Spaghetti and Meatball Casserole

Ingredients:

• 220 g thin spaghetti (about 3.5 cups cooked)
• 1 slice of white bread, lightly toasted and cut into 0.5 cm pieces.
• 1/4 tbsp. + 2 tbsp. l. milk
• 220 g of ground beef
• 220 g of minced pork
• 6 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. grated parmesan
• 3 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 2 thinly sliced
• 220g semi-skimmed mozzarella, cut into 1cm pieces.
• 4 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 cup of ready marinara sauce
• 0.5 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 230°C and grease a 22x32cm baking dish with vegetable oil.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Drain, return the pasta to the pot, and toss with a little olive oil.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the meatballs:

4. In a medium bowl, soak the bread in 2 tablespoons milk, stirring occasionally, until completely softened, about 5 minutes. While the bread is softening, in another medium bowl, combine the ground beef and pork, 1 egg, 1/3 cup Parmesan, minced garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper. Add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. Gently mix everything with your hands to evenly distribute the ingredients.
5. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil and spoon 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture onto each. Lightly oil your hands, form the minced meat into balls, and distribute them evenly on the baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and almost cooked through, about 10 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 175°C. Add meatballs, mozzarella, and sun-dried tomatoes to the cooked pasta, stir, and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
7. In one of the empty bowls, combine the marinara sauce, remaining 5 eggs, 2/3 cup Parmesan, 1/4 cup milk, chopped garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the sauce over the spaghetti mixture and press the spaghetti into an even, flat layer. Sprinkle with parsley. Cover with foil and bake until heated through and almost completely set, about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top of the casserole is set, another 10 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes. Cut into squares and serve.