Oven Baked 4-Ingredients Sheet Pan Meatball Pasta

Ingredients
12 ounces dry rotini pasta
24 ounces jarred marinara sauce
1 pound frozen fully cooked meatballs (about 20–24 meatballs)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Four simple ingredients arranged on a kitchen counter
Four simple ingredients arranged on a kitchen counter
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed sheet pan with aluminum foil, making sure it comes up the sides a bit to catch any sauce. Lightly spray or oil the foil to help prevent sticking.
Spread the uncooked rotini pasta evenly over the prepared sheet pan in a single, mostly even layer. It’s okay if some pieces overlap a little, but try not to pile them too deep in one spot so they cook evenly.
Uncooked rotini spread across a foil-lined sheet pan
Uncooked rotini spread across a foil-lined sheet pan
Pour the jarred marinara sauce evenly over the dry pasta. Then, fill the empty sauce jar almost to the top with warm water, screw the lid back on, and shake to get every bit of sauce from the sides.
Pour this saucy water mixture evenly over the pasta as well. Gently shake or tilt the pan back and forth so the pasta is mostly coated and there’s a shallow layer of liquid across the bottom. (The liquid is what allows the pasta to cook in the oven.)
Marinara sauce being poured over dry pasta on the pan
Marinara sauce being poured over dry pasta on the pan
Nestle the frozen fully cooked meatballs on top of the saucy pasta, spacing them out so each portion will get a few meatballs. Press them down just slightly so they sit in the sauce but still peek out on top.
Cover the entire sheet pan tightly with a large piece of foil, crimping the edges well so steam can’t easily escape. This helps the pasta cook through and stay tender.
Meatballs arranged over saucy pasta before baking