Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

There was this one time when Cooper was about 3 and I didn’t let him get up from the table until he had a bite of spaghetti. It was a spaghetti recipe a lot like this one….meaty/cheesy goodness.  There was one small bite wrapped up around his teeny tiny kid fork.  At the 20 minute mark (he’s stubborn/there might have been tears), he told me he had to go to the bathroom and I said he could do so when he took a bite. I thought it was that simple.

Sidenote—

I MEAN JUST TAKE A BITE. IT’S NOT GONNA KILL YOU, CHILD.

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

He still wouldn’t and then he just went to the bathroom….right there in his kid chair at the table. Like….all over the place. It was one of those out of body experiences. Mixed emotions. Feelings of guilt/bewilderment/utter confusion. What just happened???  I mean,  when I was a kid my parents had to STOP us from eating our third helping of pasta…

All of this over pasta….

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Stillllllllll not a pasta fan… but that doesn’t stop Casey and I from eating it on occasion. I had a craving for meaty pasta smothered with melted/crispy cheese on Sunday night. The weather was begging for it.

I know I’m not reinventing the wheel here. You probably already have a spaghetti situation in your life. BUT, let me tell you that when you twirl the pasta into little nests, cover them in cheese and bake them, it makes for an incredible dinner. Making the pasta into little mounds makes it really easy to spoon out and serve too!

Let’s gather our ingredients:   You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Onions soften in olive oil.

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Ground beef added.

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Browned and then garlic and red pepper go in.

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Marinara time!

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Sauce meets pasta.

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Spray a baking pan!

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Half the spaghetti goes in. Make mounds!

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Top with half of the cheeses.

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Rest of the pasta goes on top. More twirling!

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Ready for the oven with MORE CHEESE.

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT.

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Don’t mind if I do…..

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

Parsley makes everything pretty.

You won't believe how simple this Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe is. Check it out on Shutterbean.com!

That’s it! Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce!

For more pasta recipes check out my:

Zucchini Noodles with Sausage

Sausage & Kale Stuffed Shells

Tomato & Artichoke Penne

Peas & Shells Alfredo

Rigatoni with Marinara & Ricotta

Angel Hair Pasta with Chile Lemon & Arugula

 

Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

serves 6

  • 1 lb. spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/2  medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 4 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • parsley, for topping

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add ground beef to the skillet and cook, breaking up with a spoon until meat is thoroughly cooked, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes to the meat mixture and cook for another 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the marinara and continue to simmer on low for another 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, boil water in a large pot over high heat. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain, and return to pan. Slowly incorporate sauce into the pasta and stir until well combined.

Transfer half of the spaghetti into the prepared baking dish. With a large fork, twirl pasta into 6 equal sized mounds. Make a little well at the top of each mound and sprinkle top with half of the Parmesan and mozzarella. Add the rest of the spaghetti, continuing the same process as before. Top with cheeses and any leftover sauce. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the oven to Broil and cook pasta for another 3-5 minutes, or until some of the cheese starts to crisp.  Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve warm.

  • India

    I made your pizza rolls on Monday and my husband said he loves how you share recipes that feel accessible and are always delicious. This recipe looks great & follows that trend. Thanks for sharing!

  • carrieloveskeith

    If you write a cookbook I will totally buy it! Your dinners are always fantastic! I can’t wait to try this one out… I love the idea of pre-twirling the pasta!

  • Allyn

    My old roommate’s family had a recipe similar to this, only with a chewy béchamel in the middle layer. Holy crap, it was good. This looks like an easier and less decadent version, and I think I should make both recipes soon. You know, for science. Not for my extreme love of cheesy pasta. Nope.

  • kistin

    hi shutterbean! what’s your favorite store-bought marinara sauce? i’ve been trying to find one…

  • Julie

    My daughter won’t touch pasta either! Or anything with melted cheese besides pizza. Could it be all the mac and cheese I ate when I was pregnant with her?

  • Carrie Brown

    This looks so delicious, it’s raining here in Idaho and I could use this right about now! btw the story about cooper made me LOL and poor you to clean that up :/ I’m glad you guys still eat pasta whether he wants to or not ha

    http://www.cbeatsblog.wordpress.com

  • Caroline

    Waste of time and dignity (yours and your child’s) for something you knew wouldn’t happen (and still hasn’t!). Cheers to great memories/phobias formed in a child’s brain for no reason. // Recipe looks good though.

