Baked Spaghetti Recipe

spoon scooping spaghetti casserole out of a baking dish

This Baked Spaghetti Casserole is what my family begs for every visit! Hearty meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and melty cheese turn classic spaghetti into ultimate comfort food. Freezer-friendly!

Rate me!

Print Pin

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 10

Servings:

Author: Jennifer Stewart

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