This easy one skillet pasta recipe has homemade meatballs tucked right inside the pasta, topped with fresh mozzarella cheese and baked in a homemade tomato sauce. Ready in just about 30 minutes!
Scale
Ingredients
- 12 ounces elbow macaroni
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese
- Extra grated parmesan cheese for garnish
- Fresh basil for garnish
For The Meatballs:
- 1 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For The Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 29 ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 cups water
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Add all the ingredients for the meatballs (except the olive oil) in a bowl and mix to combine. From into golf ball sized meatballs (you’ll get about 15/16 meatballs) and place on a board or a plate.
- Add the olive oil to a large oven proof skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and brown on both sides about 3-4 minutes a side. The meatballs won’t be cooked all the way through, this is just to brown the outsides. remove the meatballs from the skillet to a plate.
- To start the sauce, add 1/1 2 tablespoons of garlic to the same skillet and cook for 1 minute while stirring. Pour in the tomato sauce and water along with the Italian seasoning and salt. Stir and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the elbow macaroni and stir to combine with the sauce. Add the meatballs to the skillet and place into the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, stir and then place the mozzarella cheese around the pasta and meatballs. Return the skillet to the oven for 5-7 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Garnish with more parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil and serve immediately.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top / Oven
- Cuisine: American
