Monday, June 17, 2019

Baked Spaghetti

The late Mr. O-P loved pasta. And because of this love, and because we shared cooking duties, we would have pasta in some form once a week. That tradition came to an end when he did, and I’m sorry about that. I do like pasta; I just don’t often think to make it.

Today I was looking for something comforting, reminiscent of the old days, and in casserole form. It seemed a bit of a tall order initially, but then I thought about how much Jim used to like spaghetti and I thought why not make a big spaghetti casserole, and so I did. It was as good as I hoped it would be.
Baked Spaghetti

8 oz.
spaghetti
1 lb. ground chuck
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ c. chopped Italian flat-leaved parsley
½ t. Montreal steak seasoning
1 32-oz. jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
½ t.
seasoned salt
¼ t. dried basil
¼ t. dried oregano
2 large eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 15-oz. container of ricotta cheese, divided
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 1½-quart baking dish; set aside.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 12 minutes; drain.

While pasta is boiling, cook beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until meat is browned and onions are soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and parsley and cook 1 to 2 minutes more; drain. Turn off heat; return drained meat mixture to pan. Stir in spaghetti sauce, seasoned salt, basil, and oregano.

Whisk eggs, Parmesan cheese, and butter in a large bowl. Add drained spaghetti to egg mixture and toss to coat.


Place half of the spaghetti mixture into your baking dish. Top with half of the ricotta cheese, 1/3 of the mozzarella, and half of the meat sauce. Repeat this layer once more. Top with the final third of the mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes longer.

Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves 6

Another delicious baked pasta dish is Baked Ziti.



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5 comments:

Linda said...

I love your take on one of my favorite dishes. My husband loves pasta, but I haven't thought to make this dish in years.

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

such a classic dish that everyone always loves. Looks great

Debbie - Mountain Mama said...

Well now I want pasta!!!!!!!!!! This looks amazing, my daughter would love it!

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

Your baked spaghetti sounds wonderful and I'm sure brought back memories of your late hubby and his love for pasta.

SavoringTime in the Kitchen said...

I used to have a recipe for baked spaghetti with bacon that I loved and lost. This version sounds wonderful too!