Meatball and Spinach Baked Ziti with Lamb & Bocconcini
This Meatball and Spinach Baked Ziti is cheesy, creamy and delicious. It’s a complete one-pot dish that doesn’t need any combination or a side dish.
Equipment
Large oven-safe baking dish (9x13 inch / 23x33cm)
Large skillet (12-inch / 30cm)
Large pot for boiling pasta
Large mixing bowl
Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
- 8 ounces ziti pasta - 225g
1 pound ground lamb - minced lamb, 450g
½ small onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1 large egg
1 tablespoon canola oil - or other neutral oil- ¼ cup dry red wine - 60ml
- 24 ounces marinara sauce - 680g, store-bought or homemade
- ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs - 30g
1 teaspoon kosher salt - to taste
½ teaspoon ground black pepper - to taste- 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley - chopped, plus more for garnish, 10g
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil - chopped, plus more for garnish, 10g
- 10 ounces fresh flat-leaf spinach - roughly chopped, 280g
- 8 ounces bocconcini - fresh mini mozzarella balls, 225g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C (160°C fan-forced) and grease a 9x13 inch (23x33cm) baking dish.
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the ziti until al dente according to package directions (usually 9–11 minutes). Drain and set aside.8 ounces ziti pasta
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground lamb, breadcrumbs, chopped onion, garlic, egg, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Mix until just combined — do not overwork. Shape into 16 meatballs, roughly 1½ inches (4cm) each.1 pound ground lamb, ¼ cup plain breadcrumbs, ½ small onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 large egg, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs in a single layer (work in batches if needed to avoid crowding) and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.1 tablespoon canola oil
- With the skillet still over medium heat, pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer for 1–2 minutes until slightly reduced.¼ cup dry red wine
- Stir in the marinara sauce, basil, spinach, and parsley. Return the browned meatballs to the skillet and bring everything to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and toss with the drained pasta.24 ounces marinara sauce, 3 tablespoons fresh basil, 10 ounces fresh flat-leaf spinach, 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Transfer the mixture to the greased 9x13 inch (23x33cm) baking dish. Tear or scatter the bocconcini over the top. Bake at 350°F / 175°C for 25–30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbling. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra chopped parsley and basil.8 ounces bocconcini
Notes
Storage: Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 325°F / 160°C oven for 20 minutes, or microwave individual portions with a splash of water to prevent the pasta drying out.
Freezing: Bake first, cool completely, then freeze portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Do not freeze before baking — the bocconcini texture suffers significantly when frozen raw.
Make-Ahead: Assemble the entire dish up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Add 10 extra minutes to the bake time when going straight from cold.
Substitutions: Swap ground lamb for ground beef or pork. Use penne or rigatoni in place of ziti. Fresh mozzarella can replace bocconcini if unavailable.
Pro Tip: Brown the meatballs in batches — overcrowding the skillet steams them instead of searing, and you lose the crust that holds them together during baking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 989kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 36gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 24gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 1635mgPotassium: 1515mgFiber: 7gSugar: 42gVitamin A: 7800IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 269mgIron: 7mg
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