BAKED SPAGHETTI
This recipe for Baked Spaghetti has been a favorite of my family for years. It’s easy to make and a reheats really well. I love to make this for a big Sunday dinner and enjoy leftovers for the next few days. Just add some garlic bread and a salad for a great meal.
Baked Spaghetti Simple Ingredients:
Ground beef
Green pepper
Onion
Dried oregano or Italian seasoning
Black pepper
Salt
Garlic
Italian Spaghetti Sauce or pasta sauce of your choice
Spaghetti noodles
Butter
Parmesan cheese, divided
Cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
Mozzarella cheese
You can use riccotta or cottage cheese, I have made it with both and it was delicious either way. This recipe is one you will make over and over and it has wonderful reviews!
“This was amazing! I just made it tonight with some roasted vegetables. I will definitely be making it again. My son even asked to bring it to school tomorrow in his lunch.” – Karen
“I followed recipe exactly as written here and oh my gosh it’s delicious!!! I can’t wait to try more recipes. Thank you!” – Monica
“Made this tonight and it was an instant hit. The only difference I made was adding mushrooms and green olives to the meats sauce, and I cooked the ground beef with the minced garlic and oregano. Kids and hubby ate it up….no leftovers!! Thanks for a great recipe!!” – Jessica
If you love this dish you may also love our Chicken Parmesan Meatball Skillet! Super easy and made with ground chicken.
Full printable recipe in recipe card below.
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Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1.5- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 24 ounce container Italian Spaghetti Sauce or pasta sauce of your choice
- 1 8 ounces of spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided
- 1 24 ounce container cottage cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Brown ground beef, green pepper, and onion in a large skillet on top of the stove, drain. Add the oregano, black pepper, salt, minced garlic and Italian Spaghetti sauce to hamburger and stir to mix.
- Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, drain. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the hot spaghetti and toss with the 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Spread spaghetti in bottom of dish and cover with entire container of cottage cheese.
- Spread the hamburger mixture over the cottage cheese. Top with the other 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and the 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in preheated 400 degree oven covered for 30 minutes. Remove covering and cook for 15 more minutes.
Notes
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This recipe for baked spaghetti is awesome! First time trying it, followed it to the letter. My husband said it is delicious. Will definitely be making it again.
Delicious! And it’s much better than those “million dollar” spaghetti recipes that always want to add sour cream. Your recipe for baked spaghetti is much better. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for the kind comment! We’re thrilled it was a hit for you!
I really enjoy your recipes and am looking forward to making this for my grandchildren. Just wanted to confirm that this recipe requires only 8 ounces of spaghetti to serve 10 to 12 people. Thanks for sharing your culinary talent!
The recipe is correct as written. If you scroll down, you’ll see many reviews from people that have made this recipe and loved it. Thanks so much!
Made this spaghetti dish last night and it was fabulous! I did add mushrooms and mixed ricotta and cottage cheese together for that layer. Otherwise baked as stated. A keeper in our house, thank you!
I tried this baked spaghetti and loved it! Everyone who likes spaghetti should try this!! .Vernon.
Does it make any difference whether you use small curd or large curd cottage cheese?
No, it makes no difference at all.
Great! This recipe is a keeper!!
Have you ever doubled the recipe?
Yes, this recipe can easily be doubled. I just put it in 2 9X13 casserole dishes.
Great dinner idea! Kind of like a lasagna with a different spin
good recipe and easy to make no hassle dinner thank you
Gréât recipe my family loved it thank you sharing
So glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is wonderful! My family loved it! Thank you for another winner . This is my favorite website!!
Would adding some Italians sausage with gr beef work?
This was amazing! I just made it tonight with some roasted vegetables. I will definitely be making it again. My son even asked to bring it to school tomorrow in his lunch. I did substitute the cottage cheese for ricotta though. Thank you again for another delicious recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you so much!
I make a similar recipe but use a block of room temp cream cheese mixed with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and some garlic salt instead of cottage cheese. I also add black olives to the meat mixture. Sometimes I put cheddar cheese on top in place of Mozzarella. It’s always a hit at my house!
Sounds delicious!
This sounds awesome. I will try this. Thank You.
Plan on trying this tomorrow. If you are going to freeze part of the recipe do you freeze it before it is cooked or after?
I would think you could do either Melanie. I usually freeze it after it is cooked but I think you could do it before, too.
This recipe is very similar to one I used to make. I found the recipe many years ago when we lived in the Lexington Herald in a “cookbook” they printed every year. It would have been between 1978 to 1981. I lost the recipe somewhere in the last 15 to 20 years. It had bay leaves and a lot of other recipes and instead of pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and paste. Any chance you are familiar with this recipe?
Am going to try this, sounds wonderful. Was watching one of the chefs on food network and they said not to add butter to pasta because it hindered the absorption of the sauce, what do you think?
I have not had that problem and have used butter before.
I followed recipe exactly as written here and oh my gosh it’s delicious!!! I can’t wait to try more recipes. Thank you 🙂
Thank you so much Monica. I am so happy you liked this recipe and thank you for letting me know. We love this baked spaghetti and it always turns out great for me.
I used to make this all the time. We would have spaghetti one night, then I’d mix the pasta and sauce together, put it in a pan the next night, with grated cheese sprinkled liberally over the top, then pop it into the oven long enough to heat it through and melt the cheese. My kids loved it.
Made this tonight and it was an instant hit. The only difference I made was adding mushrooms and green olives to the meats sauce, and I cooked the ground beef with the minced garlic and oregano. Kids and hubby ate it up….no leftovers!! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Can I substitute something in place of the cottage cheese?
Ricotta cheese.
Good, Large,Easy !! This is a winner. I love, love, love to see what you offer us every time. Thanks, my friend !!
Looks wonderful!! Is there something that can be substituted for cottage cheese? My husband has some sort of mental hangup about it. 🙂
You could use ricotta cheese.
my hubby has a similar hang up too, so I mix a block of cream cheese in with the spaghetti.