Description
Comfort classic pasta dish called baked spaghetti delivers hearty warmth for family dinners. Cheese-topped casserole layers noodles, meat sauce, and melted mozzarella for a satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef or Italian sausage
- 16 oz (454 g) uncooked spaghetti
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 32 fl oz (907 g) pasta sauce or marinara sauce
- 14.5 oz (411 g) diced tomatoes with juices
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup (30 g) fresh parmesan cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup (15 g) fresh parsley or 2 tbsps (8 g) dried parsley
- 1 ½ tsps Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Preparation: Ignite the oven to 375°F and delicately grease a rectangular baking dish to prevent adhesion.
- Pasta Craft: In a large pot, boil salted water and cook spaghetti until achieving perfect al dente consistency, then drain thoroughly.
- Protein Foundation: Heat a skillet over medium-high, sauté ground meat with onions, bell peppers, and minced garlic until meat browns completely and releases excess fat.
- Sauce Composition: Introduce tomato sauce, Italian herbs, and diced tomatoes into the meat mixture, simmering for 8-10 minutes to concentrate flavors and develop depth.
- Pasta Integration: Fold cooked spaghetti and chopped parsley into the robust sauce, ensuring comprehensive coating and flavor harmonization.
- Layering Strategy: Transfer the combined mixture into the prepared baking dish, creating an even culinary landscape.
- Cheese Elevation: Generously sprinkle mozzarella, parmesan, and cheddar across the surface, creating a decadent melting layer.
- Baking Transformation: Position the dish in preheated oven, baking for 25-30 minutes until cheese becomes golden and bubbly.
- Serving Presentation: Remove from oven, allow brief resting period, then slice into elegant portions and serve immediately.
Notes
- Prevent Sticking Smartly: Thoroughly grease your baking dish with butter or cooking spray to ensure easy serving and clean removal of each spaghetti portion.
- Master Pasta Texture: Cook spaghetti exactly al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than package instructions, as it will continue cooking in the oven and prevent mushy results.
- Drain Meat Thoroughly: Remove excess fat from ground meat to keep the dish light and prevent unwanted greasiness, using a paper towel or careful draining technique.
- Cheese Melting Magic: Let baked spaghetti rest 5-10 minutes after removing from oven, allowing cheese to set and making cutting and serving much easier and more stable.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg