Description
This Baked Spaghetti recipe brings together spaghetti with a rich, flavorful meat sauce combined with a cheesy topping and baked until golden and crisp. From start to finish, this pasta recipe is so easy and cozy-delicious. It’s a dream dinner situation for busy weeknights, potlucks, special occasions, and everything in between!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef (we use 93%)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt & fresh ground black pepper- to taste
- 2 tablespoons garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
- 1 (32-ounce) jar marinara sauce (we use Rao’s tomato basil)
- 1 lb package spaghetti
- 1 (8-ounce) package shredded Italian cheese blend, about 2 cups
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
- Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish- optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and then set aside while you prep the pasta and meat sauce.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions- but cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes less than the package directions. After cooking, drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large dutch oven or deep sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, gently swirl the pot to evenly coat the bottom. Add the ground beef and use a wooden utensil to break up the meat. Cook the ground beef, stirring often, until browned and slightly crisp, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add the onion and continue cooking along with the ground beef until the onion is tender, about 3-4 minutes. Season the meat mixture with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt/pepper to taste, and stir the mixture well to combine.
- Stir in the garlic paste, brown sugar, and jarred marinara sauce and stir well to combine. Let the sauce simmer briefly for about 2-3 minutes and then remove from heat. Add the drained pasta and toss the pasta with the meat sauce until well combined and the pasta is coated.
- Carefully empty the pasta with meat sauce into the prepared baking dish and use a utensil to evenly distribute the pasta in the dish.
- In a bowl, combine the shredded cheeses along with the grated cheese and toss well to combine. Then evenly sprinkle the cheese over the pasta.
- Bake the spaghetti, uncovered, at 375°F for 20 minutes until the spaghetti is golden brown and the cheese topping is slightly bubbly and crisp. Feel free to broil for 1-2 minutes to get the topping extra crispy if you’d like! Let the spaghetti cool for 5-7 minutes before serving.
- Garnish the spaghetti with chopped parsley if desired. Use a spatula or tongs to dig into the spaghetti and serve portions immediately with extra fresh grated parmesan as desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please read blog post in its entirety for more tips + tricks.