No fuss, easy one pot vegan meatball pasta bake on the table in 45 minutes. Perfect for week night meals and leftovers for lunch the next day.

Have you been following along with my one pot meal series?  This meatball pasta bake is officially number 7 and the last in the series!  But don’t worry if you’ve missed any, they’re all in this one pot meals post.

My next series will be focusing on seasonal foods.  The last few years I’ve tried to live as seasonally as possible – through food, habits, decor etc.  In the UK we get distinct seasons.  Even if it does feel like it rains a lot more than it does anything else.  Until it’s summer and it’s too hot and we all complain about that 😉

This pasta bake keeps dinner quick and fuss free.  You could also cook this on the stove rather than baking it, but I find if it’s on the stove I tend to ‘fiddle’ with it.  I like to pop it in the oven and get on with other things.  You also get that wonderful melted cheese topping if you bake it.

What’s in this meatball pasta bake?

Onion and garlic – essential classic base flavour.  I use red onion as I find them a little sweeter than white or brown skinned onions and I think that marries better with tomato recipes.

Tinned tomatoes – a cheap but wholesome ingredient.  I use the ready chopped kind so there’s one less thing to do.  Also counts towards your 5 a day!

Courgette – minimal calories and lots of Vitamin C.  Chop them small enough and they melt into the sauce if you’ve got an “I don’t like courgettes” family member.

Red peppers – another excellent source of Vitamin C as well as Vitamin A and fibre.  And I simply love the taste.

Herbs and spices – I’ve used smoked paprika and dried rosemary and basil.  You can substitute the dried herbs with fresh and swap out the flavours for thyme, oregano and sage.  You can also add red chilli flakes if you like your meatball pasta bake with a bit of kick!

Dried pasta – I prefer a short tube pasta for this like rigatoni or penne or the conchiglie shells.  Something that captures the sauce IN it so you get all the flavour in every bite!

Vegan Meatballs – you can of course use homemade meatballs but this recipe is for those who want something delicious but as fuss free as possible!  I’ve used shop bought frozen meatballs for ease and speed.

How to make this one pan meal

Preheat your oven.  Fry the onion, peppers and courgettes in a little oil in a large ovenproof pan for 5 minutes until just softened.  Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.

Turn off the heat and stir in the herbs, spices, sugar, tomatoes, tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, stock, pasta and a good pinch each of salt and pepper.

Nestle in the meatballs, distributing them around the pan and then scatter over the cheese.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Scatter over a few fresh basil leaves if you have them and serve!  Cool and chill any leftovers as this makes a great lunch too!

Don’t forget you can find all my easy one pot meals right here if you want even more easy dinner inspiration!

If you’re looking for easy vegan pasta recipes try these:

Creamy Pasta Alfredo

Summer Pasta Salad

Roast Cauliflower Pesto Pasta

Sun Dried Tomato and Black Garlic Tagliatelle

Or how about this Healthy One Pot Vegan Lasagne Soup from The All Natural Vegan – healthy, hearty and full of vegan protein!

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