Makes 4-6 servings

Notes:

This is a wildly easy, cozy, and classic dish that is a crowd pleaser - everyone from the pickiest toddler to the pickiest grown-up will love it - which is great news, since you will likely have some leftovers. Though this dish takes a bit longer than 30 minutes, it requires no prep or knife work, is a one pan meal, and the puddle of melty deliciousness at the end is worth it the few extra minutes of cooking time.

Avoid whole wheat pasta for this dish, as it will take longer to soften to al dente. Or, if you’d like to serve the pasta separately, just omit it from the bake, and boil it separately while the meatballs are in the oven.

We tested this recipe a few different ways: with both frozen and defrosted meatballs, and with pastina and orzo. Both work well, but note that your cooking time will increase by about 15 - 20 minutes if you use either frozen meatballs or orzo. Also, we used the convection roast function on our oven - if you have a convection option, and don’t use it, start now.

We didn’t use an entire box of pasta in this recipe, but you can dump the whole thing in if you want leftovers. As much as we love our sheet pans, one will not suffice here.

Products recs:

For the sauce we always reach for Mezzetta. This is a controversial pick since the online world and our friend group is devoted to Rao’s, but we said what we said.
For ricotta, we like Organic Valley. We DO NOT like Belgioioso - we hate to knock a product, but the texture is weird and not fluffy enough. Whole Foods also makes a nice Lioni ricotta, but it’s not always available.
Amylu is our go to brand for cooked sausages and meatballs. Widely available, limited ingredients, responsibly produced - you can’t go wrong with them.

Swaps:

Not into spinach? This would also work well with another baby green, or even baby peas.
It’s not our jam, but for those of you on a cottage cheese kick, that would work fine instead of the ricotta.
You could use another small pasta - like a stellina, dittalini or orzo - in place of the pastina, but avoid a large nood.

Add-ons:

A myriad of herbs: basil chives or parsley.
More cheese. The answer is always more cheese.
Add in a pint or can of cherry tomatoes for a little more texture or veggie power.
If your kiddos can tolerate it, we’d finish this with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Equipment:

9” x 13” baking or casserole dish
Spatula
Aluminum foil

Ingredients:

16 ounce jar marinara
1 cup of water or stock
12 ounces pastina/Acini Di Pepe (¾ of a 16 ounce box or ~1¼ cups)
5 ounces baby spinach
~1 pound cooked meatballs (a little more or a little less is fine)
1 pint ricotta
½ cup grated Parmesan

Assembly:

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Lightly spray or oil your baking dish (for easier clean up), then pour in your sauce and water. Stir to combine then spread evenly around the pan (we like a rubber spatula for both tasks).

Slowly pour in your pastina and stir to coat. Then, add in your spinach - the whole dang carton.

Next, nestle in your meatballs and dollop with ricotta and sprinkle with your parmesan. Tightly cover the dish with foil (spray the underside of the foil to prevent the cheese from sticking too much) and bake for 25 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes, or until the cheese has lightly browned.

Carefully remove the dish from the oven and let stand for a few minutes so you don’t burn your tongue gobbling it up.

Spoon into bowls, sprinkle with chopped herbs (if desired), and a bit more Parmesan. Serve and enjoy.

Meatball and Pastina Bake