My baked spaghetti recipe is easy and made with ground beef, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a hidden layer of creamy pesto sauce. Pure comfort!
This easy baked spaghetti has everything we love about baked pasta. It has noodles, a hearty meat sauce, and lots of cheese. For more spaghetti recipes I love, see our weeknight spaghetti recipe or this veggie spaghetti!
My favorite part of this baked spaghetti is the creamy pesto layer in the middle. It’s ridiculously simple to make and makes this pasta dish so incredibly delicious!
Key Ingredients
- Spaghetti: I use plain spaghetti for this recipe, but other pasta shapes work great. Use what you have! I cook the pasta briefly before tossing it with the sauce and baking. Use the boxed directions as a guide, but cook the pasta for 2 to 3 minutes less. It will continue to cook in the oven.
- Ground Beef: I usually use ground beef here, but ground sausage, chicken, and turkey are excellent. You can even leave the meat out and add a few extra veggies (see this vegetable spaghetti for suggestions).
- Marinara Sauce: I use homemade marinara when I have it, but store-bought sauce works nicely in this recipe.
- Sour Cream and Pesto: This is my favorite part of this baked spaghetti. I stir pesto into sour cream to create a creamy pesto sauce. Then, I add it as a creamy layer into the middle of the baked spaghetti. So good! Store-bought pesto is fine, but if you can, make homemade pesto (I love it!).
- Cheese: Mozzarella is perfect, but any melty, mild cheese works.
How to Make Baked Spaghetti
When I’m not in the mood to assemble a lasagna, I make this baked spaghetti. The flavors are similar, but it’s much easier.
For the sauce, I cook onions and ground beef, add the marinara sauce, and then toss with partially cooked spaghetti (by undercooking the pasta, it won’t become mushy after baking in the oven).
You can add the spaghetti and meat sauce to a baking dish and top it with cheese, but to make it taste even better, add a creamy pesto layer to the middle.
It’s super simple. I mix sour cream with basil pesto. Then, I add about half of my spaghetti to the baking dish, spread a layer of creamy pesto, and layer the remaining spaghetti on top. I do the same when making our baked ziti with spinach, and I love it!
Seriously Good Baked Spaghetti
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
Our baked spaghetti recipe involves baking spaghetti with a simple meat sauce of ground beef and marinara sauce. We also sneak in a layer of creamy pesto. If you are like us, this will become your new favorite meal! Feel free to swap the ground beef for bulk sausage, ground chicken, or ground turkey. To make this meatless, remove the meat (the spaghetti will still be delicious).
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) dry spaghetti
1 pound (450g) lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups (1.4L) marinara sauce from 2 (26oz) jars, or see homemade marinara sauce
3/4 cup (170g) sour cream
1/4 cup (56g) basil pesto, see homemade basil pesto
1 cup (113g) grated mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Butter a 3-quart baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and follow the package directions, but cook for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package calls for. Drain.
3Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with sides. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
4Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. As the beef cooks, use a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces in the pan. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Drain excess fat from the meat.
5Pour in the marinara sauce and cook until heated through. Take the pan off of the heat and add the cooked and drained pasta. Toss well, taste for seasoning, and adjust with salt and black pepper.
6In a small bowl, stir sour cream and basil pesto until well blended.
7Spoon half of the spaghetti into the baking dish. Spread the sour cream and pesto mixture over the pasta and scatter with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with the remaining pasta, lightly press everything into the baking dish and then scatter the remaining mozzarella cheese.
8Place the baking dish onto an aluminum-lined baking dish (just in case any sauce drips over the sides of the baking dish). Bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce bubbles, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Leftover baked spaghetti can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Make ahead tips: Assemble, cover with a sheet of parchment paper, and then cover the baking dish with foil. Refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.
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I made this recipe , divided into 2 pans to take to two families who are recovering from illness. I was intimidated at first, because both are excellent cooks and both women born Italians. Both called me later to tell me sincerely how much they enjoyed it. One husband asked for me to share the recipe! The reason I chose this one was because of the pesto, sour cream mixture in the center. the only addition I made was some freshly shredded parmesean on top of each mozzarella layer. Thank you for this recipe. I dont usually take something to others before trying it myself. so glad I trusted my instincts. This is definately a KEEPER!!! As my Italian friends would say, Bravo!!!