• 16 ounces fusilli (corkscrew) pasta
• 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 C panko breadcrumbs
• 1/4 C grated sweet onion
• 1/4 C chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 2 C shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta; cook until the center of the pasta is still somewhat firm, about four minutes less than package directions. Drain the pasta and transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add half of marinara sauce to the pasta and stir to coat. Combine ground beef, panko, onion, basil, egg, Italian seasoning, salt and crushed red pepper in a large bowl; gently mix with your hands. Form the mixture into 16 (about 1 1/2-inch) meatballs; nest the meatballs into the pasta mixture. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over the casserole and top with cheese. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the meatballs registers at least 160 degrees and the cheese is lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes. Garnish with basil, if desired.
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