Baked Spaghetti is a favorite casserole around here!
Spaghetti is mixed with a quick zesty meat sauce, topped with cheese and baked in the oven until hot and bubbly for a family favorite meal.
Your Family Will Request This on Repeat Because…
- It’s cozy, comforting, and absolutely delicious.
- Tried and true – the reviews speak for themselves.
- Baked spaghetti is easy to make, and you can add veggies you have on hand.
- It’s an inexpensive way to stretch a pound of meat to feed a crowd.
- This recipe freezes and reheats well.
Ingredients for Baked Spaghetti
- Meat: Use ground beef, Italian sausage, or a combination of the two. For a leaner option, ground turkey or turkey sausage can be used.
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic & green pepper add flavor to the sauce.
- Sauce: Use your favorite brand of pasta sauce or marinara sauce and add in diced tomatoes and Italian Seasoning for extra flavor
- Pasta: Since this is a baked spaghetti recipe, I used spaghetti noodles, but you can swap it for any long pasta or whole wheat spaghetti.
- Cheese: A mix of mozzarella and parmesan add a delicious topping. Pre-shredded cheese works just fine in this recipe.
How to Make Baked Spaghetti
- Brown beef and onions. Add veggies and tomato sauce and simmer.
- Toss the sauce with cooked spaghetti and transfer it to a baking dish.
- Top with cheese and bake.
Holly’s Tips
Baked spaghetti is perfect for lasagna lovers looking for a quicker option.
- Ensure the spaghetti is cooked al dente as the noodles cook a bit more in the oven.
- Add extra veggies to the sauce. Try sliced mushrooms, shredded zucchini or carrots.
- You can adjust this to your liking and add more or less sauce if you’d prefer.
Feeling Fancy? Garnish this recipe with fresh herbs like basil or parsley before serving.
How to Prep Ahead
- Prepare as directed and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. Remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until hot in the center.
- Bake the casserole uncovered so the cheese can form a nice crust. Covering it will also make it steam, which can overcook the spaghetti.
Just like stuffed shells, this easy recipe is perfectly served with garlic bread and a Caesar salad.
More Pasta Casseroles We Love
Did you make this Baked Spaghetti? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Baked Spaghetti
This baked spaghetti casserole is a family favorite and super easy to make!
Equipment
Skillet
9 x 13-inch Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- 16 ounces spaghetti
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tablespoons dried
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese about 6oz
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Sauce
- 1 pound lean ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 32 ounces pasta sauce or marinara sauce
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juices, 1 can
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
-
In a large pot of salted water, cook the spaghetti al dente according to package directions.
-
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the meat, onion, garlic, seasoning, and green pepper while breaking up the meat. Drain fat if needed.
-
Stir in the pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, and tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the cooked spaghetti and parsley.
-
Transfer the mixture to the prepared dish, top with cheeses, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and the cheese is browned and bubbly. Cut into squares to serve.
Video
Notes
If preparing ahead of time, increase the baking time
This casserole can be covered with foil and frozen (before baking). Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, adding the cheese after 20 minutes.
Leftovers can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave until heated through.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 413 | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 1054mg | Potassium: 864mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 945IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Dinner, Entree, Pasta
Cuisine American, Italian
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Easy and tasted great….. I was told that I could make this again
Easy and delicious
I love this recipe, it turns out perfect every time and I always get a request for the recipe. I refer them to the Spend With Pennies website as I find many great recipes there
Five stars for sure it was very good made it last night and will my favorite go to recipe I have a small amount left over but not much. Will double this next time.
DELICIOUS and EASY! Only adjustment I made was to do 50/50 ground beef and italian sausage (rather than all beef). Turned out so tasty. My husband gave it rave reviews!
making this tonight and I don’t have a 9×13 pan apparently. would I have to adjust much with an 8×11.5 pan?
It should work just fine in an 8×11.5 pan, you may just want to double check that it’s hot in the middle before removing from the oven and add a few minutes if needed.
SUCH a great recipe, thank you very much!
Leftovers are a breeze to vacuum seal (after chilled) and toss in the freezer for quick meals at a later date.
Jenny,
Thanks for the great idea to vacuum seal! I never would have thought of doing that. There are only two of us, so that’s a big help.
Just tried it tonight, it was delicious. I wouldn’t change anything to this recipe. It is definitely a keeper for our family. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
My go-to. My kids love it and it’s so easy to make ahead and freeze.
I followed your recipe exactly and although it was good, it did not need anywhere near all that spaghetti, 10 to 12 oz. would have worked much better. It also did not need an entire jar of sauce. It turned out soupy. Even after I let it sit for 20 minutes after baking. I am not a huge fan of diced tomatoes, but they do need to be drained as well.
Sorry this recipe didn’t turn out as expected, Kreg!
Absolutely delicious! No more stove spaghetti for me! Thanks a ton!
Penny, I’m getting ready to make this baked spaghetti recipe. Should I drain the juice off the diced tomatoes before adding them?
Thanks,
Ruth
Hi Ruth, you do not have to drain the liquid from the diced tomatoes. Enjoy!
This will not be the last time this dish is made. Moved up to the top of my favorites. The ease of making to the taste.
Throw a salad and garlic bread in – dinner is served. Thank you.
Hi, I went by recipe and mine was a little dry. Is there anything that I might add to be a bit more juicy? Thanks much. Peggy
Hi Peggy, you can add a little extra pasta sauce or try a splash of broth to help add some additional moisture to this recipe.
This dish was so good and so easy to make. I will definitely be making it again. Thank you.
DO YOU HAVE A BAKED SPAGETTI RECIPE THAT YOU CAN ADD RICCOTA CHEESE TO. I HAVE SEEN IT IN RESTAURANTS AND IT IS VERY GOOD.
We have this delicious baked spaghetti pie that has ricotta in it!
I’m not usually a fan of baked spaghetti, but my family is.. so I’ve tried several recipes for it and I must say this one is the best!! It was still saucy when it was done and the flavors worked together really well! I made it as written with Italian Sausage- but it seems versatile enough to make changes for family preferences (for example if you don’t like green pepper you could sub mushrooms–or really anything) This will be my go-to baked spaghetti going forward! YUM
I definitely agree, Rachael! This recipe is very versatile and still turns out delicious.
Feel in love with the picture! Made it tonight, with penne pasta, extra hamburger, only fiesta cheese. OMG it was so good! paid with a house salad and Moto City Frozen cheese bread. Wish I could send the picture, my family raved about it!
I’m so glad you loved it! If you have Instagram you can tag us at @spendpennies so we can see your yummy version!
So good!! I didn’t have exactly the right amount of spaghetti sauce (only 24oz), used ground turkey, whole wheat spaghetti, only had a can of crushed tomatoes, and no green pepper or parsley. Still turned out DELICIOUS. Whole family loved it, even me. I’m usually hyper critical of my own cooking, but this is a great recipe – the method is spot on, easy to customize or omit per your tastes.
My man friend is very picky but he wants me to make this dish every week! It’s very good! I used Italian sausage so I don’t need a lot of extra seasoning and I did not add any salt. Delicious!