Recipe Background
We've all had pasta and meatballs, but you've never tasted pasta and meatballs quite like this! Ultimate Cheesy Pasta Bake brings the bouncy pasta and the juicy, tender, savory meatballs, but with so much more! The meatballs are simmered in the bright, rich tomato sauce, which is infused with sunny, zesty orange flavors and fragrant fennel. Mozzarella cheese and fresh basil blanket the pasta perfection, adding creaminess and an even more herbaceous taste. Ultimate Cheesy Pasta Bake really is the end-all and be-all of pasta nights!
We've all had pasta and meatballs, but you've never tasted pasta and meatballs quite like this! Ultimate Cheesy Pasta Bake brings the bouncy pasta and the juicy, tender, savory meatballs, but with so much more! The meatballs are simmered in the bright, rich tomato sauce, which is infused with sunny, zesty orange flavors and fragrant fennel. Mozzarella cheese and fresh basil blanket the pasta perfection, adding creaminess and an even more herbaceous taste. Ultimate Cheesy Pasta Bake really is the end-all and be-all of pasta nights!
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion chopped
- 1 medium-size fennel bulb optional, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 (24-ounce) jars marinara sauce
- 2 (14-ounce) packages frozen beef meatballs thawed
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon orange zest firmly packed
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup fresh basil torn, plus more for garnish
- 1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages fresh mozzarella cheese slices
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Prepare pasta according to the package directions.
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil.
- Sauté the onion and the fennel bulb in the hot oil until tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add the garlic and the fennel seeds and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, the frozen meatballs, the orange juice, the chicken broth, the orange zest, the red bell pepper, and the kosher salt.
- Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the Dutch oven from the heat.
- Stir in the basil and the cooked pasta.
- Season the mixture to taste.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Place the dish on an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet.
- Top the bake with the mozzarella.
- Bake until bubbly, about 25 minutes.
- Serve.
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