Description
This Best Baked Spaghetti recipe is a comforting and hearty Italian-American classic featuring layers of tender spaghetti, savory Italian sausage, creamy ricotta mixture, rich spaghetti sauce, and gooey melted mozzarella cheese. Perfect for feeding a crowd, this baked pasta dish combines simple ingredients into a delicious casserole baked to bubbly perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Sauce
- 16 oz thin spaghetti
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 (24-oz) jar spaghetti sauce
Cheese Mixtures
- 2 eggs
- â…“ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 5 Tbsp butter, melted
- 1 (15-oz) container ricotta cheese
- 2 Tbsp dried parsley
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Cook sausage: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the Italian sausage until it is no longer pink and fully browned. Drain any excess fat from the skillet and set the cooked sausage aside.
- Cook spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta well.
- Mix pasta with eggs and cheese: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, grated parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Toss this mixture with the cooked and drained spaghetti, coating the pasta evenly. Set aside.
- Prepare ricotta mixture: In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, dried parsley, and sour cream. Mix well and set aside.
- Combine meat and sauce: Combine the cooked sausage with the jar of spaghetti sauce, mixing thoroughly. Set this meat sauce mixture aside.
- Assemble layers: In the prepared baking pan, layer half of the pasta mixture evenly on the bottom. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta layer. Then spoon half of the meat sauce mixture on top. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering process with the remaining pasta, ricotta mixture, meat sauce, and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake covered: Cover the baking pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld and the casserole to heat through.
- Bake uncovered: Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese on top is fully melted, bubbly, and slightly golden.
- Serve: Remove the baked spaghetti from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before serving to allow the layers to set.
Notes
- You can substitute ground beef or turkey for Italian sausage if preferred.
- Use fresh parsley instead of dried for a brighter herby flavor.
- For extra creaminess, add a little more sour cream to the ricotta mixture.
- Make sure not to overcook the spaghetti so it doesn’t become mushy after baking.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated covered in the oven.
- Gluten-free pasta can be used to make this recipe gluten-free.
