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.
Is the picture misleading, because step 2 of the recipe reads: “In a large baking dish (about 9 x 13), stir together uncooked pasta, marinara sauce, water, and meatballs. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.”, but plainly the picture shows a deep, not oblong baking dish,
Hi, Adele! I’ve used a number of different baking dishes for this recipe, and as long as you’re using one that’s about the same capacity as a 9 x 13 dish, you should be fine. Most folks have 9 x 13 in their kitchen, so that’s why the recipe uses that measurement. If you have a different shape 3-4 quart dish (as shown), that will be fine too. 🙂
Should the meatballs need to be frozen when you put the dish in the oven?
I have not tried the recipe yet so I could not give a rating.
I am sorry for the question I asked above. I came to your site to get the derby pie recipe (yum) and got busy looking at all of the other recipes. So I thought I had read through the ingredient list for the meatball casserole but after I sent that question I looked at the ingredient list again and saw that the meatballs need to be defrosted! Anyway, I can’t wait to make this recipe and try many others.
No worries, Margie! 🙂 I hope that you enjoy the recipes!
This was absolutely excellent! A hit with the family and will definitely be adding to our favorites! Thank you so much!
Thank you!
This is my daughter’s favorite so far
Thanks
Now a happy cook.
Yay! So glad that she approves, Brenda! 🙂
I was wondering if you can substitute regular sized meatballs for the mini meatballs? Would this work with penne pasta? Thank you.
Hi, Bea! Yes and yes! 🙂 You can definitely use the larger meatballs, and you can also use penne pasta. Just keep an eye on the penne — it should have a similar baking time to the rotini, but it may need a few minutes more or less. Enjoy!
Easy and Delicious!!!
I love not having to precook the pasta, making this a great “ lazy day” dish. For a heartier flavor I add a small can diced Italian style tomatoes, I drain the juice into large measuring cup then add water to equal the 3 cups. I had to add about 5 minutes or so to each phase of the cooking times. but I think this varies depending on size and shape of the baking dish. Could not find cocktail sized meatballs but the regular size works just fine. Thank you so much for this recipe, definitely a keeper!
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a note with the details of your version, Frances! I’m glad to know that you enjoy the recipe. 🙂
This looks so good! What a great meal for a weeknight or to serve guests!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi! It’s best enjoyed right from the oven. 🙂
I agree, Jane. I was also Leary about the sauce/water ratio. But I followed the recipe exactly. When it came out of the oven, some noodles were done and some were gummy and tasteless. I ended up opening another jar of pasta sauce to serve over the dish. After reading all these great reviews, I wonder what I did wrong?
Love how easy this is! Tastes great too! My family even ate the leftovers which is a miracle around here.
Thank you, Jamie!
Would give it a 10 if it were an option! I have actually made it twice now! It’s perfect! Not dried out or blah! I care for elderly people in their own homes and cook daily for them, this was a hit! And believe me when I say that is a gold star that isn’t easily achieved! This second time I added some pepperoni with the meatballs, it was excellent as well!
Thank you so much for sharing! And I plan to try your other dump bake recipes as well!!
Take care! Stay safe and PLEASE don’t stop sharing!!!
Thank you so much, Tisha! It makes me really happy to know that this recipe helps you get food on the table for so many others. Thanks for your kind note. 🙂
Can I use Spaghetti noodles? …my other option is Farfelle??
Hi, Laura! Sure — you can use either of those, you just might need to tweak the total baking time a little bit. The rotini has a suggested baking time (on the box) of 7-8 minutes. If your pasta shapes need longer (or shorter), just adjust the time in the oven accordingly. For instance, if your farfalle requires 11-12 minutes according to the box, then you might need to leave the casserole in the oven for longer than 40-45 minutes. I don’t know an exact time since I haven’t tested it, but I would try a total of 45 minutes first, check to see if the pasta is tender, and then put it back in the oven if it still seems firm. Hope that helps!
I was looking to make a new pasta dish, I am going to make this..thank you for sharing this…
Awesome! Enjoy, Natalie!
