Description
This baked spaghetti recipe combines tender pasta with a rich tomato cream sauce and Italian sausage, layered with a blend of mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. It's a comforting, cheesy casserole perfect for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Spaghetti and Cheese
- 1 lb. thin spaghetti
- 3 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley (optional for garnish)
Tomato Cream Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 small onion
- 1 carrot (optional)
- 1 stalk celery (optional)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional for more heat)
- 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes in puree
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon base, crushed cubes or powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar (more or less to taste)
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (may substitute evaporated milk)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F to get it ready for baking the spaghetti casserole.
- Cook Spaghetti: Boil the spaghetti in salted water according to package directions but stop cooking one minute before it reaches al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
- Chop Vegetables: Roughly chop the onion, celery, and carrot. Use a food processor to pulse about 12 times until finely chopped, or chop them finely by hand.
- Brown Sausage and Vegetables: In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the Italian sausage along with the chopped onion, celery, and carrot. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for another 30 seconds. Drain any excess grease if necessary.
- Add Sauce Ingredients: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, beef bouillon, sugar, dried herbs, salt, pepper, and bay leaf into the browned sausage and vegetables mixture.
- Simmer Sauce: Cover the pot leaving a 1-inch gap and gently simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir the heavy cream into the sauce. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pot and toss with tongs until the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce.
- Layer Casserole: Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Spread half of the spaghetti mixture in the dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella. Add the remaining spaghetti and sauce, then top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese.
- Bake: Cover the casserole with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove the foil and bake a few more minutes if you prefer toasted cheese on top.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve warm.
Notes
- Sausage substitutions: You can swap hot Italian pork sausage for hot Italian chicken or turkey sausage, or use lean ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey plus extra Italian seasonings and a pinch of red pepper flakes and fennel for added flavor.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator covered tightly with foil for up to 5 days.
- Make Ahead: Assemble the casserole a day ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Before baking, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and increase baking time by 10 minutes.
- Freezing: Assemble uncooked casserole in a freezer-safe dish, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 350 degrees F for 1 hour covered, then uncover and bake 15-30 minutes until heated through and cheese melted.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
