Baked Spaghetti
Cozy, comforting, and wholly satisfying, this baked spaghetti features tender pasta, a Bolognese-style sauce, and three different types of cheese. It’s meaty, cheesy, and undeniably fulfilling. Plus, this casserole can be made in advance, and leftovers freeze/reheat well, so it’s an excellent option all year long – whether you’re feeding your family or entertaining guests.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
All the flavors and textures of lasagna without all the work! This baked spaghetti delivers all the craveable qualities of lasagna – noodles, savory sauce, and stretchy cheese – but requires a fraction of the time and energy to make. Not just delicious, this recipe uses easy-to-find, affordable ingredients. By “stretching” a pound of pasta and one pound of meat, this casserole is a deliciously economical way to feed a crowd.
Here’s what you need for this easy baked spaghetti
- Pasta. The preferred pasta option here is spaghetti. I mean, it’s called baked spaghetti! You can use regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free pasta. If you don’t have spaghetti on hand, any long pasta noodle will work, including linguine, fettuccine, and thin spaghetti. I don’t recommend angel hair because it’s too thin and will likely clump. Truth is, any pasta shape will work in this recipe, but the long noodles are decidedly more fun to serve.
- Meat. Since we make a Bolognese-style sauce for this casserole, I prefer to use lean ground beef, meaning around 90% lean. If you have fattier cuts of ground beef, you can swap that in and drain the fat after browning the meat. If desired, you can also use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage – either sweet or hot sausage. If you prefer poultry, replace the beef with 1 pound of ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Sauce and tomatoes: We use a combination of marinara sauce and diced tomatoes for the meat sauce. Using store-bought marinara sauce adds tremendous flavor while eliminating the need for countless extra ingredients. Choose your favorite brand for the best flavor, including those with vegetables, and those that are spicy. We incorporate diced tomatoes to stretch the sauce while adding little bits of tomato to every bite. You may use regular or petite-cut tomatoes. You may also use fire-roasted diced tomatoes and diced tomatoes with herbs.
- Vegetables. Aromatic onion, bell pepper, and garlic are used to enhance and deepen the sauce. You can use white or yellow onion, and any color bell pepper.
- Herbs. Fresh parsley and Italian seasoning are used to add complexity and color to the sauce. If desired, you may substitute dried parsley for fresh. Italian seasoning is a floral medley of a variety of herbs and adds fantastic flavor in one fell swoop. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, swap in 3/4 teaspoon each dried basil and oregano. If you’re using fresh parsley, save a little extra to use as garnish.
- Cheese. We use three types of cheese in this baked spaghetti. A layer of Swiss, baked into the center of the casserole, adds tanginess and a lovely cheese pull when serving. For the top, we use a mix of mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. The mozzarella is creamy and soft, and the parmesan is nutty and sharp, so the cheeses complement each other beautifully. If you’d rather not use Swiss cheese in the center, replace it with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
A marriage of cooked pasta and hearty meat sauce are layered in a pan (with a layer of cheese in the middle and another one on top) and, as the casserole bakes, the sauce infuses the pasta with flavor, and the cheeses melt to gooey perfection.
A few tips for perfect baked spaghetti every time
- Don’t overcook the spaghetti. Since the spaghetti cooks twice – first in boiling water and then in the oven – cook it to al dente when following the package instructions. If the pasta is still slightly firm when it hits the oven, it will absorb all the flavors of the sauce as it bakes.
- Don’t cover the pan. Even if you’re tempted, don’t cover the pan before baking. If you cover the pan, the spaghetti will steam, overcook, and become mushy. Not ideal. In addition, when the pan is uncovered, the cheese forms a nice, bubbly crust.
- Feel free to add vegetables. If you want to stretch the sauce even further, add diced mushrooms, zucchini, and/or carrots when you add the bell pepper. Or add two bell peppers.
- Make it vegetarian. For a vegetarian baked spaghetti, replace the ground beef with 1 1/2 pounds of chopped mixed mushrooms, or your preferred plant protein.
- Brown the top before serving if desired. If the top of your casserole is melted but not golden brown after the suggested baking time, place the pan under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to add color.
- Bake the casserole on a baking sheet. If you’re worried about the height of your casserole, and the risk of cheese bubbling over the sides, place the baking pan on a lined baking sheet for baking.
Can you prep this baked spaghetti in advance?
This casserole is excellent when prepped ahead because it stores well, both in the refrigerator and freezer. To prep ahead, prepare the casserole as directed and cool to room temperature. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. When freezing, cover the plastic wrap with aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking. When you’re ready to bake, pull the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. If the casserole is cold in the center, you will likely need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.
How should you store leftover baked spaghetti?
Once cool, transfer leftover baked spaghetti to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat in an uncovered casserole dish in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes, until hot all the way through. You can also reheat leftovers in the microwave on the reheat setting.
Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped, about 3/4 cup chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 4 cups 32 ounces marinara sauce of choice
- 14.5- ounce can diced tomatoes, regular or petite-diced, undrained
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 8 – 10 slices 8 ounces Swiss cheese
- 2 cups 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, preferably whole milk
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, brown the beef in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the Italian seasoning and stir to coat. Cook for 30 seconds, until the herbs are fragrant.
- Add the marinara sauce and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Season the sauce with salt and black pepper.
- Add the spaghetti and parsley to the sauce and stir to combine.
- Transfer half of the mixture to the prepared pan. Top with the Swiss cheese.
- Top with the remaining spaghetti mixture. Top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese melts and the casserole is bubbly. If desired place the pan under the broiler to brown the cheese.
- Cool for 5 minutes before serving.