This cheesy baked spaghetti is a comforting layered casserole made with creamy alfredo noodles, meat sauce, and topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
The Inspiration
After having our baby, our neighbors graciously blessed us with a meal train for two weeks and one of our favorite meals was baked spaghetti!
I loved the combination of the creamy alfredo sauce and marinara sauce.
I had to add it to our regular meal rotation and asked my friend for the recipe and tweaked it a little.
Why You'll Love this Recipe
- It takes only 30 minutes to cook! Perfect for busy days.
- It can be prepped ahead of time and reheats well!
- It's a crowd pleaser! Meat, cheese, and pasta. What's not to love?
Cheesy Baked Spaghetti Ingredients
- Spaghetti- It's baked "spaghetti" after all. But really, you can use a different pasta shape if you need to, I promise it will taste the same.
- Ground beef- you can substitute with ground pork, Italian sausage, ground turkey or chicken. Or make a no meat baked spaghetti!
- Marinara sauce- use your favorited jarred pasta sauce or make your own marinara sauce!
- Butter- the base of the alfredo sauce.
- Garlic- fresh garlic is best, but you can substitute with ¾ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Flour- to create a roux and thicken the sauce.
- Half and half- to make the alfredo sauce super creamy. To indulge even more, use heavy cream.
- Italian seasoning- substitute for oregano if needed.
- Parmesan cheese- make sure you get the real deal.
- Mozzarella cheese- ooey gooey goodness!
How to Make Cheesy Baked Spaghetti
- Brown the ground beef then mix in the marinara sauce.
- Mix the spaghetti with the alfredo sauce.
- Transfer the pasta into a baking dish then pour the meat sauce over it.
- Top with cheese and bake until golden brown.
Tasty Tips
- Cook the pasta until al dente. We don't want to overcook the pasta as it will continue to cook in the oven.
- Add vegetables like peppers, onions, spinach, carrots, zucchini, or mushrooms. A great way to sneak in some veggies is to chop it up finely and simmer it with the sauce.
- Serve with more parmesan or pecorino romano cheese on top!
- Make this baked spaghetti a full meal with a side of bread, salad, or steamed vegetables.
FAQs
I tried the recipe with ¾ pound of spaghetti and one pound of spaghetti. While both tasted yummy, I preferred the one made with ¾ pound of spaghetti more. It was saucier and cheesier!
If you want to use a full pound of spaghetti, you can increase the amount of the rest of the ingredients to get the same effect.
You can assemble the spaghetti casserole up to a day in advance. Bring it out from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes then bake for 30-35 minutes until it's hot and bubbling.
Another way to make this ahead of time is to cook the spaghetti, meat sauce, and alfredo sauce and store them in separate containers. Store in the fridge, then assemble and bake when you're ready.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can freeze it for up to 3 months but since this recipe has a creamy sauce, it may change the texture of the sauce. Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute then mix and reheat for another minute. The timing may vary depending on your microwave. Be careful not to overheat the spaghetti or the creamy cheese sauce may split.
How to Make Cheesy Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- ¾ pound spaghetti
- 1 pound ground beef
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- ½ cup butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese shredded, divided
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water until al dente.
- In a large skillet on medium high heat, brown the ground beef until fully cooked. Mix in the marinara sauce and simmer on low while you make the alfredo sauce.
- In a pot on medium heat, add in the butter and garlic. Mix until the butter is melted then whisk in the flour. Cook for a few minutes then slowly add in the half and half. Whisk occasionally and cook until the mixture has thickened then turn off the heat and whisk in 1 cup of parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss the drained pasta into the alfredo sauce and mix until well combined. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish.
- Pour the meat sauce over it and top with mozzarella cheese and remaining ½ cup of parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Leave a Reply