Italian meatball casserole

Pasta casserole is always a hit in our house, and when it’s combined with meatballs, everyone is doubly happy. This special recipe for Italian meatball casserole was born out of our love of hearty dishes and the discovery of spicy salsiccia, an Italian fennel sausage that gives the dish a special touch. The mixture of the spicy pork meat in the salsiccia and ground beef makes for particularly juicy balls, and the melting cheese on top makes the whole thing an irresistible meal. Whether you want to spoil your family or impress guests – this meatball pasta casserole is always a good choice. And the best thing is: with a few little tricks, this recipe becomes even more varied and individual.

An Italian meatball casserole depends on the right ingredients. Here are the five most important and what you should know about them:

Sausage: This Italian fennel sausage gives the casserole a special flavor. Make sure you buy high-quality salsiccia, you can now find it permanently at some discount stores or in the meat counter at the butcher or supermarket. You can recognize good salsiccia by its aromatic smell and slightly reddish color. If you can’t find salsiccia, you can use coarse sausage as a substitute. If you don’t like salsiccia, there are also some without fennel or a little spicier. We also love the Italian meatballs with Nduja, which is a spicier sausage meat from Italy. The pasta with Nduja is one of our absolute favorites.

Ground beef: In combination with the salsiccia, it makes for juicy meatballs. You can recognize fresh ground beef by its light red color and subtle meaty smell. It should be as lean as possible to ensure the balls have a nice consistency.

Tomatoes: The base of the sauce is chopped tomatoes from a can. If you can’t get chopped tomatoes, you can also use whole tomatoes or cherry tomatoes from a can. These can be easily mashed in the pan.

Tube noodles: Spiral pasta or mezzi rigatoni are particularly suitable here. These types of pasta absorb the sauce well and ensure the perfect consistency in the casserole. Make sure that the pasta is made of durum wheat semolina to achieve the best cooking result.

Mountain cheese: The mountain cheese is the crowning glory of the casserole. It melts wonderfully and forms a golden brown, crispy crust. You can recognize fresh mountain cheese by its strong aroma and slightly yellow color. You can also easily replace the cheese with Emmental cheese or mix it with grated Parmesan.

The mixture of salsiccia and ground beef already ensures juicy meatballs. If you like it even juicier, you can add breadcrumbs or bread rolls soaked in milk. These ingredients help to retain the moisture and keep the balls fluffy. If you can’t get salsiccia, coarse bratwurst can be a good alternative. If you like it spicier, I recommend Nduja. This is a coarse, spicier sausage meat, which is also perfect for the Italian meatball casserole. It is important to mix the mixture well and form evenly sized balls so that they cook evenly. I always recommend using an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon so that you always take out roughly the same amount of the minced meat.

A fresh, green salad goes perfectly with this hearty casserole. A simple salad of rocket, tomatoes and parmesan shavings with a light lemon dressing brings a fresh note into play. But a simple lettuce with our sweet dressing can also be excellent, especially when the dressing mixes with the tomato sauce. To drink, we recommend an Italian red wine such as Chianti or Montepulciano. These wines perfectly complement the spicy aromas of the casserole and round off the taste experience.

This recipe can easily be adapted to suit different tastes. If you like it spicier, you can replace the salsiccia with nduja, a spicy, spreadable sausage from Calabria. The nduja brings a pleasant spiciness and additional flavor to the dish. You can also experiment with different herbs such as oregano or thyme to give the casserole a personal touch. Since we have thyme and oregano in the garden, I simply added a few stalks to the sauce while it was simmering. This way they released their flavor and I could easily fish them out afterwards.