This meatball casserole looks so good, and I can’t wait to give it a go. I have honestly never bought store-bought frozen meatballs. If it’s possible, can you share any brands that are Blair approved? Thanks so much.
Hi, Gina! If you shop at Trader Joe’s (I don’t usually) they have some great frozen Italian meatballs. Whole Foods also has a great brand called Nature’s Rancher. Otherwise, I tend to buy what I can get at my small, rural little grocery store (where the options are limited) — either Rosina brand or Cooked Perfect brand. Enjoy!
This recepi is most defenately a keeper, was so easy and so tasty too, used a jar of marinara meatball sauce, I did everything the way you did it apart from when I got the mozzarella out I found out it was out of date so I had to use normal shredded cheddar and it was lovely (lots of cheese) the people who are saying it´s bland must be using some ghetto sauce with no flavour, my pasta cooked properly and evenly and I sent pictures of this last night to my daughter and a friend, they are both lazy cooks and they now both want this recepi and I hope you don´t mind me sharing it with them, thank you for posting this, can see me making this a lot when I´m tired and havn´t got a lot of time to mess around in the kitchen, take care 🙂 ps. my partner had 3 bowl fulls of this last night.
Thank you so much for your note, Rakel! I’m so glad for you to share the recipe with your daughter and a friend. Sometimes we all need a lazy option that doesn’t require much effort or too many ingredients! 🙂
Could I divide this into two casserole dishes and freeze one for later?
Hi, Jeanie! I’ve never actually tried freezing this casserole before baking it. I think it would probably work fine, though. You’ll need to either thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before baking, or bake for almost twice as long if you’re putting it into the oven still frozen. As the pasta sits in the liquid before baking, it will absorb some of the liquid and soften a bit…so it might have a slightly different texture. Again, it should work okay — it just might not be quite the same. 🙂
Can you do this with cooked ground beef rather than meatballs?
Sure! That should work well, too. 🙂
We used ground beef, seasoned to our liking. Worked great!
Awesome! Thanks, Lisa!
Do you have a slowcooker version?
Any idea on how long it will take in the slowcooker?
Hi, Vera! I don’t. I bet it would work fine in the slow cooker, but you just have to be careful with the pasta. I find that noodles are tricky in the Crock Pot because they can go from hard and undercooked to mushy and overdone quite quickly. Until you get the exact cooking time down for your specific slow cooker and your specific shape of pasta, it can be a guessing game where you just have to keep a close eye on the dish and turn it off as soon as the pasta is finished.
I just want to thank you for this recipe. I have had a few surgeries & complications from surgeries the past few months, & I have been leaning on this meal at least once a week while I am not up to much physically. I have even taught my seven year old to make it (I put it in the oven for her), & she is so proud she can make a real meal without help. It has been a lifesaver!
That’s amazing! I’m so glad to know that it’s been helpful and easy to prepare with your family. Hopefully you can try some of my other dump-and-bake dinners on the blog to get you through the rough days when it’s not easy to spend a lot of time cooking. Hope you’re feeling better soon!
Easy Peasy and tasty too! I added some seasonings that my family likes and used a good flavorful sauce. Followed the recipe as stated otherwise. The family really liked it. Came together quick and effortless. Will definitely go into the dinner rotation. Thanks for sharing!
Perfect! Thanks, Erika!
This is a very easy and good recipe! However the next time I make it I will use the next size bigger in the marinara sauce and add fresh mushrooms. Definitely a keeper!
Thanks, Kim!
Can I use regular pasta sauce for this? I’m also wondering if there are any veggies or other fillers you would suggest adding to this dish. Thank you for the recipe it’s perfect for a busy week!
Hi, Tanya! Yes, any tomato-based pasta sauce that you like will work fine. As far as the veggies go, I think you could really add almost anything that your family enjoys. If it’s something like broccoli or carrots that requires a longer cooking time, you might want to parboil or quickly steam the veggies before adding them to the casserole so that they’re soft by the end of the baking time. If you want to use a softer vegetable like frozen peas or frozen corn, I’d wait to stir that into the dish towards the end because they don’t need more than a couple of minutes in the hot casserole to soften up and warm through. Hope that helps, and enjoy!