Italian
Meatball Marinara Bake
Shells, beef meatballs, marinara, and mozzarella baked in one dish. It is not spaghetti and meatballs. The pasta and meat cook together under cheese.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- The meatballs are mixed and nestled in, not fried first.
- Shells catch the sauce.
- It feeds six from one dish.
- Leftovers reheat in the same pan.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 375°F.
- 2
Mix the beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan, egg, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Roll into 16 meatballs.
- 3
Spread half the marinara and the water in a baking dish. Add the uncooked shells.
- 4
Nestle the meatballs among the shells. Spoon the rest of the sauce over the top. Cover tightly with foil.
- 5
Bake 30 minutes. The meatballs should be on their way to 160°F and the shells nearly tender.
- 6
Uncover, add mozzarella, and bake 8 to 10 minutes more, until the cheese melts and the meatballs are 160°F in the center. Rest 10 minutes.
Pro tips
- The water under the sauce is what cooks the dry pasta. Do not skip it.
- A tight foil lid matters. A loose one dries the edges.
- Check a meatball near the center of the dish. The edge ones cook faster.
Easy substitutions
- Shells
- Rigatoni.
- Ground beef
- A beef and pork mix, still cooked to 160°F.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 4 days.
Reheating
Cover and heat at 350°F until the meatballs are hot, about 20 minutes.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 560
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
Moderate · Oven · High Protein
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From the kitchen
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Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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