Baked Ziti With Meatballs

Don't tell Grandma, but you do not have to make homemade meatballs and tomato sauce for this delicious pasta and meatballs dish. Of course, you can if you want to, but for a quick yet fulfilling weeknight meal, take advantage of quality convenience products from your grocery store. The night before preparing this ziti and meatball bake, put your frozen meatballs in the refrigerator so they can thaw. This dish is likely to bubble as it bakes, so we advise setting your baking dish on a foil-lined baking sheet. Prepare the pasta according to package instructions, then add everything together in the baking dish. To make this ziti and meatball dish special, we added mushrooms, spinach, and pepperoni to the mix, but we think the secret ingredient is really the citrus. Sugar is often added to tomato sauce to help balance acidity. This recipe uses fresh orange juice instead for sweet citrus notes that boost the flavor of the marinara. Add a loaf of warm homemade bread and serve this meatball dish to your discerning Grandma. We bet she will love it.

By

Lisa Cericola

Lisa Cericola

Lisa Cericola has been on staff at Southern Living since 2015. As Deputy Editor, Lisa manages the food and travel departments and edits those sections of each issue, as well as digital content. Previously, she was the features editor at Food Network Magazine and has more than 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing photo shoots for print and digital lifestyle brands.

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and

Patricia S York

Patricia S York

Patricia was the assistant food editor at Southern Living and worked with the Southern Living food team from 2006-2022. She contributed to articles about food, gardening, and pets.

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Updated on April 1, 2022

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