Seriously Good Baked Spaghetti
- PREP 10min
- COOK 60min
- TOTAL 1hrs 10min
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
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Butter a 3-quart baking dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Bring 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.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with sides. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add 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.
Pour 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.
In a small bowl, stir sour cream and basil pesto until well blended.
Spoon 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.
Place 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.