Baked Spaghetti
This cozy baked spaghetti is hearty, cheesy, and made for feeding a crowd. It’s an easy family dinner with plenty of leftovers—perfect for a busy week.
A QUICK NOTE
If you haven’t been following along, our family embraced RV life for a year while my husband attended the Naval War College—so this was baked in my tiny RV oven (and photographed in my tiny RV kitchen 😂). Oven times may vary, and I’ll update the recipe once I make it again in a full-size kitchen!
YIELD & BAKE
Yield: one 9×13-inch casserole
Bake: 350°F for 30 minutes covered, then 10–15 minutes uncovered
INGREDIENTS:
• 16 oz whole wheat spaghetti
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 lb ground beef, ground turkey, or sausage
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 (24 oz) jars low-sodium pasta sauce, or homemade
• 3 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley or basil, optional, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and cook according to the package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
4. Add the ground meat and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, crumbling the meat, until browned. Drain excess grease.
5. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
6. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Stir in ½ cup Parmesan. Add the cooked spaghetti and mix well with the sauce.
8. Transfer the mixture to a 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top, followed by the remaining ½ cup Parmesan.
9. Cover with foil. Lightly spray the underside of the foil with cooking spray to keep the cheese from sticking.
10. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10–15 minutes more, until the casserole is hot and the cheese is golden brown.
11. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil, if desired, and serve.
