Spaghetti Casserole
Baked spaghetti casserole with meat sauce and a creamy cheese layer topped with melted mozzarella
PRINT PINServings 8
INGREDIENTS
Pasta
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 1 tbsp salt for pasta water
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter.
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- red pepper flakes to taste.
Cheese Layer
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs.
Topping
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- fresh parsley for garnish.
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep and Pasta
- heat oven to 350 F and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish
- cook spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente then drain and toss with butter.
Meat Sauce
- brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat then drain excess fat
- add onion and cook until softened then add garlic and cook briefly
- stir in marinara sauce tomato sauce tomato paste Italian seasoning basil salt pepper and red pepper flakes then simmer 10 minutes.
Cheese Layer
- whisk cottage cheese sour cream Parmesan and eggs until smooth.
Assemble and Bake
- spread half the spaghetti in the baking dish then spread the cheese layer evenly
- add remaining spaghetti then pour meat sauce over the top
- cover with foil and bake 25 minutes then uncover add mozzarella and bake 10 to 15 minutes until bubbly
- rest 10 minutes before slicing and garnish with parsley.
Notes
1. Use ricotta instead of cottage cheese; Swap ground turkey or Italian sausage for ground beef; Add sauteed bell peppers or mushrooms to the sauce; For a crispier top broil 1 to 2 minutes at the end; Assemble up to 24 hours ahead and bake when ready adding 10 minutes if chilled
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 25g