When I’m ready to impress some folks, I will throw up my Baked Spaghetti recipe in a hot second. I love using my homemade spaghetti sauce (that thing is meaty y’all) then I layer in some cheeses, a creamy filling and pasta. It’s got all the vibes of lasagna but with it’s own personality and style. Serve this baby up for a potluck, game day or Sunday supper. But don’t serve it too much because your guests will never leave.
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How to make Baked Spaghetti
Make the Spaghetti Sauce
Step 1: Cook the ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, green pepper, and salt and pepper in olive oil.
Step 2: Once browned, add the garlic.
Step 3: Toss in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, chicken stock, Italian seasoning, sugar, and red pepper flakes.
Step 4: Simmer until the sauce has thickened.
Assemble and Bake
Step 5: Combine the ricotta cheese, egg, basil, parmesan cheese, and salt in a large bowl. Mix everything together until creamy and well-mixed.
Step 6: Cook your spaghetti, drain, add sauce, toss then begin layering by spreading 1/3 of the spaghetti noodles and sauce in your baking dish.
Step 7: Top with half of the ricotta filling and then a large amount of mozzarella cheese.
Step 8: Repeat layering steps then 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 it up!
Baked Spaghetti Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Spaghetti Sauce
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 cup chopped onions
- ½ cup chopped green peppers
- Seasoned salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 42 oz crushed tomatoes
- 29 oz tomato sauce
- 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 oz 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
- Add olive oil to large pot over medium high heat on stove.
- Add ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, green pepper and salt and pepper. Brown until cooked.
- Next add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Then add in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, red wine, chicken stock, Italian seasoning, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Continue to simmer until sauce has thickened about 30-40 minutes.
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 or until al dente. Don't cook all the way. 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 sauced spaghetti to bottom of the 9×13 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.
- Finally add final layer of spaghetti then top with shredded 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
How to Store
- Fridge: Let the baked spaghetti cool to room temp first, boos. Then transfer it to an airtight container or cover the casserole dish tightly and pop it in the fridge. It will keep for about 3-4 days.
- Freezer: You can freeze it before or after baking. Wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and label it with the date. It will keep well for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm a single portion in the microwave until hot. If you’re reheating the whole casserole, cover it with foil and bake at 350°F for 15-25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Pick a Deep Dish Pan: Selecting a deep pan will allow you to add more layers of deliciousness, cheesiness, and irresistible flavor.
- Go Al Dente: Make sure you don’t overcook your spaghetti or it will turn to mush when you bake it.
- Freshly grate your cheese: Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-shredded options. And don’t grab canned parmesan cheese off the shelves either boos. You will want freshly grated or shredded parmesan cheese from a block. It’s a game changer!
- Skip the premade meat sauce: I know that making your own sauce can be a pain but I promise 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 y’all.
- Chill Mode: Let your spaghetti casserole rest before you dig in. It makes it easier to serve up.
Serving Suggestions
- With Salad: This caesar salad or harvest salad are perfect pairs.
- Get Bready: Get you a filling bread like these garlic cheese breadsticks or this delish garlic bread on deck.
- Veggies galore: Keep it low key with steamed vegetables, glazed carrots or double down on creamy vibes with creamed spinach.
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I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe help
For sure boos! You can prep each of the ingredients in advance but I recommend assembling the day you want to bake it. Cooked noodles will soak up liquid from the sauce if it sits in it too long making the dish mushy.
More Italian Inspired recipes
This post was originally published in September 2019. It has been updated with some new images and content.
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Can leftovers be frozen ?
Yes this recipe is great for freezing.
It was a hit ! Had to copy and stick this one in the recipe book. Followed the directions to the “T”, turned out great! Already had a couple people ask me for the recipe, lol, it’s a family secret!
What can I use instead of red wine?
What can I use to substitute for the red wine?
You can use broth or stock if you like.
All I can say is OMGOSH!! This is delicious!!!
So good. Made your sauce! Didn’t think that it would be as delicious as it was – DELICIOUS. Had to use penne pasta. Will definitely make again. Your recipes are always so good.
I think this would make a fabulous dish to take to a pot luck. Do you think I could bake it in a portable roaster oven? BTW, love your website!
Surely!
My mom and I made this tonight and it was SO GOOD. We subbed lentils for the meat in the sauce to make it vegetarian and it came out great. Our family ate so much of it and there’s still quite a bit left, I’m excited for the leftovers!!
OMG! Soooo Delicious! Made exactly as written along with your spaghetti sauce and I will never make another sauce again! My family loved it! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
I love Baked Spaghetti and I love this recipe. This Pyrex casserole is wonderful for so many things..and yes, it should
be called “The Southern Casserole”–your words, Jocelyn !! For the folks that don’t have a large family..try this. Pick up some
of the inexpensive containers ( like Glad, Zip Loc, etc..), along with any shopping you need to do, grab a big loaf of
French or Italian Bread. Call your really good friends–you know who they are…ask them if ( you pick day and time)– can deliver to them Baked Spaghetti and (your own recipe) Garlic bread. Tell them all they need prepare is a salad. After the thanks
and applause has settled, say your “bye for now” and go rattle those pots and pans. This will give you all the best of full
and happy feelings.
This is nice to do anytime and especially nice around holiday times when things can be too rushed. Time to sit down together feels good.
Jocelyn’s Pineapple Upside Down cake would be dessert perfection. ( I would have to make and keep that all to myself ! )