Baked Spaghetti
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Looking for a comforting, cheap meal idea that doesn’t skimp on flavor? Our Baked Spaghetti is just the ticket! Perfect for busy families, this dish brings together hearty ingredients with a touch of home-style charm. This easy weeknight recipe will be a go-to favorite!
Baked spaghetti is one of those dishes that brings all the comfort of home cooking without the fuss. It’s perfect for those nights when you want something filling, flavorful, and easy on the wallet. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or hosting a casual dinner with friends, this recipe hits the spot. Plus, it has all the hearty elements of a classic Southern meal—cheesy, saucy, and baked to perfection!
One of the best things about baked spaghetti is its versatility. You can easily swap out ingredients to fit your taste or what’s already in your kitchen. Swap spices, choose your favorite pasta sauce, try different cheeses —there’s no wrong way to make this dish your own. For a healthier twist, you can sneak in some veggies like mushrooms or peppers!
This baked spaghetti is perfect for those busy weeknights when you don’t have much time to spare, but still want a satisfying meal. It reheats well for leftovers, making it an even better choice for those with packed schedules. So next time you need an easy dinner idea that’s both classy and comforting, give this baked spaghetti a try—you won’t regret it!
What You’ll Need to Make Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients:
How to Make Baked Spaghetti
Dice up your onions and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a 2 quart casserole dish with a non-stick spray and set aside.
Boil a pot of water and cook the spaghetti according to the box directions. When it’s done, drain the water but don’t rinse your pasta. You want the starches to mix in with the sauce for extra flavor!
While the noodles are cooking, add the ground beef, onion, and Italian seasoning to a skillet. If you want to add other spices, or even some garlic, add it now! Adding spices at this stage of cooking will help the flavors to bloom. You can add spices later if you want to boost a particular flavor, but the blooming the spices will bring out the flavor and aroma better!
Cook until the meat is is well browned and onions are translucent.
Remove excess fat with a paper towel or spoon it out of the pan.
Stir in the spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce and warm through.
Toss the spaghetti noodles with the meat sauce. If your noodles are stuck together – Don’t worry, as they are coated with the meat sauce they will loosen and be perfect for baking your Baked Spaghetti!
Add the spaghetti and meat sauce mixture to the prepared dish.
Before the Baked Spaghetti is ready for the oven, top with the cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top is golden brown. After removing from the oven, garnish with parsley. You can use kitchen shears to shred the parsley, or chop with your favorite chef’s knife, just use the leaves and not the stems!
Voila – your Baked Spaghetti is ready! Serve up this cheesy, saucy, flavorful meal with a quick side salad and breadsticks, rolls, or french bread.
A Few Notes on Baked Spaghetti
Make Baked Spaghetti Your Way
- You can substitute 1/2 pound of ground beef and 1/2 pound of ground sausage for the 1 pound ground beef.
- Do what you like with the spices. You could add some minced garlic to the meat and onion when cooking, add some oregano, salt/pepper to your liking. Play with it!
- You can use any kind of spaghetti sauce – pick your favorite! I like the roasted garlic and herb with this one, any brand works.
- Adding veggies is another way to add flavor and a different twist on this dish. Mushrooms would be yummy! I would do an 8 oz package of sliced portabella mushrooms in with the onions.
Making Ahead and Storage Ideas
- You can prep this meal completely before serving. After adding the cheese, cover the Baked Spaghetti with cling film and put in the refrigerator.
- If you have any leftovers, you can keep in your refrigerator for several days and it will taste delicious reheated. You can also freeze any leftovers and pull out when you want another quick meal. When you’re ready to eat it, just thaw and reheat either in the oven or microwave.
More Baked Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti noodles uncooked
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 24 oz garlic and herb spaghetti sauce
- 8 oz roasted garlic tomato sauce
- 2 cups Italian style cheese shredded
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 2 quart casserole dish with a non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Boil a pot of water and cook the spaghetti according to the box directions. When done, drain the water without rinsing. Set aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, add the ground beef, onion, and Italian seasoning to a skillet and cook until the meat has browned. If there is excess fat, remove it with a paper towel or spoon it out of the pan. (If you want to add other spices or garlic, do it when you add the onion and Italian seasoning).
- Stir in the sauces and warm for a few minutes. Toss the spaghetti noodles with the meat sauce and then add to the dish. Top with the cheese and bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes:
- You could use 1/2 lb. ground beef & 1/2 lb. Italian sausage in place of the 1 lb. ground beef.
- I love this recipe because you can really do what you like with the spices. You could add some minced garlic to the meat and onion when cooking, add some oregano, salt/pepper to your liking.
- Any kind of spaghetti sauce would be wonderful, pick your favorite! I like the roasted garlic and herb with this one, any brand works.
- Add-ins: Mushrooms would be yummy. I would do an 8 oz package of sliced portabella mushrooms in with the onions.
