Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Easy Baked Spaghetti
A square of baked spaghetti gives you creamy pasta and savory meat sauce together beneath a golden cheese top. The strands hold plenty of that creamy filling between them. This is a generous dinner to settle into, especially if you choose a piece from the edge.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Original yield
- Serves 12
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- American · Italian
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Keep the pasta firm
Cook the spaghetti to al dente, as directed. It still has time in the oven, and firm pasta holds the layers better than noodles that are already soft.
2. Use tongs for the creamy pasta
Once the cream cheese goes into the drained spaghetti, the mixture gets thick fast. Tongs make it much easier to lift and turn the noodles until they’re evenly coated.
3. Start with a little sauce underneath
That first spoonful of meat sauce in the casserole dish helps the bottom layer settle in and keeps the spaghetti from going straight onto a dry dish.
Get to know the ingredients
Ground beef
Cook the beef with the chopped onion until done, then drain off the fat before adding the marinara. That keeps the meat sauce from turning greasy in the baked layers.
Cream cheese
The cream cheese should be softened before it meets the hot spaghetti. It needs to coat the noodles, and softened cream cheese will mix in much more evenly.
Parmesan cheese
The Parmesan gets used in two places: some goes into the cottage cheese and egg mixture, and the rest is sprinkled on after the foil comes off for the final bake.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 12. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Easy Baked Spaghetti
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Let it settle before slicing
After it comes out of the oven, give the baked spaghetti its 10-minute rest. The layers firm up a bit, so you can cut cleaner squares instead of scooping it loose.
A little more help as you go
Cover first, brown after
The casserole bakes covered at first, then uncovered after the Parmesan goes on. That final uncovered bake is what gives the cheese time to turn golden brown.
Spread each layer to the edges
As you build the casserole, smooth the spaghetti and cottage cheese mixture across the dish. Even layers make the pieces easier to cut and keep the creamy filling from bunching in one spot.
A few questions you might have
Should I rinse the spaghetti after draining it?
No rinsing is called for here. Drain it, then add the softened cream cheese while the pasta is still ready to be coated.
Does the cottage cheese mixture go on top or in the middle?
It goes between the two layers of spaghetti. Spread half the spaghetti over the first bit of meat sauce, cover it with the cottage cheese mixture, then add the remaining spaghetti.
When do I add the mozzarella?
Add the mozzarella after spooning the remaining meat sauce over the layers. It goes on before the covered bake, while the last Parmesan is saved for after the foil comes off.
Why does it need to rest before serving?
The rest helps the casserole hold together. After 10 minutes, it’s easier to cut into squares as the recipe directs.
Can I add more sauce?
Yes. You can use a little more or less sauce to suit your preference, or warm extra sauce and serve it on the side.
Any more cooking tips?
For more sauce: this easy baked spaghetti with jar sauce recipe is great because you can easily add a little more or less sauce, depending on your family’s preferences. You can also heat leftover sauce and serve it on the side if you like. To make ahead: follow the recipe, but do not bake. Cover with foil and store in the fridge until you’re ready to cook and serve. To freeze: follow the recipe as written, but instead of baking it, wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, let it thaw overnight the night before, then bake as directed. Store leftover baked spaghetti covered with aluminum foil or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the oven or individual servings in the microwave.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: asouthernsoul.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
