Baked Spaghetti
Baked spaghetti casserole is the one comfort food that my family asks me to make every time I visit! Classic spaghetti and meat sauce gets and upgrade with layers of creamy ricotta cheese, and loads of melty cheese on top for a dish that’s impossible to resist.
This dish is absolute Heaven for me, not just because I love spaghetti, but because it freezes so well so it’s perfect for meal prep too. Or having an emergency casserole on hand if a friend or neighbor needs a meal.
Nothing says comfort food like classic spaghetti and meat sauce but with extra layers of cheese!
Serve it with some garlic knots, this Italian chopped salad topped with Italian dressing and these Italian green beans! Check out this baked chicken spaghetti and this homemade pizza for more family favorites!
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta – I like regular spaghetti noodles because of the name but you can use any shape pasta you like. Medium shells and penne pasta are perfect because they hold the meat sauce well.
- Ground beef – Use your favorite ground beef (I like 93/7) or substitute ground turkey or Italian sausage.
- Seasoning – Homemade Italian seasoning is the best but you can use your own combination of spices.
- Tomatoes – I use a combination of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Drain the diced tomatoes if you like a thicker meat sauce.
- Ricotta – Whole milk ricotta cheese is my favorite because it’s thicker. You can also substitute small curd cottage cheese. My Ma used it because it was cheaper and easier to find.
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How To Make Baked Spaghetti
- In a large pot or deep skillet, cook the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain. Add the garlic, spices, tomatoes, and sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.
- In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the noodles. Cook the spaghetti to al dente (according to package directions) and drain. Do not rinse.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parmesan, and egg. Mix and season with salt and pepper if desired. Combine the noodles with the meat sauce reserving 2 cups of sauce.
- Preheat oven to 375F. In a deep 9×13 baking dish, add 1 cup of spaghetti sauce to bottom of baking dish and spread. Place 1/3 of the spaghetti mixture in the bottom in an even layer.
- Add 1/2 the cheese mixture and spread in a even layer. Add another 1/3 of the spaghetti mixture and top with the remaining ricotta mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti. Pour remaining 1 cup sauce over the top.
- Top with mozzarella cheese and bake 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage
Any leftovers will last in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave, covered, until heated through. Personally, I prefer adding a little extra sauce and heating in the oven or in a skillet.
You can also freeze this for later! Bake as usual, cool completely, and cover with a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat.
Variations
- Ground beef: If you aren’t a fan of ground beef, feel free to use ground turkey, ground pork, ground chicken, or Italian sausage.
- Cheese: Try using a different cheese instead of mozzarella. Romano, provolone or Parmesan cheese are all delicious too. You can also replace the ricotta with cream cheese or cottage cheese.
- Pasta: I prefer using spaghetti in this recipe but feel free to use angel hair for a thinner long noodle or bucatini if your prefer a thicker pasta noodle.
- Vegetables: Add in some spinach or zucchini!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can prep and assemble it up to 2 days in advance. Cover and keep stored in the fridge. When ready to bake, take out of the fridge about 20 minutes before baking to take the chill off, then bake as usual. I would also leave the cheese topping until ready to bake.
When I meal plan, I take a an hour on Sunday to cook the pasta, drain, and refrigerate. I also make the sauce and store in the fridge. Then when I’m ready to eat, all I have to do it toss it together and bake it.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Pasta perfect – Cook spaghetti just to al dente (slightly underdone) as it continues cooking in the oven
- Cheesy cheese – Shred your own block cheese rather than buying bagged. Already shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well.
- Ricotta redo – Substitute cream cheese or cottage cheese if you don’t like ricotta or can’t find it.
- Mix it up – Add red pepper flakes for spicy kick. Double the recipe to freeze a second batch for later!
- Feeling fresh – When using fresh herbs, double the amount. They cook down and the flavors are not as intense.
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This baked spaghetti recipe is the perfect make ahead meal when you’re in the mood for comfort food. It also makes delicious leftovers!
Baked Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 2 pounds ground beef I like to use 93/7
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded, diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 28 ounces tomato sauce
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
Ricotta Filling
- 24 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- salt and pepper to taste
Additional Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- In a large, deep skillet or pot, brown the ground beef, onion, and bell pepper until the beef is no longer pink and the onion and bell pepper are starting to soften.
- Add the garlic, spices, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and let reduce in volume while you cook the spaghetti.
Cook the Pasta
- In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil.
- Add some salt and the spaghetti noodles.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta noodles are al dente (roughly 9-11 minutes or according to package directions).
- Drain and place in a large bowl.
Ricotta Filling
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and egg.
- Mix to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Assemble the Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Add the spaghetti sauce to the pasta noodles, reserving 2 cups.
- Toss to combine the noodles and sauce.
- In a deep dish 9 x 13 baking dish, pour the 1 cup reserved sauce and spread around, covering the bottom of the dish.
- Add 1/3 of the spaghetti and sauce mixture, spreading it into a single, even layer.
- Add 1/2 the ricotta mixture over the noodles spreading to the edges.
- Top with another 1/3 of the spaghetti and sauce mixture.
- Add the remaining ricotta mixture and spread out.
- Top with the remaining spaghetti and sauce mixture and cup of sauce.
- Cover the casserole with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly and the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pasta perfect – Cook spaghetti just to al dente (slightly underdone) as it continues cooking in the oven
- Cheesy cheese – Shred your own block cheese rather than buying bagged. Already shredded cheese doesn’t melt as well.
- Ricotta redo – Substitute cream cheese or cottage cheese if you don’t like ricotta or can’t find it.
- Mix it up – Add red pepper flakes for spicy kick. Double the recipe to freeze a second batch for later!
- Feeling fresh – When using fresh herbs, double the amount. They cook down and the flavors are not as intense.
Nutrition
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