  • Simone

    Dangit Tracy, you made me want to lick my laptop screen again… I’m considering adding some fresh yellow grape tomatoes to the mix for color and texture. I just love how they burst in your mouth when they aren’t overcooked. Which brings me to my question : when would you recommend adding tom-bombs in this recipe? I was thinking of either nestling a couple in each mound with the glorious cheese, or holding off and adding them 5-10 minutes into baking. Thoughts? Thanks muchly,
    Simone

  • Megan@Cozy Eats

    This is my favorite way to eat spaghetti! I love how the sauce soaks into the noodles, and the cheesey top, ugh. What brand of sauce do you typically use?

  • Josie

    This looks amazing! My husband doesn’t eat pasta either (I know, crazy) so I feel like I’ve never gotten into a good “pasta situation”, so I will definitely be trying this one:)

  • Emily @ Life on Food

    So simple but absolutely beautiful. I am craving a large bowl of spaghetti now. Lovely!

  • Jenny

    This week your posts haven’t shown up in my feed. :(. Thankfully, you’ve given a heads up about new posts on Instagram this week :). I look forward to all of your new posts so much!! Is there a setting I need to change to make sure I keep getting your blog in my feed?

    • Tracy

      I have no idea why it’s happening. It’s frustrating me!!! I’ve talked to my programmer who can’t find an answer. I’m working on it! I am sorry!

      • Jenny

        Thanks Tracy! It’s not a big deal for me as I can just leave a “Shutterbean” window open on my iPad :). But I was thinking if I’m not the only one, maybe a should say something, as it might affect more people and that would hinder the spread of your fantastic blog.

      • Jenny

        Not sure what happened but all your posts are in my feed tonight. Hope it was just something weird on my end. Thanks for looking into it. Have a great weekend!

  • Gaby Dalkin

    What kid doesn’t like pasta?!! That’s incredible to me to even imagine. Especially this pasta which looks killer!

  • Malou

    I usually dont use marinara but make the sauce myself. Still good stuff!

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  • Heather

    I would eat pasta every day if I could. I kind of wish my kids didn’t like pasta because then there would be more for me.

  • Allison - Celebrating Sweets

    This just screams comfort food. As a child I would have picked out every tiny piece of onion in this dish. I thought I hated them, even though my mom told me repeatedly that they’re soft and sweet and I wouldn’t even know they’re there. Oh, kids! 😉 Looking forward to trying this!

    • Tracy

      Cooper is an onion hater….except he likes them on hamburgers. Go figure.

      • marcella from italy

        to all of you who have to cook for onion-haters:
        I happened upon a genius way to deal with that. Grate the onion instead of chopping it! Simply use a large-hole grater. The onion will literally melt into whatever you’re cooking, imparting its wonderful taste, but nobody will be able to detect the smallest speck of it. It also cooks much faster this way.
        Hope this helps!

        (and also, Tracy, I am so making this! Thanks for a super tasty and easy “spaghetti situation” 😉 )

  • Heidi - Apples Under My Bed

    The twirling into nests part is GENIUS!!!!!!!! Thanks for the idea. xx ps I just don’t understand Cooper.

  • Silvia @ skinny jeans food

    ohhhh, this looks sooooo good!

  • Emily

    This looks so delicious and easy too! What a great idea! I’m doing a Whole30 right now so no pasta or cheese for me :'( but when I’m done with that craziness I’m totally making this!

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  • Hannah

    My husband went for seconds tonight…the unspoken thumbs up in our house for a new recipe. Thanks for the fun twist on spaghetti!

  • Lori

    It looks SO good!

  • Lyndsee

    I made this tonight and it was SO SO GOOD. And it really classes it up to do the little pasta nests. Thanks for another great one.

  • Meredith

    Can’t wait to try this! Would it hold up well if I make the night before and refrigerate until it’s time to bake? Thanks!

  • Becky Staple

    I can’t wait to try this! I just included a link to it in my weekly roundup here: http://thedistricttable.com/the-weeks-end-9/

  • libby

    this was amazing!! Thank you!

  • Anne Murphy

    This is seriously amazing. I’ve made this 4x now – my husband and kids LOVE it. In fact – my son wants me to make a large pan so that he can take it to college.

    I made a few tweaks – used chicken sausage instead of ground beef and made my own spaghetti sauce (using Giada or Ina’s recipe – both are great). I also use fresh mozzarella (once you go fresh – you’ll never go bagged). This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!!!

    • Tracy

      I love all of your additions, Anne! It makes me so happy that this is in your rotation. YAY!

  • Vanessa

    I love this recipe. I was craving it, so in a desperate attempt to lighten it up, I made it tonight using roasted spaghetti squash. It was great!

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  • Jessica Herrera

    Would this be good without the meat and then make chicken parm to go along with it?

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