Baked Spaghetti Recipe

Southern baked spaghetti in a casserole dish with a spoonful being lifted with a spoon.

4.65 from 70 votes

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!

Prep Time30

Cook Time2

Resting Time15

Total Time2 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian, soul food, Southern

Servings: servings

Calories: 446kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

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 9x13 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.

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