Description
This Baked Spaghetti recipe combines spaghetti pasta with a rich tomato cream sauce, Italian sausage, and layers of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese for a comforting casserole baked to perfection.
Ingredients
Scale
Spaghetti and Cheese
- 1 lb. thin spaghetti
- 3 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley (optional for garnish)
Tomato Cream Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 small onion
- 1 carrot (optional)
- 1 stalk celery (optional)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional for more heat)
- 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes in puree
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillons base, crushed cubes or powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar (more or less to taste)
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (may substitute evaporated milk)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the spaghetti casserole.
- Cook Spaghetti: Boil the spaghetti in salted water following package directions until it is just shy of al dente by one minute. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
- Chop Vegetables: Roughly chop onion, celery, and carrot and pulse about 12 times in a food processor until finely chopped, or chop them finely by hand.
- Brown Sausage and Veggies: In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the hot Italian sausage together with the chopped onion, celery, and carrot until cooked through. Add minced garlic and chili flakes, cooking for 30 seconds more. Drain excess grease if present.
- Add Sauce Ingredients: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, beef bouillon, sugar, dried basil, dried parsley, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaf into the sausage mixture.
- Simmer Sauce: Cover the pot leaving a one-inch gap open and gently simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally for flavor melding.
- Combine Spaghetti and Cream: Remove the bay leaf, stir in the heavy cream, then add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce, tossing with tongs to coat evenly.
- Layer the Casserole: Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Place half of the spaghetti mixture in the dish, sprinkle with Parmesan and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining spaghetti and top with the remaining mozzarella.
- Bake: Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. For toasted cheese, remove the foil and bake a few more minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally garnish with fresh parsley before serving to add color and a fresh flavor note.
Notes
- Sausage substitutions: Use hot Italian chicken or turkey sausage, or lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey; for plain meat, enhance with extra Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and fennel.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Make Ahead: Assemble casserole up to a day before baking, refrigerate covered, then bake with an extra 10 minutes added to the baking time.
- Freezing: Assemble but do not bake. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 1 hour covered, then uncovered for 15-30 minutes until heated through and cheese is melted.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg
