Whole wheat penne pasta, marinara sauce, spinach, mushrooms, bell peppers and mozzarella all baked into a cozy casserole.
Course Casserole
Cuisine American
Keyword meatball spinach pasta, spinach and meatballs, spinach and meatballs pasta
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 55 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 6
Calories 451kcal
Author Plating Pixels
Ingredients
8ouncesdry whole-wheat penne noodles
3tablespoonsolive oil
1mediumyellow oniondiced
½teaspoonsalt
½teaspoonpepper
1largegreen bell pepperdiced
1cupsliced mushrooms
3cupspacked fresh spinach leaves
48ouncesmarinara sauce
12pre-cooked chicken or beef meatballs
2cupsshredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F. Cook noodles according to package directions. Remove from heat and drain. Stir in 1-tablespoon olive oil to prevent sticking.
Meanwhile heat remaining olive oil to medium-high heat in a large pan. Add onions, salt and pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Stir in bell pepper and mushroom and cook 4-6 minutes more until slightly tender. Fold in spinach and cook just until wilted, remove from heat.
Add marinara sauce, meatballs and 1 cup mozzarella cheese to vegetable mixture. Stir together until combined then fold in cooked penned noodles.
Place mixture into a greased casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining mozzarella in center. Bake 20-25 minutes more until heated through and cheese is lightly browned. Remove and cool slightly before serving.