Baked Spaghetti
on Jan 08, 2024, Updated Mar 04, 2024
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Baked Spaghetti is the perfect combination of warm flavorful sauce, juicy ground beef, melted cheesy goodness, and tender noodles. With this quick and easy recipe you can enjoy all your favorite Italian flavors in one bite!
This dish offers so much flexibility since you can prepare it in the morning and then store it in the fridge until dinner time. Just pop it in the oven for under 30 minutes before you want to eat dinner. It can be easily reheated the next day for another round of delicious comfort food.
The ground beef is perfectly seasoned with a variety of savory spices to compliment the sweetness of the marinara sauce and richness of the mozzarella cheese. One of our favorite things about this dish is being able to customize it with different cheeses. For a richer flavor, try topping your baked spaghetti with freshly shredded parmesan cheese.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Uses low cost ingredients for a rich, savory flavor.
- Can be adapted to be gluten and dairy free.
- An easy meal to make ahead of time.
Recipe Ingredients
- Ground Beef—You can substitute your beef with ground turkey or Italian sausage.
- Spice Mix—A flavorful blend of garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- White Onion—A yellow onion works as well.
- Spaghetti—Cooked.
- Marinara Sauce—You can use any kind of homemade or store-bought red sauce in this recipe.
- Mozzarella Cheese—Freshly shredded cheese will melt the best, but pre-shredded mozzarella cheese can be used as well.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Baked Spaghetti
Step #1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Cook the seasonings and ground beef thoroughly in a large skillet.
Step #2. Add the diced onion and cook until the onions are translucent.
Step #3. Stir in the marinara sauce to evenly coat the ground beef. Combine the beef mixture, already prepared spaghetti, and some of the cheese in a baking dish.
Step #4. Combine the beef mixture, already prepared spaghetti, and some of the cheese in a baking dish. Spread the remaining cheese on top and bake uncovered until bubbly.
Recipe FAQs
Try adding freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese right on top just before serving for that perfect Italian restaurant feel. You can also substitute grated parmesan for a portion of the mozzarella cheese in the spaghetti mixture.
Baked spaghetti can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Use a foil pan and follow all the directions as listed, but then double wrap the pan in tin foil and plastic wrap before baking. Label the wrap with the name of the dish and the oven preheat temperature using a sharpie. Remember to take the freezer meal out of the freezer and store it in the refrigerator the night before you would like to eat it. To avoid soggy noodles, cook the spaghetti al dente if you are planning to make this a freezer meal.
You can always add a little more sauce if you feel like the baked spaghetti is drying out. You can also add a dollop of marinara sauce before reheating to help the noodles stay moist even as leftovers.
Expert Tips
- If you use ground beef with a higher fat content than 90/10, then just drain some of the excess grease from the pan after browning the meat.
- The recipe calls for plain marinara sauce, but you can definitely experiment with any favorite red sauce. This can be a fun way to add a slightly different flavor to the dish.
- If you have some extra time on your hands, making your own marinara sauce is a fun way to customize this dish even further and add your own personal touch.
- You can make your own Italian seasoning by combining equal parts garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Other spices you can add include black pepper and basil.
- In addition to using mozzarella, you can sprinkle some grated parmesan or romano cheese on top of your dish for some extra sharpness.
- We like to garnish our baked spaghetti with fresh parsley or basil.
How to Store Leftover Baked Spaghetti
Your leftovers will store well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat your leftovers by placing a single serving on a plate covered with a paper towel or paper plate. Microwave for 1 minute, or until the spaghetti is warm all the way through.
Serving Ideas
This dish makes for a great stand-alone entree, but it can also be served with a variety of sides. We like to balance the savory, carb-heavy pasta with lighter sides. Some of our favorites include:
- Caesar Salad
- Green Bean Salad
- Garlic Bread/breadsticks or my favorite easy garlic knots
- Sautéed Broccoli
- Asparagus made in the air fryer
More Pasta Recipes To Consider
Pasta Dishes
Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Lasagna
Pasta Dishes
Pumpkin Alfredo
Pasta Dishes
Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Baked Pasta
Soups, Stews & Chowders
Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe
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Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound cooked spaghetti
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- ½ white onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large pan or skillet, combine the ground beef, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook the beef over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes, or until it is no longer pink in the middle.
- Once the beef is fully cooked, add the diced onion. Continue to cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and begin to turn translucent.
- Stir in the marinara sauce, ensuring it evenly coats the ground beef.
- Add the beef mixture to a 9×13 inch baking dish along with the spaghetti and 2 cups of cheese. Fold to combine.
- Top the dish with the remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- We usually use 90/10 ground beef, but you are welcome to use any kind. If you use anything with a higher fat content then you will need to drain some of the excess grease from the pan.
- You can store your leftover baked spaghetti in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat your leftovers by placing a single serving on a plate covered with a paper towel or paper plate. Microwave for 1 minute, or until the spaghetti is warm all the way through.
- We like to serve this spaghetti with some homemade garlic bread and a freshly made Caesar salad.
- You can replace the white onion with a yellow onion.
- You can make your own Italian seasoning by combining equal parts dried oregano, dried basil, garlic salt, onion powder, and dried thyme.
- We usually use plain marinara sauce, but you are welcome to use your favorite red sauce. This can be a fun way to add a slightly different flavor to the dish.
In addition to using mozzarella cheese, you can also add ½ cup of Parmesan cheese to the top of your baked spaghetti.
