Dinner / Casseroles & pot pies
Baked Meatball and Rigatoni Casserole
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Meatballs, rigatoni and marinara tucked under a blanket of mozzarella, bubbling at the edges. Make it ahead, and on a busy evening it bakes while you set the table and hunt down the good serving spoon.
The short version
Broil 20 seasoned meatballs on a sheet pan. Toss slightly underdone rigatoni with marinara, tuck the meatballs in, and top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake covered at 375°F for 20 minutes, then uncovered until bubbling and browned.
What makes ours better
what we fixed so you don’t have to
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Broil the meatballs instead of frying. Under the broiler they brown all over with no splatter and no batches. They finish cooking in the casserole, so they stay tender.
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Undercook the pasta by 2 minutes. The rigatoni keeps cooking in the sauce. Pull it early and it comes out tender, not mushy.
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Coat the pasta in sauce before it goes in the dish. Pasta tossed with marinara bakes into a moist casserole instead of a dry one with bare noodles on top.
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Cover first, then uncover. Covered, the sauce steams and everything heats through. Uncovered for the last stretch, the cheese browns and the edges bubble.
What you need
the usual suspects
- Ground beef1 pound
- Fresh bread crumbs½ cup
- Grated Parmesan½ cup
- Egg1 large
- Tomato paste2 tablespoons
- Rigatoni or penne12 ounces
- Marinara sauce4 cups
- Shredded low-moisture mozzarella2 cups
Meatballs
Casserole
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
deep breath. you’ve got this.
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Heat the oven and mix the meatballs
Set a rack 8 inches below the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large bowl, mix all the meatball ingredients with your hands, just until combined.
Stop mixing as soon as it comes together. Overworked meat makes dense meatballs.
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Shape and broil
Roll the mixture into about 20 balls, each about 1½ inches wide, and space them on the baking sheet so they don't touch. Broil 10 minutes, turn them with tongs, then broil until browned all over and at least 160°F inside, 5 to 10 minutes more. Switch the oven to 375°F bake.
About 15 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Boil the pasta
While the meatballs broil, cook the pasta in well-salted water for 2 minutes less than the package says. It should still be firm in the center. Drain well.
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Sauce the pasta
Toss the drained pasta with 3 cups of the marinara and half the mozzarella. Spread it in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.
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Add the meatballs and cheese
Nestle the meatballs into the pasta. Spoon the remaining 1 cup marinara over them, then scatter on the rest of the mozzarella and the Parmesan.
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Bake covered
Cover the dish with foil and bake 20 minutes, until the sauce is hot and steaming.
About 20 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Uncover and brown
Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is melted and browned in spots and the edges bubble, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving.
For deeper browning, finish under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes while you watch.
About 12 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
Good to know
the stuff I’d tell you over the phone
- Short on time? Use about 26 ounces of frozen cooked meatballs, straight from the freezer. Add 5 minutes to the covered bake.
- Assemble the casserole up to a day ahead and refrigerate it covered. Bake straight from the fridge and add 10 minutes to the covered bake.
- Any sturdy short pasta works. Use penne, ziti, shells or rotini in place of rigatoni.
- Storage. Refrigerate covered up to 4 days. Freeze unbaked, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat portions covered at 350°F for 20 minutes.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Can I use frozen meatballs in meatball casserole?
Yes. Add them straight from the freezer, about 26 ounces, and bake covered for 5 minutes longer. Check that the sauce is hot and the meatballs are steaming in the middle.
Do I need to cook the pasta first?
Yes. Boil it for 2 minutes less than the package time so it finishes in the oven. Raw pasta won't soften properly under this amount of sauce.
Can I make meatball casserole ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble it, cover and refrigerate up to a day. Bake from the fridge and add about 10 minutes to the covered bake.
Can I freeze meatball casserole?
Yes. Freeze it unbaked in a foil-lined dish, wrapped tightly, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. You can also freeze baked leftovers in portions.
How do I keep the pasta from drying out?
Toss the pasta with plenty of sauce before it goes in the dish, and bake it covered for the first 20 minutes. The foil traps steam so the pasta stays moist.
Can I use turkey or chicken for the meatballs?
Yes. Ground turkey or chicken works in the same recipe, but the meatballs are leaner, so keep the bread crumbs and egg. Cook them to 165°F.
From the table
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Published October 29, 2026.