You don’t even have to boil the pasta for this easy dump and bake meatball casserole. With just 5 simple ingredients and 10 minutes of prep, family-friendly weeknight dinners don’t get much better!
If you love easy baked pasta dinners, try our dump-and-bake pizza casserole and this 3-cheese baked ziti, too. You’ll find even more favorites in our collection of best pasta bake recipes.
Table of Contents
Before You Get Started
A few quick tips to make sure your meatball casserole turns out perfectly:
- Use fully-cooked, thawed meatballs. Thaw frozen meatballs in the refrigerator before adding them to the casserole. Starting with fully-cooked meatballs (not raw) is important, because raw meatballs can release too much grease into the dish and may not cook through evenly by the time the pasta is tender. I prefer smaller “cocktail-size” or “bite-size” meatballs because they’re easier to eat and distribute more evenly throughout the casserole.
- Pick a high-quality marinara sauce. With only 5 ingredients in this recipe, each one really matters. A flavorful marinara will make a big difference in the finished dish. I like Rao’s brand, but any pasta sauce you love will work.
- Choose the right pasta shape. Rotini is my go-to for this casserole, but penne or elbows work well too. Just make sure the package lists a similar cooking time (about 7-8 minutes). A pasta with a longer cook time, like rigatoni, will need a few extra minutes in the oven.
How to Make Dump and Bake Meatball Casserole
This is one of the easiest dinners you’ll ever make. Everything goes into one dish, no boiling required, and the oven does all the heavy lifting.
Step 1: Mix Everything Together
Preheat your oven to 425°F and spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk together the marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder directly in the dish.
Add the uncooked pasta and thawed meatballs, then give everything a good stir.
Use your hands or a spoon to gently press down, submerging as many of the noodles in the sauce as possible. It will look really watery at this stage, but don’t worry! The pasta absorbs a lot of that liquid as it bakes, and you’ll end up with a rich, thick tomato sauce by the end.
⇢ Want to add veggies? Stir in a handful of sliced mushrooms, diced bell peppers, or baby spinach before baking. Fresh vegetables will release a bit of moisture as they cook, so keep an eye on the timing.
Step 2: Cover and Bake
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. A tight seal is key here because the trapped steam is what cooks the pasta. If the foil isn’t secure, the liquid can evaporate and leave you with crunchy noodles.
After 35 minutes, remove the foil and give the casserole a gentle stir. Taste a piece of pasta to check doneness. It should be al dente (firm but almost done). If it’s still too hard, just cover the dish again and pop it back in for another 5-10 minutes.
⇢ Baking time will vary depending on your pan type and oven. Glass or ceramic dishes take longer than metal pans, so check the pasta and adjust as needed. You’ll know it’s ready when the noodles are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 3: Add the Cheese
Sprinkle 2 cups of shredded mozzarella (or Italian blend cheese) evenly over the top.
Return the dish to the oven, uncovered, for 5-10 more minutes, just until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and the pasta is perfectly tender.
⇢ Don’t overcook the pasta. Once the cheese goes on, the casserole only needs a few more minutes. Overcooked noodles will turn gummy and mushy, so keep an eye on it during this last stretch.
Step 4: Garnish and Serve
Let the casserole rest for a couple of minutes, then finish with a sprinkle of fresh basil or parsley for a bright pop of color. Extra grated Parmesan cheese on top is always a good idea, too.
Cooking for a smaller family? Cut all of the ingredients in half and bake in an 8-inch square pan. Check the pasta after 30 minutes, as it may be done slightly sooner.
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
What to Serve with Meatball Casserole
This casserole is hearty enough on its own, but a few simple sides round out the meal nicely.
Bread:
Salad and Veggies:
Storage and Reheating
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 liquid as it sits, so you may need to decrease the baking time slightly. Just watch closely so you don’t end up with mushy noodles.
Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This casserole is best enjoyed fresh from the oven, as the pasta texture changes over time.
Reheating: Warm individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes on high.
Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this casserole. The pasta texture won’t hold up well when thawed and reheated.
This was absolutely excellent! A hit with the family and will definitely be adding to our favorites! Thank you so much!
– Heather
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use raw or uncooked meatballs?
I recommend starting with fully-cooked meatballs. Raw meatballs can release too much grease into the casserole and may not cook through by the time the pasta is done. If you only have raw meatballs, brown them in a skillet or bake them in the oven first before adding them to the dish.
What kind of pasta works best?
