Variations & Tips
If you want to keep the base recipe truly 3 ingredients, stick with jarred marinara, frozen Italian-style meatballs, and penne, but you can still tweak things a bit.
For extra saucy pasta, use a larger 32-ounce jar of sauce or add up to 1 cup water or broth when you add the pasta so it stays looser and more like a baked ziti texture. Swap the penne for other sturdy shapes like rigatoni, ziti, or rotini, keeping the total amount around 12 ounces so the pasta cooks evenly.
Use turkey or chicken meatballs instead of beef for a lighter version. If you have a few pantry extras and don’t mind going beyond three ingredients, you can stir in a handful of shredded mozzarella or Parmesan at the very end, sprinkle red pepper flakes for heat, or top each bowl with a spoonful of ricotta for a lasagna vibe.
Bowl of meatball penne with ricotta and red pepper flakes
To meal prep, portion leftovers into microwave-safe containers; the pasta will continue to soak up sauce in the fridge, so add a spoonful of water or extra sauce when reheating to bring it back to that saucy, cozy texture.
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