Baked Spaghetti Recipe

Baked spaghetti served on a white plate.

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5 from 23 votes

Baked Spaghetti Recipe

This cheesy baked spaghetti is filling and flavorful. It's a simple dinner recipe the entire family will love!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef, 80% lean/20% fat
salt and pepper to taste
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups hot water
2 beef bouillon cubes, (or 2 cups beef broth)
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti noodles
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Brown your hamburger in a large pan over medium heat, breaking into small pieces. Drain.
Add tomato sauce and paste, salt and pepper, water (with the bouillon cubes in it), sugar, basil, oregano and garlic. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
While sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti noodles as directed on the package, and set aside.
Add sour cream and 1 cup mozzarella cheese to the sauce and stir to combine. Add noodles and mix well.
Pour spaghetti mixture into a greased 11 x 14 baking dish and sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 - 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.

Fresh Herbs. Use three times as many fresh herbs as dried ones, and simmer fresh herbs for only 2-4 minutes.
Meat. Replace half or all the ground beef with Italian sausage. You can also use ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef.
Low-carb option. Replace the spaghetti noodles with Spaghetti squash. Be sure to wring out excess liquid to keep the casserole from getting soggy.
Sauce. If you're short on time, skip making homemade sauce in step 3 and use your favorite store-bought jar of sauce.

Make ahead of time. Assemble, cover it with plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. To freeze wrap again with foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before baking.

Store leftovers in an airtight container(s) and store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for 2-3 months. Reheat in the microwave.

For more substitutions and tips, check out the full recipe post

Nutrition