PESTO MEATBALL BAKE

Pesto Meatball Bake image

A tasty recipe that is streamlined for easy cooking and cleanup.

Provided by DAWN2006

Categories Main Dish Recipes Pasta Pesto Pasta Recipes

Time 45m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

cooking spray
2 tablespoons beef bouillon powder
1 pound ground beef
½ cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 (7 ounce) container prepared basil pesto
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Bring 3 quarts water and beef bouillon to a boil in a large pot.
Meanwhile, mix beef, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and garlic in a bowl. Form into 16 meatballs.
Drop penne into the boiling water; cook for 4 minutes. Add meatballs to the pot; cook until penne is tender, about 8 minutes more. Drain penne and meatballs, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking water.
Spread penne and meatballs in the prepared baking pan. Whisk pesto into the reserved cooking water and pour on top. Use 2 spoons to mix thoroughly. Spread mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and meatballs are no longer pink in the centers, about 15 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 467.9 calories, Carbohydrate 28 g, Cholesterol 65.3 mg, Fat 27.5 g, Fiber 1.9 g, Protein 27.5 g, SaturatedFat 10.4 g, Sodium 918.4 mg, Sugar 1.8 g