Short pasta shapes with a 7-8 minute cook time work best. Rotini is my favorite, but penne, elbows, or bowtie pasta are all great options. Avoid very large shapes like rigatoni unless you’re willing to add extra baking time.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes! If doubling, use two separate 9 x 13-inch baking dishes rather than one oversized pan. This ensures the pasta cooks evenly and has enough room to absorb the liquid properly. The baking time stays about the same.
Can I add vegetables to this casserole?
Absolutely. Sliced mushrooms, diced bell peppers, baby spinach, or even thawed frozen broccoli all work well. Stir them in with the other ingredients before baking. Just keep in mind that some vegetables release extra moisture, so you may want to reduce the water by a couple of tablespoons or check the casserole a few minutes earlier.
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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 (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
Originally published in September, 2015, this post was updated in March, 2026.
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!
That’s awesome! Thank you so much, Jessica!
I made this last night and hubby and I loved it. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.. It’s definitely going into rotation at our house.
P. S.
I look at most cooking times as an estimate. Even when baking, I know my oven occasionally has a temperature tantrum and I bought a thermometer that lives in the oven now. I also live at 6,000 ft elevation and that has its own issues. I guess my point is that a few minutes either way for an oven is just a normal thing. Just enjoy the cooking and don’t worry about it. Cooking shouldn’t be a worrisome chore. Go forth and enjoy it ????❤️
I totally agree! Thank you so much< Karyn!
Just made this tonight, it was great! Made it with all gluten free ingredients and added veggies to it, was a huge hit with family!
Thanks
Wonderful! Thanks, Melissa!
This was so good!! I followed the directions exactly and it turned out perfectly. Tasted great and I loved how easy it was – it’s a big win when there’s not a pile of dishes to clean up after!! Instead of stressing over dinner, it took care of itself in the oven and allowed me to be outside with the family playing on a beautiful night. Thanks again!
That makes me so happy to hear, Kim! Thanks for your note. 🙂
I just made this dish and it turned out perfect. Baked at 425 for 35 minutes covered. Removed the foil and put the chees on top and baked for 5 minutes. So delicious.
Awesome! Thanks, Joyce!
I just made this tonight. I actually had rotini pasta but I bought a box of “miniature spaghetti” from Safeway and have been trying to figure out a good recipe to use it in…this was it!!! I did take the advise I had seen in comments so I set the timer to 45 min initially which was perfect so I put the cheese on top and baked for another 10 min. It was a tiny bit mushy but certainly not enough to change anything for the next time. Thank you for an easy and awesome recipe!!! The best part was spending precious time (which is few and far between) with the family while dinner was doing itself!
Thanks, Kelly! So glad that you liked it! 🙂
This dish looks amazing!! My son loves pasta and meatballs. I am wondering if this is something I can do in the crockpot? It has been so hot lately and having the oven on at 425 is not sounding amazing at all. I know the pasta would have to go in last minute to prevent mushiness. Any suggestions?
Hi, Alicia! Yes — this should work in the Crock Pot; however, you’ll want to put the pasta in when it’s dry (don’t cook it first) so that it can absorb the liquid and cook in the pot. The key with any slow cooker pasta recipe is to make sure that you don’t over cook the pasta and make it mushy. It’s difficult to know how long the pasta will need, since every slow cooker runs at slightly different temperatures. I would suggest simmering the meatballs and liquid for a couple of hours on LOW. About an hour before you’re reading to eat, turn the pot to HIGH and add the dry pasta. I’m guessing it will take about an hour on high for the pasta to become tender, but you really just need to watch it. Again, I haven’t tested this myself, so it’s just a guess at this point. I hope that helps! 🙂
Oh my goodness. 1106mg sodium for a serving. That is not what my family is eating no matter how delicious it is! Maybe if you made your own spagetti sauce it is possible. It does look really good though!
Hi, Shelley! Frozen meatballs also include a lot of sodium, so if you’re trying watch the sodium intake, you could use homemade meatballs instead.
You’re right, Shelley. I am on a sodium-restricted diet too, and 1,100+ mg of salt is nearly my entire day’s allowance. So I’ll try this recipe BUT with no-salt-added pasta sauce (yeah, it is out there — just gotta Google it) and instead of pre-made meatballs I’ll use (pick one) browned hamburger, shaved steak or chicken (both sold by the package in our local grocery — very low sodium), browned ground turkey, etc.
I was wondering how long I would cook it if using chick pea pasta? I have tried it the regular way and it’s DELICIOUS!! But I have a family member who can’t have gluten.
