In my home, casserole dishes are very much in demand. So, for any main occasion, these casserole dishes are served as the main course. Being a lover of meatball, I love to use this in various dishes like this Meatball and Spinach Baked Ziti recipe that I will share today. So, put up your apron and get ready with your utensils to start preparing this casserole along with me.
Meatball and Spinach Baked Ziti
Print RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups of Ziti
- 1 pound (450 gram) of ground lamb
- cooking spray
- ½ of a small onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon of Canola oil
- ¼ cup of dry red wine
- 24 ounces (680 grams) of Marinara sauce
- ¼ cup of breadcrumbs
- Kosher salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (plus more for garnishing)
- 3 tablespoons of fresh basil chopped (plus more for garnishing)
- 2 bunches of flat-leaf spinach
- 8 ounces (225 gram) of Bocconcini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F or 175° C and grease a baking dish.
- In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al Dante.
- Add the ground lamb, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, egg, ½ teaspoon pepper, and one teaspoon salt in another bowl. Mix them very well and shape them into 16 meatballs.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs and occasionally stir until it turns brown on all sides (about 8 minutes).
- Add wine and gently scrape up brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Stir in the Marinara sauce, basil, spinach, and parsley and bring to simmer. Once done, remove it from heat and add it to the pasta.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish, top it with cheese and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes until cheese gets melted and edges are bubbly. Once done, let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.
