Ultimate Cheesy Baked Spaghetti is pasta, melted cheese and a luscious meaty tomato sauce baked in a casserole dish. This is pure comfort food!
This is hands down one of our family’s easy spaghetti recipes. It’s super easy to throw together and can be made ahead too! One of the best things about it is it’s adaptive. Why stop at just marinara sauce when you can throw in some roasted red pepper, some salsa or even a can of corn and up the flavor ante in a snap.
Ingredients to make Cheesy Baked Spaghetti
- Ground Beef
- Pasta
- Marinara Sauce
- Tomato Paste
- Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Italian Seasoning
- Minced Onion Flakes
- Red Pepper Flakes – for some heat!
This dish set a 12 minute record at my house! It was 12 minutes from when I set the dish on the table to when it was all gone. Yes, it is that good!
How to store leftover Baked Spaghetti?
Transfer any leftovers into a container with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Baked spaghetti re-heats easily in the microwave. If re-heating in the oven, place the spaghetti in an oven-safe dish, add a tablespoon or two of water to the bottom of the dish, cover tightly with foil and bake until heated thru. The water makes sure the pasta and meat stay moist in the pan.
Craving more pasta? Try these other popular recipes.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Mac and Cheese
- Red pepper Spinach Stuffed Shells
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Penne Pasta
- New Orleans Style Sausage Alfredo
- One Pan Chicken Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
- Chicken Broccoli Pasta Alfredo
Cheesy Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 8 ounce Rotellini noodles cooked according to package directions and drained
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded Italian Cheese shredded Cheddar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp dried Italian Seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp dried minced onion
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 x 13 bakig dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large skillet coated with olive oil,add the beef and begin to brown. Add to the browning meat – 1 tablespoon garlic, 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning, and 1 tablespoon dried minced onion. Cook together until no pink remains and the ground beef is cooked. Drain if needed.
- Into the skillet, add the can of Italian sauce, remaining tablespoon of minced garlic, Italian seasoning and dried minced onion and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper and stir until combined.
- Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the cooked noodles to the skillet and stir to coat the noodles with sauce.
- Pour the noodle, beef and sauce mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Top the mixture with 2 cups of cheese, making sure that all of the noodle mixture is covered.
- Place dish in the 350 Degree oven for approximately 40 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and bubbling.
- Remove from oven, let cool for 5 minutes and serve hot!
Chef Tips
Nutrition Facts
© Copyright Christine Mello for Must Love Home. We would love for you to share a link to this recipe but please do not copy/paste the recipe instructions to websites or social media. We are happy for you to share a photo with a link back to this website instead.
