Baked Spaghetti

Baked spaghetti made with pasta, spaghetti sauce, ground beef, and so much cheese is comfort food in a casserole dish. 

Spaghetti casserole is so easy to make and always a win with the whole family.  Fill it with veggies to make a one dish meal, or fix some easy sautéed vegetables on the side!

Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti Ingredients

• Spaghetti – You can actually use any shape pasta you like. 
• Spaghetti sauce – Make sure you’re using spaghetti sauce, not tomato sauce. 
• Ricotta cheese – It’s not baked ziti without ricotta cheese. And no, please don’t substitute cottage cheese for ricotta.
• Mozzarella cheese – If you have the time, I always suggest shredding your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese has anti caking powder in it which doesn’t allow the cheese to melt quite as well. 
• Ground beef – Ground sausage is also delicious!
• Garnish – We like to top our baked spaghetti with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil

How do you make baked spaghetti? (Step-by-step)

⭐ First, in casserole dish combine spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, ground beef, and mozzarella cheese.

⭐ Then, mix well, and top with remaining mozzarella.

⭐ Next, bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

⭐ Finally, garnish with fresh basil or parsley!

Scroll down to the printable recipe card toward the bottom of this article for ingredient measurements and detailed cooking instructions. 

Preparation

Do I have to cook the spaghetti before baking?

In this recipe the spaghetti needs to be cooked before baking. If you like a firmer noodle in your casserole, boil them a few minutes less than you normally would and drain immediately. 

Don’t want to boil noodles? Try our no-boil baked lasagna recipe!

Do you bake pasta covered or uncovered?

We bake this dish uncovered so the cheese gets crispy and delicious around the edges.  If you do not like crispy cheese you can cover it while baking, just be sure that the foil does not touch the cheese or it will stick. 

Leftovers and storage

Can you make baked spaghetti ahead of time?

You can absolutely put this dish together a day or two ahead and then bake it when you’re ready! Cover with a lid or foil and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. 

Can baked spaghetti be frozen?

Baked spaghetti can be frozen before or after cooking. If freezing after cooking, make sure to allow it to cool before covering and freezing.

You can even dish it out into individual containers and then freeze for quick lunches and dinners. We like to use these leftovers storage containers. 

Can you cook spaghetti casserole from frozen?

You can cook this from frozen if the dish you are using is freezer to oven safe. You will need to add about one hour of cook time, and you will want to cover it with foil for at least the first 45 minutes of baking. 

Variations

🔥 Make it spicy by adding red pepper flakes or by using spicy Italian sausage. 

🍆 Go veg by swapping out the meat for diced peppers, eggplant, mushroom, olives, and spinach!

🥩 Make it a meat-lovers by adding bacon and pepperoni. 

😲 Go fully loaded with meat and veggies. 

🍗 Do an alfredo version by swapping the red sauce for alfredo sauce and beef for chicken. 

What to eat with baked spaghetti (serving suggestions)

This is such a classic comfort food. I love to serve it with a loaf of no-knead beer bread (I know, carbs on carbs – but it’s so good!). And then maybe a batch of soft chocolate chip cookies for dessert. Yum!

More spaghetti related recipes

• Instant pot spaghetti
• Blender spaghetti sauce
• Slow cooker spaghetti sauce recipe
• Baked ziti with pepperoni

More yummy pasta recipes

• One pot pasta recipe
• Italian antipasto pasta salad
• Easy pasta puttanesca
• Tortellini soup recipe
• Baked gnocchi
• Meatball casserole

Tools we love

• Glass casserole dish with lid – I love this dish, it can go from freezer to oven!
• Metal spatula – We like a metal spatula for getting heavy piles of noodles out easily. 

How to Make Baked Spaghetti