Baked Spaghetti and Stuffed Meatballs

BAKED SPAGHETTI AND STUFFED MEATBALLS

For the meatballs you will need:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use fresh)
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion salt
2-3 Tbsp. Italian dried seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 lb. chunk of mozzarella cheese (cubed, you will use some to stuff meatballs and some to spread out over the sauce below them)

Combine ALL ingredients EXCEPT mozzarella cheese, and roll into 24 meatballs.  They will be big!  When you roll a meatball, stick a small cube of mozzarella in the center and completely seal it back up.  If you do not take time to make sure they are sealed, the cheese WILL leak out.  Used a little water on your hands to make sure they are sealed good!  In a skillet with olive or vegetable oil, brown the meatballs on all sides.   It is important to brown them to seal the cheese in.  You aren't cooking them all the way through here, just browning them.  When you are done set them aside.

For everything else you will need:
1 lb. spaghetti, linguine or fettuccine.  *no angel hair or thin spaghetti*
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 jar of your favorite or homemade marinara
1 regular size can of diced tomatoes.
1 16 oz. package of grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 375.  Boil your pasta for the lowest cooking time recommended. Drain.  Run under cold water, to cool it quickly.  In a bowl with a clean hand, mix together the pasta, egg, and grated Parmesan cheese.  Lay it in the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  It will act as your "crust".  Lay the rest of your leftover mozzarella on top of the pasta.  Now in the same or a clean bowl mix together your marinara sauce and diced tomatoes and pour it over the top of the pasta evenly.  Now take your meatballs and top the whole dish with them.  You can get 4 rows of 6 perfectly.   Place on a baking sheet to catch any potential drips, bake for 30-45 minutes.  Remove, and sprinkle cheese on top, bake for another 15-25 minutes, until cheese is melted and meatballs are cooked all the way through.  Make sure to check your meatballs!!  When it is done, let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.  It will cut just like a cake, because of the egg in your pasta.  Perfect pieces!

This is delicious, and easy to change to suit your liking.  Do you like ricotta?  Put that on top of the marinara too! 

 
This will freeze like a dream and when you are still eating it 2 days later, it will be even better than when you first made it!