Baked Spaghetti is the epitome of comfort food. It’s ooey-gooey cheesiness and red meat sauce warms the soul. To make it, you layer classic spaghetti bolognese with cheese and bake it for 30 minutes in the oven. The result is a delicious, lasagna-like pasta dish that will leave you wanting seconds and thirds.
Baked Spaghetti is the perfect group meal because it’s meant to be made (and enjoyed) in a big batch. Before a road trip to upstate New York, I always prep a big baked spaghetti batch. When we arrive at the cabin, I simply pop it in the oven and can almost instantly feed a car full of tired travelers.
This Big Batch Baked Spaghetti recipe keeps it simple by using store-bought pasta sauce. The depth of flavor is added to the sauce by simmering it with your meat of choice for at least an hour. My family friends have been making this Big Batch Baked Spaghetti for a crowd for years and we’ve learned some secrets along the way. Like, the longer you simmer your sauce in meat, the tastier it will be, so be patient. The recipe calls for ground turkey, but you can use ground beef or pork. You can also mix different ground meats for an even tastier sauce.
That Planner Friend Tip: Ground pork and ground turkey go well together to balance out the fattiness of the pork while still bringing out that irresistible pork ragu flavor.
Over the years, we started to add fresh mozzarella to the layers for extra cheesiness. The latest addition that makes this recipe extra special is the oregano. You can plus up the favor by using Italian seasoning instead. Sometimes, you can even find Italian-seasoned ground turkey at the grocery store to add to your meat sauce.
This Big Batch Baked Spaghetti tastes even better the next day. I like to make it at the beginning of a group trip so we have leftovers for lunch (or even breakfast).
Big Batch Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey (or another ground meat of your choice)
- 1 24-oz jar of marinara pasta sauce
- 1 16-oz pack of spaghetti
- 1 bag of whole-milk shredded mozzarella
- 1 bag of Italian four-cheese blend
- 1 ball of fresh mozzarella
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Add 1 lb ground turkey (or another ground meat of your choice) to a large heavy-bottomed pan and season it with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp oregano, and 1 tsp kosher salt.
- Cook the meat for 8 to 10 minutes until it is browned.
- Once the meat has browned, add 1 24-oz jar of marinara pasta sauce to the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover it and cook for at least 45 minutes to an hour. The longer the meat simmers in the sauce, the tastier it will be.
- Meanwhile, boil 1 16-oz pack of spaghetti according to package directions while the meat is simmering.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- When the meat sauce and pasta are ready, add the cooked pasta to the meat sauce and combine. Then, add half of the spaghetti and meat sauce mixture to the bottom of a casserole dish.
- Layer 1 cup of shredded mozzarella and 1 cup of shredded Italian four-cheese blend on top of pasta. Tear pieces of fresh mozzarella and place on top.
- Layer the other half of the spaghetti on top and repeat the above steps, starting with the shredded cheese and then topping it off with fresh mozzarella.
- Transfer the casserole dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Bake at no more than 350 degrees so you can keep it in there for at least 30 minutes without the cheese burning.
- Once the cheese has melted evenly, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve with a spatula in lasagna-like pieces and enjoy.
Reply