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
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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
Mix the base ingredients, spread them into a casserole dish, top with shredded cheese, and bake!
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!
We like our cheese crispy on the edges and a little fresh parsley on top.
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.
If you let it rest for a few minutes before serving you’ll be able to get clean cuts.
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.
Heavens to Betsy, yes please!
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.
We like to serve this with steamed or sauteed veggies on the side.
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!
Do you dream in cheese? I do.
More spaghetti related recipes
- Instant pot spaghetti
- Blender spaghetti sauce
- Slow cooker spaghetti sauce recipe
- Baked ziti with pepperoni
More yummy pasta recipes
Try making it with spicy sausage for a kick, or turkey breast to lighten things up.
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.
😍😍😍
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How to Make Baked Spaghetti
Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti cooked and drained
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce 24 ounces
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 pound ground beef browned & drained
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese divided into 1 cup and 3 cups
- optional garnish fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- In a 9x13 baking dish combine spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, ground beef, and 3 cups mozzarella cheese.
- Mix well, then top with remaining cup of mozzarella.
- Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Baked Spaghetti
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Beth says
Yum! My son is going to love this recipe! I can’t wait to give this a try!
Jen says
This is one of our family favorites too. Love the idea of a veggie one too. A total mom win.
Lily says
Thank you for such a simple recipe, the kids will love this. I can’t wait to make it!
Joey says
We all loved it!
Kim says
Can you substitute spaghetti squash
Karl Woods says
Step one should include the spaghetti in the mixture.