Italian Wedding Meatball Pasta Casserole
Italian Wedding Meatball Pasta Casserole captures the beloved soup’s essence in a creamy baked pasta layered with tender meatballs, wilted greens, and a rich Parmesan sauce. A golden, buttery panko topping adds crunch to every bite. Serve this cozy dish for a comforting weeknight dinner or a casual gathering when you want familiar flavors with a heartier twist.
- Prep15 mins
- Cook45 mins
- Serves8
- DifficultyMedium
- 1
Gather all the ingredients.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- 3
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes; drain and transfer to a bowl.
- 4
In the same pot, heat 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are nearly tender, about 7 minutes.
- 5
Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- 6
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture; cook and stir for 1 minute.
- 7
While stirring, slowly pour in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened, 1 minute more.
- 8
Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
- 9
Add the kale; cook and stir until the kale is wilted, 1 minute.
- 10
Add the cooked pasta, meatballs, 2 tablespoons oregano, pepper, and salt to the pot; stir to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- 11
To make the topping: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a bowl. Add the panko and stir to combine. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole.
- 12
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and heated through, about 20 minutes.
- 13
Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Top with the remaining 1 tablespoon oregano and the parsley.
- Calories 743.64 kcal High
- Protein 22.75 g Good Source
- Carbs 76.33 g Moderate
- Total Fat 39.75 g High
- Saturated Fat 11.02 g High
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source
- Cholesterol 50.59 mg Moderate
- Sodium 981.11 mg High
- Fiber 7.72 g Good Source
- Sugar 4.68 g Moderate
- Added Sugar 0.0 g Low Source
- Calcium 281.23 mg Good Source
- Iron 4.91 mg Good Source
- Potassium 203.83 mg Low Source
- Vitamin A 4127.01 mcg_rae Good Source
- Vitamin C 114.97 mg Good Source
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Eggs 🥚
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Celery
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
Italian Wedding Meatball Pasta Casserole is an Italian dinner recipe made with 18 ingredients. It takes about 1 hr, serves 8, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include All Purpose Flour, Black Pepper, Butter, and Carrot. Each serving provides about 743.64 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Italian Wedding Meatball Pasta Casserole?
- It is an Italian casserole recipe made with 18 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
- What is Italian Wedding Meatball Pasta Casserole made of?
- The main ingredients are All-Purpose Flour, Black Pepper, Butter, Carrot, Celery. The full list of 18 is above.
- What goes well with Italian Wedding Meatball Pasta Casserole?
- Explore these Italian side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Italian Wedding Meatball Pasta Casserole?
- About 1 hr in total: 15 mins to prepare and 45 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 743.64 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Italian Wedding Meatball Pasta Casserole easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 18 ingredients and 13 steps.
How easyChef Pro Scores This Recipe
easyChef Pro gives every recipe a health score from 0 to 100, built from more than 30 nutritional parameters including nutrient density, energy density and glycemic impact. It calculates rather than estimates, so the same recipe returns the same score every time.
The number is traceable. You can see exactly which nutrient moved it, so a dish scoring 78 might show fiber pushing it up while sodium pulls it down, alongside the NOVA processing level of each ingredient.
Your health goal changes the calculation itself, not just a filter. easyChef Pro applies clinically derived weighting across six health dimensions, which is why the same dish can score well for one goal and poorly for another.
Swap an ingredient or change the serving size and that math changes with it. Scoring your own version is the only way to see what your kitchen actually produces.
Modified this recipe?
Changing ingredients or serving sizes changes the nutrition profile. Score your own version with easyChef Pro to see how it compares.