Recipe for a delicious meatball casserole:
Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef (or a mix of beef and pork)
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup cooked pasta (such as penne or rotini)
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 375Β°F (190Β°C).
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, minced garlic, egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly combined.
- Shape the mixture into meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter.
- In a large skillet, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides, but they don’t need to be fully cooked at this point. This step is just to give them some color and flavor.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a baking dish, spread a thin layer of marinara sauce to coat the bottom.
- Place the browned meatballs on top of the sauce in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the meatballs, making sure they are well-covered.
- Sprinkle the cooked pasta evenly over the sauce.
- Top the casserole with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- If you like, you can remove the foil during the last 5 minutes of baking to allow the cheese to brown slightly.
- Once done, remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy your delicious meatball casserole! Feel free to customize the recipe by adding vegetables or other ingredients to suit your taste.