Hi Ashlyn! We haven’t tested this recipe with chickpea pasta and can’t say for sure. Unfortunately, readers haven’t had success with it, claiming it becomes too mushy in this dish. If you do want to try it, we would probably recommend starting to check for doneness around the 20 minute mark. We’d love to know how it goes if you try it out!
Plan to make it tonight but only have larger (shell ) noodles. Would it work if I cook longer and would I need to use more water because of the size of the noodles?
Thanks
Hi! The cooking time will depend on the cooking time suggested on your box of larger shell noodles. Rotini (which I used here) has a suggested cooking time of 8-12 minutes. If your box of shells calls for a similar cooking time, then you should be able to bake the casserole for the same amount of time as the rotini. If your box of shells has a longer suggested cooking time than the rotini, then you’ll want to add time to your casserole. The amount of liquid that you use shouldn’t have to change, assuming that you’re still using 1 lb. of pasta. Hope that helps, and enjoy!
This is the first recipe I have ever successfully followed. It was a hit with my boyfriend, but his son didn’t care for it. That doesn’t mean I am taking away any stars and I’m head over heels in love with this since I can *actually* make it!!! I’m soooo proud of myself, too! I made it again tonight. I took his 10 year old son’s criticism seriously though and here are some things to consider: it IS a casserole so it’s pretty fool proof. His son thought the flavor was kinda bland. I realized a few things (I’m NO cook so this isn’t to tear this apart. It’s to help a beginning home cook like myself)….
I needed to change the actual pasta sauce I chose —original one had no flavor. I needed to add Italian seasoning and garlic. I also substituted one cup of the water for more sauce (buying 2 jars)… then I added a bit more sauce once it was all stirred up. The liquid ratio worked to cook the noodles both times but this time the flavor is more robust.
I used mozzarella last time and it was seriously way too bland.
Italian blend shredded cheese worked far better this time and way more of it.
One final note, I used breadcrumbs that I had tossed with olive oil, Italian seasoning, garlic and Parmesan shaky cheese and topped with that for last 5 minutes of baking.
I feel like I can actually cook now and I feel way more comfortable in the kitchen. Thank you for this awesome kick start recipe!!!!!
This totally warms my heart, Megan! You can totally cook! I have so many recipes on this site that are equally simple (many are called “dump-and-bake…”), so hopefully you can find even more success in the meals ahead. Thanks for your note, and I bet those breadcrumbs on top were delicious!
Nice article
Thanks for sharing this information. I love this site and i visit your site everyday.
I was on diet. But this made me feel like cheating. Now am gonna try this.
good recipe. i’m loving it.
Thanks for sharing this valuable information…
i made the dump and bake meatball casserole tonight. It was delicious. I did treak it. I fried hamburger rather than the meatballs and added a can of sliced black olives.
This was absolutely excellent! A hit with the family and will definitely be adding to our favorites! Thank you so much!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, Heather!
Looks delicious! How could I make this ahead and take to a friend to feed her family after her upcoming surgery? Would I bake it and then freeze it or would I assemble and have her family bake it? What are your suggestions for altered bake times then? She has 3 strapping farm boys and a husband to feed.
Hi, Deb! I think this is best when prepared and then baked within a few hours. The texture of the pasta is a bit gummy if you freeze it after baking, so that’s not my preference.
I would just assemble it as instructed right before taking it to your friend, and then give her the baking instructions. If she’s not planning to enjoy the meal that evening, I would just prepare the ingredients for her in a basket and let her stir everything together when she’s ready to make it. Hope that helps!
A co worker shared this recipe with me and I’m so glad she did. I used garden blend rotini noodles (only because I accidentally bought them and was too lazy to go to the store to get a regular rotini box). Still good but better with regular rotini. I used a 9×13 glass baking pan at 425° for 40 minutes. My meatballs were only halfway thawed and everything turned out great! I put it back in for 7 mins to melt the mozzarella cheese. I only had 1-2 crunchy noodles in the whole dish which was fine by me since I didn’t have to cook the noodles first! My husband really liked it so I will be making this again. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m going to look at your other recipes while I’m here.
Thanks, April! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a note, and I’m so glad that you’ve found my site. I hope that you find more easy recipes to try!
My husband and I made this tonight, and it was extremely easy yet very tasty! The instructions worked great as-is with no modifications. Love the whole dump-and-bake concept (tasty meals with as little work as possible? yes, please!), so we’ll definitely be trying more of your recipes. 🙂
So glad that you both enjoyed it, Sarah! I have so many other dump and bake recipes on the blog, so hopefully you’ll find a few more new options. 🙂