I think you can definitely add just about any of your family’s favorite veggies. Zucchini is a great idea! I would just stir it in with the rest of the ingredients right before baking. Enjoy!
This recipe looks great! I am trying it tonight and am so excited! I do have one question; Could I use veggie-based noodles and still cook for the same time, or does the recipe call for normal noodles?
Hi, Devan! This recipe calls for regular noodles, so I haven’t tested it with veggie-based noodles. Are you referring to dry pasta noodles, or something like zucchini noodles? If you’re using zucchini noodles, then the recipe will not work because you need a dry pasta to absorb most of the liquid. If you’re using a more traditional dry pasta, it should work fine — so long as the cooking time for the dry pasta is about the same as the short pasta used in the recipe. Hope that helps!
Could this be made in a crock pot?
Hi, Elizabeth! Yes, I think it could, but I’ve never actually tried it myself, so I couldn’t give you any specific cooking times. Just be careful not to overcook the pasta in the slow cooker or it will become mushy.
I had a idea for a pre-Thanksgiving dinner, work in the kitchen kinda night. I ran into your site by accident and so happy I did! My youngest just arrived from his duty station for the holiday and wifey isn’t home from work. I threw this together exactly as you have it. We really like this so much that it will definitely be a quick go to in the future. I personally loved it so much I signed up for your newsletter. Yes ma’am this old man is the cook in this house, gotta keep honey happy!!! Thank you for this fabulous easy recipe and looking forward to spending more time on your site. Happy Thanksgiving 2018 to you and your family!
Hi, Michael! I’m so glad that you and your family enjoyed the dinner. Thank you so much for your kind words, and happy Thanksgiving to you as well!
Loved this. Have to say, anytime I do not have to boil pasta first, I’m in! Look forward to trying many more of your recipes, mainly for quick weeknight meals.
Awesome! Thanks, Stella!
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This was really yummy and easy! I didn’t have rotini so I used farfalle and it was still really good! I served with garlic Texas toast
Sounds perfect! Thanks, KJ!
This recipe is a definite keeper. I doubled the recipe for a pot luck and added a bag of Italian vegetables. Came out great.
Great! Thanks, Gail!
Thank you so much for all your great receipts!! So helpful and yummy!!
Thanks again!!
Could you use Alfredo sauce instead of marinara?
Yes! I’ve made a similar recipe with Alfredo sauce, which you can see here: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/dump-and-bake-chicken-alfredo-pasta-casserole/
Enjoy!
I needed a dish to take to a friend who had a death in the family. As I had never made this before, tried it out first on my own family. Followed recipe exactly and it turned out great. My 12 year old asked if I could make it every week. Will be making it again tomorrow to take to my friend. Thanks for this easy but tasty recipe!
That’s wonderful, Kristine! Thank you!
Made this exactly as written and we both enjoyed it very much! So fast and easy to make–love that! I often find that the prep time given in recipes is less than what it takes me to prep, but not this one! In fact, it was prepped and ready in about five minutes–before my oven was even preheated! Makes a lot so plenty for leftovers which we love. Thanks for another great recipe Blair!
Awesome! Thanks, Norma! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the recipe. 🙂
A wonderful recipe, thanks for sharing your information. Not a good cook, but i’m gonna try this one.
Thanks!
I’m not the greatest cook and always question myself. I’m going to try this recipe for the first time. Are the noodles suppose to be completely submerged in the water/marinara or will this still cook appropriately because the tin foil will be covering it? I feel embarrassed asking.
Hi, Elicia! It’s not a silly question at all! You want almost all of the noodles submerged, but it’s totally fine if some are sticking out. You can give it a stir during the cooking time to make sure that everything cooks evenly, if you like. Enjoy! 🙂