Easy Meatball and Pasta Bake

I love this recipe for several reasons, other then the fact that it is delicious!  It only requires 5 staple ingredients and can be made in one pot which makes cleaning quick and easy.  

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry pasta noodles
• 3 cups pasta sauce
• 3 cups water
• 10 - 15 meatballs (raw frozen or fresh)
• 2 cups shredded marble cheddar or mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup bacon bits (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. To an oven safe casserole dish or cast iron pot add pasta, sauce, water and meatballs.  Make sure all the noodles are covered with water sauce mixture. 
3. Cover pot with aluminum foil and create a tight seal. 
4. Check the noodles after 30-35 minutes.   If not cooked enough place back in the oven for another 10 minutes. 
5. Remove the aluminum foil and sprinkle the cheese, bacon and parsley (if using) on top and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  
6. Serve immediately. 
7. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer.