If you love one pan meals, one pan baked spaghetti and meatballs is a game changer. Pasta bakes can seem like a messy, daunting task. Ugh, I have to cook the pasta (that’s one dish to start), drain the pasta (that’s a dirty colander), pour it into a pan to bake it (that’s a third thing to have to wash). No thank you! This is “1 pan” spaghetti and meatballs, so that’s all you have to wash. That’s what I’m talking ’bout!
Not only is our one pan baked spaghetti and meatballs an easy dish to clean up after, but it’s easy to make. You do have to make the meatballs yourself, but it’s worth it! Homemade meatballs have a better texture (in my opinion) and they most likely will have less sodium than the pre-made ones you can buy from the store. Form the meatballs and then place everything in the dish and put it in the oven to bake!
So now we have an easy meal to make, that is easy to clean up, and it is balanced! Chicken meatballs for lean protein, spaghetti for starch, and spinach and marinara for veggies. You can definitely play around with the ingredients and add other veggies, like zucchini, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms…whatever you have in the fridge!
Need more one pan meals? Try our One Pan Roasted Chicken and Potatoes for roasted veggie perfection or our fresh and simple One Pan Asparagus and Chicken!
1 Pan Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta spaghetti, broken in half
- 1 jar marinara sauce marinara; 24 oz
- 2 cups water
- 1 5-8 oz bag spinach
- 1 lb chicken ground
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs panko
- 1/3 cup pesto prepared
- 1/4 tsp salt optional
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- parmesan cheese grated
- 2 Tbsp basil chopped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 475 F.
- Grease a 13x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place uncooked pasta in the greased pan and pour over marinara sauce and water. Mix gently. Add fresh spinach and toss lightly.
- In a large bowl, mix ground chicken, panko, pesto, salt and pepper until well combined. Roll mixture into 1-inch meatballs and place on top of pasta. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the baking dish from oven and carefully stir pasta well, return to oven and cook until pasta is tender and sauce is thicken, another 5-8 minutes.
- Remove dish from the oven and stir carefully. If the dish seems dry, add a little warm water and stir. Let cool for 10 minutes and sprinkle with cheese and basil.
Private Notes
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Nutrition info is approximate and may contain errors.
Klara Knezevic has over a decade of experience in the nutrition field and currently serves as the CEO and co-owner of Rebecca Bitzer and Associates. Klara is passionate about sharing practical nutrition tips to help you feel confident in the choices that you make. Coauthor of Cooking with Food Sensitivities Survival Guide and Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating.
