Baked Spaghetti Casserole

Spaghetti with marinara sauce topped with cheese in a white baking dish.

Baked Spaghetti Casserole: extra-saucy spaghetti topped with gooey cheese: easy to bake now or make ahead for comfort food at its best!

Prep Time 25

Baking Time 30

Total Time 55

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings Servings

Author Jan Nunes

Equipment

1 13"x 9"x 3" Baking Dish

Ingredients

Non-Stick Cooking Spray
16 Ounces Spaghetti
1 Pound Ground Beef
4 ½ Cups Marinara Sauce Homemade or From a Jar (2-24 ounce Jars)
⅔ Cup Pasta Cooking Water
3 Tablespoons Butter
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese Grated or Shredded
2 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Herbs Parsley or Basil

Instructions

Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C and grease a 13”x9” baking or casserole dish with cooking spray.
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Cook the Spaghetti. Boil the spaghetti to al dente according to the package directions in salted boiling water. Reserve ⅔ cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the spaghetti and set it aside.
16 Ounces Spaghetti
Make Meaty Marinara. In a large, deep skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Pour off the excess fat and stir in the marinara sauce and pasta cooking water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
1 Pound Ground Beef, 4 ½ Cups Marinara Sauce, ⅔ Cup Pasta Cooking Water
Combine. Add the cooked spaghetti and butter. Let the butter melt and then mix everything together and pour the spaghetti mixture into the prepared baking dish.
3 Tablespoons Butter
Bake. Sprinkle the top with both cheeses and bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until hot and the cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve!
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, ¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese, 2 Teaspoons Chopped Fresh Herbs

Notes

My Top Tips

♡ Getting a good sear and browning the meat will add tons of flavor.

♡ Cooked pasta water helps the pasta and sauce combine into a cohesive dish. If you use jarred sauce, swish some of the pasta water in the jar to get every bit of your delicious marinara sauce.

♡ Jars of pasta sauce are often sold by the weight of the contents of the jar and not the volume. This is why 48 ounces of weight equals approximately 4 ½ cups of sauce.

♡ You will need a deep 13"x 9" baking dish to hold all of the saucy pasta topped with cheese. Mine is exactly 3" deep and was perfect.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead casserole that you can make up to 5 days in advance. Simply cover the casserole with aluminum foil that has been greased with buttered or cooking spray and refrigerate. Let the casserole come to room temperature as the oven heats and cook it at 400°F for 60 to 75 minutes or until hot and bubbling.

Storage: Store leftovers in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat gently in a skillet, in the oven, or in the microwave.

Nutrition

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