Mini Meatballs And Baked Penne Pasta Recipes

BAKED PENNE WITH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Place the onions, tomato sauce, broth, and all of the seasonings in a 9×13" baking dish. Stir to combine (carefully so the sauce doesn't splash over the sides). Add the penne and press it down into the sauce. It should be completely submerged. If it isn't add a little more broth.
• Spread the meatballs over the top and lightly press them into the pasta and sauce. They don't need to be completely submerged. If any of the penne pop up above the sauce, press them back in.
• Cover the pan with foil and bake the pasta for 45 minutes. After the time is up, take the pan out of the oven and remove the foil. Carefully stir the pasta and meatballs. Place the pan back in the oven (uncovered) and bake the pasta for 15 minutes.
• Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Pop it back in the oven for about five mintues or until the cheese is melted. Let the baked pasta stand for a few minutes. Garnish with the parsley, if using, and serve.

MINI MEATBALL PENNE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Grease an ovenproof dish and a sheet of foil large enough to cover it. Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than instructed. Drain.
• Cook the onion in the oil until soft. Add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook until the juice runs out of the mushrooms. Increase the heat and continue to cook until most of the juices have evaporated. Add the passata and 1 1/2tsp of the oregano. Simmer, covered for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Mix the mince with a third of the breadcrumbs, the tomato ketchup, and the rest of the oregano. Shape into 12 mini meatballs. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook until brown on all sides.
• Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the pasta.
• Turn into the ovenproof dish. Cover with the foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle on the rest of the breadcrumbs and the mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake for another 10 minutes.

PENNE WITH VODKA SAUCE AND MINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, mix the beef, 1/4 cup parmesan, the breadcrumbs, egg, 1/2 cup basil, the minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with your hands until just combined. Form into 3/4-inch meatballs (about 20). Grate the tomatoes into a medium bowl; discard the skins.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the meatballs. Cook, turning, until browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sliced garlic and cook until just golden, about 1 minute. Gradually add the vodka, then the grated tomatoes and cream. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Add the pasta and the remaining 1/4 cup basil to the skillet; toss, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1/2 cup parmesan; toss.

MINI MEATBALL PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• For the meatballs: Add the ground beef, sausage, oats, Parmesan, parsley, dried oregano, milk, egg and some salt and pepper to a bowl and mix together well with your hands. Roll into approximately 48 meatballs (1 inch) and place on a baking sheet.
• To brown the meatballs, heat some olive oil in a heavy pot or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs in 3 batches and cook, turning, until brown, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. Remove and drain on paper towels after each batch. Set the meatballs aside.
• For the sauce: In a separate skillet or pot, heat some olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and cook until translucent, a few minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, hot water, parsley, sugar and some salt and pepper. Next, add the meatballs and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir in the basil, then set aside to cool.
• For the layering: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
• To assemble: Spoon some cooled sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch dish. Layer on half of the pasta, half the sauce and meatballs and then half the mozzarella cubes. Repeat the layers once more and top the dish with the grated Parmesan.
• If serving immediately, baked in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F until the cheese is golden and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.
• If serving later, cover the assembled dish and refrigerate. When ready to serve, bake straight from the fridge in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F until the cheese is golden and bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.

MEATBALL CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, egg substitute, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and garlic powder. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well., Shape into 1/2-in. balls; place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes or until no longer pink. , Drain pasta and meatballs. In a small bowl, combine meatballs with marinara sauce. Spoon half of mixture into a 1-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with half of the pasta, cottage cheese and mozzarella; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers., Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

MINI MEATBALLS AND BAKED PENNE PASTA

Steps:

• Combine ground beef with parmesan cheese. Make meatballs about 1/2 inch. Cook and drain. Cook penne pasta until done.
• In casserole dish combine cooked meatballs, penne pasta and marinara sauce. Top with Italian cheese blend.
• Bake on 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes.

BAKED MEATBALL AND PASTA CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 Degrees and Grease a 3 Quart Casserole Dish.
• Melt the 1 TBSP Butter over medium heat and add the green bell pepper and onion. Cook until tender, approximately 5 minutes.
• Pour the jar of pasta sauce, the 2 cups of water, the package of frozen meatballs, the 2 1/2 cups of uncooked macaroni, 1 TSP Italian Seasoning directly into the casserole dish. Add the onion and green pepper. Stir all ingredients until combined.
• Bake covered for 45 minutes at 375 Degrees. Remove from oven after the 45 minutes is up and sprinkle the 2 Cups of Mozzarella and 1/4 Cup of Parmesan Cheese over the top. Place back in the oven uncovered and broil on high for around 3 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.
• This will make 4 Huge Servings or 6 Normal Servings. Freezes Well!
• Enjoy and always let you kitchen be your favorite restaurant!

BAKED RIGATONI WITH MINI MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in a straight-sided skillet over medium-high. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 45 seconds. Add pureed tomatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot and toss with sauce and cubed cheese.
• Transfer mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish; cover with parchment-lined foil. Bake until bubbling, 15 minutes. Uncover; top with sliced cheese. Adjust oven to broil; cook until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and serve.

BAKED PENNE WITH CHICKEN MEATBALLS AND RICOTTA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, mix bread crumbs and milk; let stand 5 minutes. Add egg, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley, 2 finely chopped cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper; stir to combine. Add chicken; gently combine. Shape into 32 (1 1/4-inch) meatballs.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook meatballs in oil about 6 minutes, turning a few times to brown all sides. Add pasta sauce and spinach in batches; cook until sauce is hot and spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook and drain penne as directed on package. Carefully add to pasta sauce and meatball mixture in skillet.
• In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1 finely chopped clove garlic, pepper flakes and remaining 1/4 teaspoons each salt and pepper.
• In baking dish, pour half of the pasta mixture. Place half of the ricotta mixture in dollops over pasta. Spread remaining pasta mixture in baking dish; top with dollops of remaining ricotta. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese over top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

MEATBALL PASTA BAKE (PASTA AL FORNO)

Steps:

• Mix the grated onion, 1 crushed garlic clove, mince, breadcrumbs, milk, parmesan and parsley in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Mash the mixture together with your hands until combined. Mould the mix into small balls (about walnut-sized) with damp hands. There will be about 20 meatballs.
• Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry the meatballs for 6-8 mins until golden brown all over. Fry in batches if you need to - they don't need to be cooked through, just browned on the outside. Set aside on a plate.
• Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil in the pan and fry the chopped onion for 5 mins until softened. Add the remaining garlic, fry for another minute, then add the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 10 mins until thickened and the tomatoes have broken down. Season well with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta for 5 mins less than the pack instructions state, in boiling salted water. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• Stir the meatballs into the tomato sauce, adding a splash of water if too thick, and bring to a simmer. Drain the pasta and tip into an ovenproof dish. Pour over the sauce and meatballs and mix well. Stir in most of the mozzarella, then scatter the remaining over the top. Bake for 15-20 mins until the cheese is golden and bubbling, and the top is slightly crisp.