Baked Spaghetti
The one thing, well, one of the things that I love about this recipe is that I can do all the preparation for it in advance and then pop it in the oven to bake later on. For example, you can do all the prep work the night before and have the spaghetti bake all ready to place in the oven the following day. Believe me, it's so much better than frozen tv dinners.
I cook a humongous pot of spaghetti at least once a week. It makes lazy evenings happen for at least 3-4 meals during the week. Umm, spaghetti leftovers! Just heat the leftovers and serve! Or you can make a completely different meal with the spaghetti leftovers.
Tonight I am preparing 16 ounces of dry spaghetti. When it's cooked it will be transformed into a saucy, gooey, cheesy, meaty meal. Tomorrow the leftovers will make a delicious spaghetti pie; then the following day spaghetti sandwiches, and so on.
So, what do I serve with the various spaghetti dishes that I prepare? Usually, I make homemade garlic bread and a salad.
If you are interested in learning how I make my baked spaghetti, follow the recipe below.
Ingredients:
16 ounces of uncooked spaghetti, broken into halves
1 large egg
1/2 cup of milk
2 pounds of ground beef
1 pound of Italian sausage
1 onion, diced finely
1/4 cup of green pepper, diced finely
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
2 jars (14 ounces) of garlic and basil spaghetti sauce
1 can (8 ounces) of tomato paste
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup of shredded Colby cheese
½ cup of shredded cheddar
Instructions:
Prepare a 13x9 inch baking pan; by coating it with a cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large pasta pot, add 5-6 quarts of water, and bring the water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt to the water, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the broken halves of the spaghetti noodles into the pot (once the water begins to boil). Cook the pasta till it's al dente, then drain the water off.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and milk together well. Add in the cooked spaghetti noodles, and coat them well with the egg/milk mixture. Now, transfer the pasta to the prepared 13x9 inch baking pan.
In a large cast-iron skillet, add the beef, sausage, onion, garlic, green pepper, and seasonings, and cook over medium-high heat (until the meat is browned well). Drain the excess oil. Now, add the spaghetti sauce and the tomato paste. Ladle the meat sauce over the spaghetti mixture, and stir in half of the cheese. Combine everything well.
Bake the spaghetti uncovered at 375° F for 15 minutes. Then remove the pan from the oven, and add the rest of the shredded cheese on top of the spaghetti bake. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, just until the cheese is completely melted. Remove from the oven. Allow the baked spaghetti to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes:
It's very important to have a large enough pan to cook pasta in. If your pan is too small, it can not hold the right amount of water to cook the pasta correctly. Not using enough water will make the pasta clump and stick together, and cook unevenly.
For 16 ounces (1 pound) of dry pasta, you will need a pasta pan that holds at least 5 or 6 quarts of water.
16 ounces (1 pound) of dry spaghetti noodles makes up to 8 cups of cooked noodles.
Add-ins
When making baked spaghetti there are zero boundaries! It doesn't have to be the same. You can add different ingredient options every time you make it. For example, zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms, tomatoes, shredded carrots, and pepperoni, etc
Sometimes, I make homemade mini meatballs and use them in the place of the regular ground beef. Kids seem to love this recipe when it's made with mini meatballs. There's just something about adding miniature meatballs that brings fun to their meal.