This Southern Baked Spaghetti contains several indulgent layers of rich and meaty Bolognese, pasta and luscious cheesy creamy filling making this The Dish to serve at every potluck, game day and celebration you have!
What is Southern Baked Spaghetti?
The South is well known for a laundry list of comfort foods that include Buttermilk Biscuits, BBQ, Fried Chicken, and Banana Pudding. But there are some recipes that seem to live a little under the radar, recipes as Southern Baked Spaghetti.
It’s made with layers that create various textures along with tiers of meaty saucy spaghetti and a delicious cheese filling, similar to that found in a lasagna.
It’s similar to Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti with an added twist. Most Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti recipes call for a layer of cream cheese however in this spaghetti lasagna bake I use ricotta cheese creating more of the taste and texture of lasagna that I love.
Southerners never shy away from making just about anything into a casserole, and this recipe is no exception to that.
Why This Recipe Works
If you’re a fan of those delicious cheese pulls with every bite and crusty cheese dripping over the edge of a dish then this is a recipe for you.
This best baked spaghetti recipe has several layers of goodness baked into it. Most traditional baked spaghetti recipes only have spaghetti baked in a dish topped with cheese.
Perfect for a crowd! It’s really quick to make and elements of the dish can be made ahead making it the perfect dish to serve for potlucks, family gatherings, and much more!
Ingredients You Need
Spaghetti lasagna bake ingredients are separated into two parts, the tasty sauce, and the filling! Let’s look at what you need for both.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
For this pasta bake, I think scratch spaghetti sauce is best. Trust me when I say it doesn’t even require a ton of effort, and you will get a taste that is truly unbelievable.
- Extra virgin olive oil: The perfect healthy oil to use for cooking the meat and veggies to make the spaghetti sauce.
- Meat: The combination of either ground beef (or ground turkey if you prefer) and Italian sausage provides ample meat essence.
- Aromatics and veggies: Onions, green peppers, and garlic give the sauce a great depth of flavor.
- Tomatoes: The combination of both tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes adds wonderful heartiness and texture to the sauce as well.
- Red wine and chicken stock: Thin out the sauce perfectly and add flavor too.
- Sugar: Just a touch to balance the acid of the tomatoes.
- Seasoning: You will use Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Cheesy Filling and the Casserole
The filling for million dollar spaghetti lasagna casserole contains the following key ingredients:
- Ricotta Cheese: I use full fat here. No need to skimp unless absolutely necessary.
- Egg: It helps stabilize and bind the mixture together once baked.
- Basil: An important herb for giving ample Italian flavor. I love fresh basil in Italian recipes.
- Cheese: Parmesan adds sharp flavor to the creamy filling while mozzarella is used in the layers. Do not use the parmesan cheese you find in the can on shelves. You will want freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese from a block. It is a serious world of difference in terms of flavor!!
- Salt: Add in increments and taste as you go along. Sometimes cheeses vary in their saltiness.
- Spaghetti: The perfect noodle for this recipe! You can also use other shapes of pasta if desired!
Variations for Spaghetti Lasagna
If you’re looking to change it up here are a few ideas!
- Swap the mozzarella cheese. Use another meltable cheese to create different flavors such as cheddar, Monterey jack, or even a blend of cheese.
- Change the protein. Skip the meat sauce and use marinara instead and layer chunks of cooked chicken breast into your southern spaghetti casserole.
- Add some veggies. You can add greens such as spinach or kale to the sauce or simply add a layer on top of the creamy ricotta cheese in the layers of your spaghetti bake.
How to Make Baked Spaghetti
I’ve been making spaghetti casseroles for years, each time playing with the recipe until I’d perfected it.
- Cook the ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, green pepper, and salt and pepper in olive oil.
- Add the garlic when the meat is browned and the veggies soft.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, chicken stock, Italian seasoning, sugar, and red pepper flakes.
- Continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened.
- Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, basil, parmesan cheese, and salt in a large bowl. Mix everything together until creamy and well-mixed.
- Cook the spaghetti noodles in a large pot of boiling lightly salted water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water. Add the sauce to the spaghetti and toss to combine then set it aside.
- Begin layering by spreading one-third of the spaghetti noodles and sauce to the bottom of the 9 x 13 Pyrex Deep baking dish.
- Top with half of the ricotta filling and then a large amount of mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the steps with another layering of spaghetti followed by the remaining half of ricotta cheese and mozzarella.
- Add the final layer of spaghetti and sauce and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is bubbly and delicious.
Cool for 10-15 minutes, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to five days. Make sure it’s in an airtight container to prevent drying out. I do not recommend freezing this spaghetti lasagna casserole. Pasta simply doesn’t freeze great.
Reheat a single portion in the microwave or you can reheat the casserole dish in the oven until hot and bubbly again.
What to Serve With
I love hearty pasta to be served with filling breads like garlic bread or garlic cheese breadsticks. Also a lovely salad like this Spinach Salad or Harvest Salad.
Expert Tips
Here are a few tips that I’ve picked up along the way to help you make the best version of this recipe possible.
- Make sure to use the right baking dish. I used Pyrex Deep which allowed me to add more layers of deliciousness, cheesiness, and irresistible flavor. The best part is that they now also come with lids so that you can easily store leftovers or pack up your favorite recipes to be shared at parties and potlucks.
- Use freshly grated cheese. Using freshly grated cheese creates a larger depth of flavor and tends to melt and distribute a bit better than pre-shredded options.
- Don’t use premade meat sauce. I know that making your own sauce can be a bit time-consuming but I promise that it’s worth it. Jarred sauces tend to be heavy on sugar, salt, and artificial meat flavorings that just don’t compare to the real thing.
- Don’t be afraid to customize this recipe. One of the beauties of this recipe is its ability to be tweaked to fit your personal preferences. This recipe is traditionally made with spaghetti noodles but you can easily substitute it for any other shape of pasta. You’re also welcome to play with the cheeses and experiment to find what makes your southern baked spaghetti unique.
FAQs
Yes, you can use a plain marinara sauce or swap the meat for lentils or another veggie-based protein.
Yes, you can prep each of the ingredients in advance but I recommend assembling the day you plan to bake it. Cooked noodles will soak up liquid from the sauce if it sits in it and makes them mushy.
More Favorite Italian Recipes
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta
- Spaghetti and Lentil Meatballs
- Italian Pot Roast with Bolognese Sauce
- Homemade Pizza Sauce
- Baked Ziti
- Lasagna
- Lentil Meatballs and Spaghetti
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
Baked Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
For the Spaghetti Sauce (Find full instructions HERE at https://grandbaby-cakes.com/southern-spaghetti-sauce-recipe/)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- Seasoned salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 cup chopped onions
- ½ cup chopped green peppers
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 ½ cans crushed tomatoes 28 ounces each
- 1 can tomato sauce 29 ounces
- 2 tbsp red wine
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp + 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
For the Ricotta Filling
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp basil chopped
- ¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp salt
For the Remaining Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti
- 3-4 cups mozzarella or Italian blend shredded cheese
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
For the Spaghetti Sauce
- Follow instructions at https://grandbaby-cakes.com/southern-spaghetti-sauce-recipe/
For the Ricotta Filling
- Combine ricotta cheese, egg, basil, parmesan cheese and salt in a large bowl and mix until combined.
- Set aside.
For the Spaghetti Pasta
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil then add spaghetti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse with cold water. Add sauce to spaghetti and toss to combine then set sauced spaghetti aside.
- Preheat oven to 375.
For Assembly
- Begin layering by adding ⅓ of spaghetti to bottom of the 9×13 Pyrex Deep baking dish.
- Next spread with half of ricotta filling then top with a large amount of mozzarella cheese..
- Repeat steps with layering of spaghetti then the remaining half of ricotta cheese and mozzarella.
- Repeat steps again ending with cheese.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is bubbly and delicious. Cool for 10-15 minutes, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Notes
- Make sure to use the right baking dish. I used Pyrex Deep which allowed me to add more layers of deliciousness, cheesiness and irresistible flavor. The best part is that they now also come with lids so that you can easily store leftovers or pack up your favorite recipes to be shared at parties and potlucks.
- Use freshly grated cheese. Using freshly grated cheese creates a larger depth of flavor and tends to melt and distribute a bit better than pre-shredded options.
- Don’t use premade meat sauce. I know that making your own sauce can be a bit time consuming but I promise that it’s worth it. Jarred sauces tend to be heavy on sugar, salt and artificial meat flavorings that just don’t compare to the real thing.
- Don’t be afraid to customize this recipe. One of the beauties of this recipe is its ability to be tweaked to fit your personal preferences. This recipe is traditionally made with spaghetti noodles but you can easily substitute for any other shape of pasta. You’re also welcome to play with the cheeses and experiment to find what makes your baked spaghetti unique.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in September 2019. It has been updated with some new images and content.
Laquita Benton says
Let me just say I love grandbaby cakes. Coming from being a ‘stay at home’ mom’ then back to the workforce and yet having to take care of everything in addition to working, I have become disenchanted with cooking, laundry and cleaning. You make me want to cook and bake! Just made this for tonight’s dinner. As I sampled a bit before dinner, I realized I should have added more seasoning. It is still yummy. I didn’t have the required dish so I have leftovers that I will freeze and remake, of course, adding a tad bit more seasonings. I wish I could upload a picture. Thanks to your grandma for sharing her gifts with you.
Kinta says
The family is currently crushing it as I write. Yummy recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Stacie Y says
This has become a family favorite and I refer back to it often.
joyce says
This recipe sounds wonderful!!! I would love to make it, but the recipe, as, is, is too much for my family of two. Can the ingredients be easily reduced in half amounts?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Yes absolutely!
Linda E says
This spaghetti recipe is SO good…I’m pretty sure I’ll never use another spaghetti sauce again in my life! And then layering the spaghetti with ricotta & mozzarella? To die for!!
This seemed like a daunting list of ingredients, but Jocelyn walks you through step-by-step until you have the most amazing smells in your kitchen! I made this for a dinner party for 10 and it was a big hit with all, young & old. And…when served with a hearty salad, there was plenty to go around plus leftovers to spare.
I did not have a deep pyrex pan and I couldn’t quite fit everything in the regular depth 9×13…so, if you’re wondering whether or not you really need the deep pan…you do.
Pkelly says
Hello, my family does not like ricotta cheese. What can I do to substitute?
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Cottage Cheese, goat cheese or even Cream cheese are good subs. You can even blend them together to get something similar to ricotta.
Gary T says
I’ve made twice. A. Mazing. So good!!
Heather says
Hi! Do you think this recipe would work without the egg? My daughter is allergic but this just looks SO good! Thank you!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
Surely you can make without.
Whitney D says
Super yummy and pretty foolproof! Although I might have doubled the ricotta mixture and not made quite as much sauce. We had a ton of leftovers plus extra sauce (while not a bad thing, it just seemed like a bit much!)
D. Durand says
Now this looks incredibly delicious! Just bookmarked the recipes. Our boys will love this baked spaghetti recipe! Thank you!