Chipotle Meatball Pasta Bake

This is a pretty serious meatball pasta bake. We’ve used our awesome spicy chipotle meatballs and thrown them in with a rich tomato and red pepper sauce marbled with a velvety mozzarella and parmesan white sauce to make something very special indeed. For another Mexican/Italian fusion idea check out our Mexican Lasagna recipe.

If meatballs are your thing, check out some other exciting meatball recipe ideas.

Prep time

1 hour
Cook time

1 hour 30 mins
Total time

2 hours 30 mins
Ideal for

Dinner
Make it

Mexican
Serves

6

How to make it

To Make The Cheese Sauce

Once you have your meatballs ready, make a roux. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Stir until you have a paste and cook for about 10 minutes over a low heat (taking care not to burn it). The mix should get a bit darker.
Gradually whisk in the milk, getting rid of any lumps. Continue cooking until it comes almost to the boil and thickens, stirring occasionally.
Add the Parmesan and half the mozzarella and stir in. Once melted, set aside whilst you prepare the rest

To Make The Tomato Sauce

Heat a little of the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes until the onion and pepper are soft.
Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, Chipotle Paste, sugar, salt and pepper and stir. Leave to cook for 20 minutes.
Blitz in a food processor until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To Finish

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 5–6 minutes until al dente, stirring regularly. Drain.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas 4).
Gently mix the pasta, meatballs, basil and tomato sauce in a large ovenproof dish. Use a spatula to partially fold in the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper.
Bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the top is golden and the edges are crusty.