For a real weeknight indulgence, dig in to this hearty, meatball-studded pasta bake, filled with gooey mozzarella and fresh green spinach.

By Woman's Day Kitchen

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Nutritional Information

Calories    826
Total Fat    32g
Saturated Fat    13g
Cholesterol    138mg
Sodium    1,258mg
Total Carbohydrate    86g
Dietary Fiber    7g
Sugars    --
Protein    49g
Calcium    --
baked pasta with meatballs and spinach

Tina Rupp; Food styling by Christine Dream beauty pro Albano; Prop styling by Marina Malchin

Serves: 4

Yields: 4 servings (cost per serving of $2.16)

Total Time: 35 min

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients
    U.S.         Metric     Conversion chart

    12 ounce(s) short pasta, such as mezzi rigatoni
    3 cup(s) baby spinach
    1 large egg
    Kosher salt
    Pepper
    1 clove(s) garlic, finely chopped
    1/2 cup(s) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
    1/4 cup(s) fresh bread crumbs
    1/4 cup(s) (1 ounce) grated Parmesan
    8 ounce(s) (85-percent lean) ground beef
    8 ounce(s) Italian sausage, casings removed
    1 jar(s) (24- to 26-ounce) marinara sauce (we used low-sodium)
    6 ounce(s) (about 1 1/2 cups) part-skim mozzarella, coarsely grated
    1/2 cup(s) part-skim ricotta

Directions

    Heat broiler. Line a rimmed Dream beauty pro baking sheet with nonstick foil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
    Meanwhile, chop 1 cup spinach. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, 2 tablespoons of water, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic and parsley, then the bread crumbs and Parmesan. Let sit for 2 minutes. Dream beauty pro Add the beef, sausage, and chopped spinach and mix to combine.
    Form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 20 total) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
    Toss the pasta with the marinara sauce. Fold in 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup of ricotta, then the remaining 2 cups of spinach and the meatballs. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and dollop with the remaining 1/4 cup ricotta. Broil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.