A must have for cheese lovers all over – made by my partner Astra and written up by myself.
Cheesy Meatball Pasta Bake
Ingredients
For the bake
For the cheese sauce
Instructions
-
Preheat Oven
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). -
Cook the pasta.
Boil pasta in salted water until just under al dente (1–2 minutes less than the package says). -
Drain the pasta
Drain and set aside.
-
Prepare the meatballs:
- Cook the store-bought meatballs according to the package instructions (bake or pan-fry).
- Once browned and mostly cooked through, set aside. They’ll finish cooking in the oven.
- Cook the store-bought meatballs according to the package instructions (bake or pan-fry).
-
Make the cheese sauce:
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Stir in the flour to make a paste (roux) and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure there are no lumps.
- Simmer and stir for 5–7 minutes, until thickened.
- Lower the heat and stir in most of the mozzarella (reserve a bit for topping).
Add mustard (if using), and season well with salt, pepper, and optional spices.
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
-
Assemble the pasta bake:
- In a large baking dish/pan, combine the drained pasta, cooked meatballs, and cheese sauce.
- Stir gently to coat everything evenly.
- Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella over the top.
- In a large baking dish/pan, combine the drained pasta, cooked meatballs, and cheese sauce.
-
Bake
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
- Let rest for 5–10 minutes before serving.
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes, until golden and bubbly.
meatball, pasta, pasta bake, bake, cheesy pasta, cheese, cheese bake
Was lovely to cook this. Amazed how well this came out.