This easy baked spaghetti recipe is sure to become a family favorite! It’s kid-friendly, quick, has a meaty sauce, and uses basic ingredients the whole family will love.
This easy baked spaghetti recipe is a Drake family favorite. I’m pretty sure most moms have their own version of this great recipe that they make on a regular basis. It’s got a lot of things going for it…it’s easy, pretty quick, hearty, has simple ingredients, and usually there are leftovers. When my kids were home, I knew I could make this and everyone would eat it. No one complained! All I needed was this baked spaghetti casserole with some garlic bread, and we were ready to eat.
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Why This Recipe Works
I’ve been making this dish for so long that I honestly don’t remember how I came up with it. It’s certainly not anything complicated, but sometimes those types of recipes turn out to be the best. Kids love this because there are no weird ingredients, and it’s not spicey. I love using fresh basil when I have it in my garden, and it’s wonderful in this easy baked spaghetti recipe. I chop up about 6 – 8 leaves and throw it in. It adds freshness and a little color.
Ingredient Notes + Tips
- Ground turkey or Italian sausage can be substituted for the ground beef.
- Additions: ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning, black olives, chopped onions, red pepper flakes, green peppers, sliced mushrooms, or oregano.
- Penne, shells, elbows, spaghetti noodles, or whole wheat pasta can be substituted for the rotini.
- Store this delicious casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
- For a classic comfort food dinner, serve this spaghetti with a Caesar salad, romaine and apple salad, or fresh fruit. Don’t forget the garlic bread!
How To Make
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Drain pasta.
- In the same large pot, cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain or pat off any excess fat/grease.
- Pour the pasta sauce into the pot of ground beef.
- Stir and add chopped fresh basil if desired.
- A little at a time, add the cooked pasta to the sauce/beef mixture.
- (You want plenty of sauce because the pasta continues to cook as it bakes.)
- At this point you can put the pasta/sauce mixture into a casserole dish or keep it in the cooking pot.
- Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until bubbly around the edges.
One Less Step
I recently tried a new method where the pasta cooks right in the oven…no need to boil it first! By adding chicken broth to the sauce, the spaghetti bakes up perfectly tender while saving a step (and a pot). It takes a bit longer in the oven, but the cleanup is easier, and the result is just as delicious.
- Add 2 cups of dry rotini pasta to an 8×8 inch baking dish.
- Add one cup of chicken broth.
- Add one jar (24 oz.) of spaghetti sauce.
- Mix together and make sure pasta is covered with the liquid.
- Top pasta mixture with 1 lb. cooked ground beef. Do not mix beef with the pasta mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Stir well.
- Top with 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese if desired.
- Return to oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving.
Shop + Source
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Can you double this recipe?
Yes! It works well if you need to feed a crowd. A double recipe fits in a 9 x 13 pan, and bakes very evenly. You may need to increase the baking time a little. This baked spaghetti is done when the cheese is melted and it’s bubbling around the edges.
Easy Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 24 oz. jar of your favorite tomato/spaghetti sauce (can use more if desired)
- 12 oz. rotini pasta
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Drain pasta.
- In the same large pot, cook the ground beef until it is no longer pink.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain or pat off any excess fat/grease.
- Pour the spaghetti sauce into the pot of ground beef.
- Stir and add chopped fresh basil if desired.
- A little at a time, add the cooked pasta to the sauce/beef mixture.
- (You want plenty of sauce because the pasta continues to cook as it bakes.)
- At this point you can put the pasta/sauce mixture into a casserole dish or keep it in the cooking pot.
- Top with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
- Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until bubbly around the edges.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
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I think baked spaghetti is my favorite food. I love how you tell us what you do to make it easier. Most instructions are pretty formal.. That sounds just like a mom or grandma. I hope to make this next week for our family. Wishing you a blessed weekend with a restful Sunday.
Thank you for a simple, delicious recipe. I think I will try it tonight. We are in the midst of a winter storm made worse by bitter cold here in Michigan. This will be an easy, yummy supper!
Ann,
Thanks so much for putting your favorite recipes together and sharing them with us. Your instructions are easy to follow and all seems easy to make. Will definitely be trying some and will give you feedback on the results! Love your tips and suggestions on a variety of topics and look forward to checking my emails for a new one. Your time and effort in gathering information for us is definitely appreciated.
Hi Ann,
I have an extremely picky 3 yr. old Grandson. Going to pass this to his Mommy. Any other picky kid, sneak nutrition, recipes out there? Thanks Ann
My husband loves baked spaghetti…I’ll have to surprise him with this
Looks delicious! How many servings does it make?
Hi Erica! It makes 6 to 8 servings depending on how large they are. Enjoy!
Ann, I love your ideas! I just printed out your recipe for Baked Spaghetti ! I have also made some of the pillows that you have given the instructions for. I am making some for my DIL’s for mother’s day this year.
I am in the process of doing the idea with the black planters on either side of our front door, with the wreath on the door. Your ideas are SO classy and elegant!
Sincerely,
Ida
Love the simplicity of this dish. I usually include a small pan of this, as an additional entree, when I have company and know there will be folks looking for something gluten free, using GF pasta.
This looks good! Yes, baking it can dry it out if you have to much pasta, done that. I’ll use Gretchen’s suggestion too. I like your recipes, and well, all of your wonderful ideas for the home place. Hope your parents are doing well and give Kelly a hug. Kathleen in Az
Hi Ann,
Love your updates and projects. You are number one gal! Keep up the suggestions and the hows tos. We all appreciate your enthusiam and am grateful for the time you give this project.