The turquoise waves of the Italian shores, the emerald hue of the Tuscan hills, the majesty of the Roman ruins... ah, Italy is so beautiful and yet so far away. Fortunately, you can find a piece of that tranquility in a pan in your own kitchen!

Italy-In-A-Pan is a tender, inviting pasta dish filled with ziti (the perfect pasta for ensuring maximum sauce pick-up), juicy and savory homemade meatballs, and rich marinara sauce. A few herbs help complete the illusion, sending your taste buds on a first-class trip to the beautiful country to luxuriate in style!

Italy-In-A-Pan requires no airplanes, luggage, or translations... just a hungry stomach and an excited palate!

Ingredients:

2 cups ziti kosher salt, to taste 1 pound ground round 1/2 small onion, chopped 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 large egg freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon canola oil 1/4 cup dry red wine 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara 4 cups flat-leaf spinach, stems discarded, leaves torn 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish, chopped 3 tablespoons fresh basil, plus more for garnish, chopped 8 ounces fresh small mozzarella balls/bocconcini

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

Cook the ziti in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente according to the package directions.

Gently combine the ground round, the onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Shape the meat mixture into 16 meatballs.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the hot oil and cook, turning occasionally, until they are brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes.

Stir the wine into the meatball mixture, gently scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir the marinara, spinach, parsley, and basil into the meatball mixture and bring to a simmer.

Transfer the skillet from the heat and fold in the pasta. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top the mixture with the mozzarella. Bake until the cheese has melted and the edges are bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes.

Garnish with the parsley and the basil. Serve and enjoy!