Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

5 from 29 votes

This Cheesy Baked Spaghetti is a deliciously comforting dish that’s perfect for a night in with family or get-togethers with friends. It’s creamy, gooey, and features a delicious cheese crust from the oven. It’s also packed with protein to create a satisfying dish for lunches or dinners.

Prep Time5

Cook Time55

Total Time1

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound 90/10 ground beef
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 large yellow onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*
freshly ground black pepper
2 24-ounce jars pasta sauce*
1 pound dry spaghetti*
1 cup heavy cream
16 ounces cottage cheese
1 cup (3 ounces) parmigiano reggiano
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage. Sauté until brown and almost cooked through. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while you prepare the sauce.
1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound 90/10 ground beef, 1 pound ground Italian sausage
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until softened.
1 large yellow onion, diced
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
8 cloves garlic, minced, 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt*, freshly ground black pepper
Add the pasta sauce and simmer on medium-low while the pasta cooks, stirring occasionally.
2 24-ounce jars pasta sauce*
Boil the spaghetti for one minute less than the shortest time recommended on the package. It will finish cooking in the oven.
1 pound dry spaghetti*
Drain the water and toss the spaghetti with the heavy cream, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, and about 4 heaping cups of the meat sauce.
1 cup heavy cream, 16 ounces cottage cheese, 1 cup (3 ounces) parmigiano reggiano
Lightly grease a deep 9x13-inch baking dish. Spoon enough sauce to cover the bottom of the baking dish.
Add about half of the pasta on top of the sauce.
Add about half of the mozzarella on top of the pasta.
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
Add the remaining pasta on top of the cheese.
Add the remaining sauce and then the remaining cheese.
Baked uncovered for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Broil if desired. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
Spaghetti: You can use any spaghetti noodles in your pantry, though I prefer ziti, penne, cavatappi, or rigatoni for this cheesy baked spaghetti. These particular noodles are great for catching and holding onto the sauce.
Pasta Sauce: For the best flavor in this easy baked spaghetti recipe, use a high-quality pasta sauce like Rao's Homemade Marinara. You can tell if a pasta sauce is high-quality if it notes tomatoes as the first ingredient. The remaining ingredients should be items that add flavor, like garlic or herbs.
Salt the pasta water. As pasta cooks, it releases starches which make the noodles stick together. Avoid pasta clumps by salting the water before adding in the noodles. Don't add oil to the water; it will make the sauce slide off the noodles.
Don’t drain the grease. Keeping the grease from the meat in the sauce offers an additional flavor you won't want to lose.
Undercook the pasta. Once you remove the noodles from the water, they continue cooking for a short time which can cause them to become overly soft. Keep the pasta slightly undercooked for this recipe to avoid a mushy dish.
Use a deep baking dish. A deep baking dish makes this baked spaghetti easy, as it helps prevent the pasta sauce and cheese from bubbling over the pan. Use a dish that’s at least 3.5-4 inches deep for layering the spaghetti mixture, cheese, and sauce.

Nutrition