The Ultimate Baked Spaghetti recipe – cheesy spaghetti topped with Italian seasoned cream cheese, meat sauce and mozzarella cheese – SOOOO good! Spaghetti, eggs, parmesan cheese, melted butter, Italian seasoning, garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, Italian sausage, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Can make in advance and refrigerate or freeze for a quick meal later. Serve with a salad and some garlic bread for a meal better than any restaurant!
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Pin This RecipeThe Ultimate Baked Spaghetti
I call this The Ultimate Baked Spaghetti because I combined two of my favorite baked spaghetti recipes and made one great recipe. The “ultimate” if you will. This baked pasta is crazy good. I wanted to eat the whole pan! We ate this for dinner and again for lunch the next day. O-M-YUM! So delicious! I will take this casserole over a meal at a restaurant any day. One bite and you will surely agree!
How To Make Baked Spaghetti
This baked pasta recipe is very easy to make with only a few ingredients. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, parmesan, and melted butter. Season with salt and black pepper. Add cooked spaghetti and toss to coat. Spread spaghetti mixture in the bottom of a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
In another bowl, mix together Italian seasoning, garlic, cream cheese, and sour cream. Spread an even layer over the pasta.
In a large skillet, cook Italian sausage or ground beef over medium heat until browned and no longer pink. Drain excess grease. Stir in a jar of your favorite marinara sauce. Spread sauce over the cream cheese layer. Top casserole with mozzarella cheese. Bake in a preheated oven until bubbly and the cheese has melted. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions
- Can substitute ground turkey or turkey sausage for reduced calories.
- Feel free to add some fresh chopped yellow onion and bell pepper to the skillet when cooking the meat.
- My favorite store-bought spaghetti sauces are Trader Joe’s Roasted Garlic Marinara (green label), Carbone, Rao’s, and La Famiglia DelGrosso.
- Can Baked Spaghetti be made in advance? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cover the pan with plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- If baking cold straight from the fridge, you will need to add 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time.
- Can I freeze Baked Spaghetti? Absolutely! Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to bake, thaw completely and bake as directed below.
- This makes a lot of food. You can split the recipe into two 8×8 foil pans – bake one now and freeze one unbaked for later.
- For the leftovers, I cut them into single-serving squares and freeze them wrapped in plastic wrap. When ready to eat, just thaw and pop in the microwave. Perfect for a quick and easy meal later!
Baked Spaghetti Casserole for a Crowd
This makes a ton. It would be great for a potluck. You can serve about 12 people with this casserole. If you have a larger crowd, just double or triple the recipe. You can make this in advance, so it is great for parties! Serve this with a simple salad and some garlic bread and olive oil dip for an amazing Italian feast!
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The Ultimate Baked Spaghetti
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 16- oz thin spaghetti
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 5 Tbsp butter melted
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 lb Italian sausage or hamburger cooked
- 1 (24-oz) jar spaghetti sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Whisk together eggs, parmesan cheese, and melted butter. Toss with pasta. Place in prepared pan.
- Combine Italian seasoning, garlic, cream cheese, and sour cream. Spread over pasta.
- Combined cooked sausage or hamburger and spaghetti sauce. Spread over cream cheese mixture. Top with 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Steph
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I made this once before, about 5-6 years ago. I remember it to be delicious. It reminded me a lot of lasagna. I will be making it again today, if I have sour cream. I hope it lives up to my memory.
I have made this recipe several times. One thing I do different is that I mix everything together and then put it in the 9×13 dish
I made this for a dinner party of eight people. Everyone raved about it ! It was delicious. I had leftovers for lunch today ,,,, it was even better the next day!
As usual your recipes do not disappoint, even my 3 and 6 year old grandkids who are VERY picky. I wondered about the cream cheese and sour cream but have learned to trust you and glad I did. 🙂
My daughter, who is a culinary teacher, was over for a quick visit, said she didn’t really like baked spaghetti, but not only ended up eating some, but taking some home LOL
thanks.
SO glad everyone enjoyed it!!
This is now my husband’s favorite meal!! I will definitely save this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve made this receipt numerous times and LOVE IT. This will be the first time I freeze it. My question is … Can you freeze this unbaked and then bake it without thawing it first?
Going to make this and which do you prefer – mild sausage or hamburger meat? Can’t wait to try this Rao sauce.
Just made this again tonight. SO good!! My husband L O V E S it so much. Luckily, we have plenty leftover. He would not mind eating this every night 😀 I do add an extra Tbsp melted butter. I might add an extra egg to keep the spaghetti moist. I did also add 1/4 of the pasta cooking liquid.
Can this b done with Spaghetti squash to make it more healthy?
I have not tested this recipe with spaghetti squash, so I can not say with certainty how it would turn out.
I always make this with spaghetti squash, and it is delicious!
I love this recipe!! Great every time! A crowd pleaser!
I made this for my niece’s family and her kids loved it! Her 4 year old daughter said she would pay $24 for a plate of it in a restaurant. LOL
Once again, my family has requested this yummy spaghetti bake for our Christmas dinner!!! Such a great recipe, so creamy, delicious, easy to make and never disappoints!! Thank you!!!
My family loves this recipe, definitely a favorite.
Has anyone tried making it in a 9×13 crock pot?
Going with friends and would like it ready when we get home.
I think it would be just fine in the slow cooker. I would undercook the pasta by a few minutes so it isn’t mushy.
I have never made a spaghetti bake before this recipe. It by far exceeded my expectations. I was concerned that the noodles would be dry, but they were perfect.
This was terrific! I made tonight and split into 2 smaller casseroles. I used Italian sausage and removed from casing and browned and crumbled in pan before I added the pasta sauce. I also added an extra 1/2 cup sauce too. So flavorful! Husband had seconds! Thanks for this recipe. I will definitely make this regularly.
Excellent
Was delicious and the whole family enjoyed, will def add this to my rotating schedule of dinners.