Baked Spaghetti Recipe

Overhead view of a slice of baked spaghetti being lifted out of the casserole dish.

4.97 from 29 votes

Baked spaghetti is a warm and comforting pasta casserole. As the pasta bakes, flavor infuses into the spaghetti, making it even more flavorful.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Prep Time5

Cook Time50

Total Time55

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Total Cost: $8.95 recipe / $1.49 serving

Servings:

Author: Beth Moncel

Ingredients

1 yellow onion $0.42
3 cloves garlic $0.24
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.16
1/2 lb. Italian sausage $3.00 *
3 oz. tomato paste $0.45
1 28oz. can crushed tomatoes $0.85
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning $0.10
1/2 tsp salt $0.02
1/2 cup water $0.00
12 oz. spaghetti $1.00
1 cup small curd cottage cheese $0.93
1/4 cup grated Parmesan $0.50
1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper $0.02
1 cup shredded mozzarella $1.25
1 Tbsp chopped parsley optional garnish, $0.05

Instructions

Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Add the Italian sausage and cook until browned.
Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and continue to stir and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and water. Stir to combine, then allow the sauce to come up to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer while you cook the pasta.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add ½ Tbsp salt to a large pot of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and continue to boil until the pasta is tender, but not fully cooked. Drain the pasta in a colander.
Add the drained pasta to the sauce and stir to combine.
Combine the cottage cheese, Parmesan, and pepper in a bowl.
Lightly grease an 8x11" casserole dish. Layer in half of the spaghetti and sauce, then top with the cottage cheese mixture. Add the second half of the spaghetti and sauce, then top with the shredded mozzarella.
Cover the dish with foil then bake the spaghetti for 30 minutes. Top the spaghetti with chopped parsley, if desired. Slice into six pieces, then serve!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Feel free to up the amount of meat to a whole pound if you have room in your budget. You can also swap the Italian sausage for another ground meat, like ground beef, but you’ll lose out on a lot of flavor (Italian sausage is packed with lots of spices). If you decide to use a different type of ground meat, I recommend doubling the herbs and spices you add to the sauce.

Nutrition