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My mother made spaghetti and meat sauce on Tuesdays for as long as I can remember, and nobody thought much about it. But every now and then, on a cold night or when my brothers were coming home from work or school, she took the same spaghetti and the same sauce and turned them into a casserole, and it became a completely different dinner. The noodles soaked up the sauce, a creamy cheese layer melted through the middle, and the top baked into a thick bubbling blanket of cheese that ran down the sides of the dish and fried itself crisp against the glass. Those four corners were the best part, and there was a rule at our table: whoever set the table got a corner.
The creamy layer is what makes it. Between two layers of sauced spaghetti she spread a mix of cream cheese, sour cream and a little parmesan with garlic and parsley. In the oven it melts down into the noodles and keeps the whole casserole rich and soft while the top crisps. Her sauce was simple and thick: ground beef browned hard with onion and garlic, then crushed tomatoes and tomato paste with a little sugar and dried herbs, simmered until it was thick enough to coat a spoon. Thin sauce makes a watery casserole, so give it the time.
Why this baked spaghetti works
- Underdone spaghetti. Boiled 2 minutes short of the package time, the noodles finish in the oven by soaking up sauce instead of turning to mush.
- A thick sauce. Simmering the meat sauce until it coats a spoon keeps the casserole from pooling with liquid when you cut it.
- The creamy middle. Cream cheese and sour cream melt into the noodles and make every bite rich, so the casserole never dries out.
- Cheese to the edges. Spreading the cheese right up against the sides of the dish is what gives you the dark, crisp corners.
Ingredients
Makes one 9x13 inch casserole, 8 generous servings. The measurements are in US cups and pounds with grams in brackets.
For the meat sauce
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (680g)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped (150g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces (794g)
- 1 can tomato paste, 6 ounces (170g)
- 1 cup water or beef broth (240ml)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the spaghetti and creamy layer
- 1 pound spaghetti (450g)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (225g), soft
- 1 cup sour cream (240g)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan (45g)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For the top
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (170g)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (170g)
Shred the cheese from a block if you can. Pre-shredded cheese is coated to stop it sticking, and it melts and browns less evenly on top.
How to make baked spaghetti
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the bits are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water or broth, sugar, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring now and then, for 20 minutes until thick.
- Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in well salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain well.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan, garlic and parsley until smooth.
- Toss the spaghetti with about a third of the meat sauce. Spread half of it in the baking dish.
- Dollop the creamy mixture over the spaghetti and spread it gently into an even layer. Top with the rest of the spaghetti, then pour the remaining meat sauce over everything.
- Scatter the cheddar and mozzarella over the top, right to the edges of the dish.
- Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the edges are dark golden and crisp. Let it rest 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
Tips that make the difference
- Let it rest before cutting. Ten minutes lets the creamy layer set so the squares hold their shape.
- For extra crisp corners, run the dish under the broiler for the last 2 minutes and watch it closely.
- Drain the noodles very well. Water clinging to the spaghetti thins the sauce in the oven.
- Soften the cream cheese properly, or it will not spread over the noodles without tearing them.
Variations
- Mushroom. Brown 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms with the beef.
- Cottage cheese. Use 1 1/2 cups of cottage cheese in place of the sour cream for a lighter creamy layer.
- Ground turkey. Use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef and add an extra pinch of oregano.
- Green pepper. Cook a chopped green bell pepper with the onion, the way my aunt made hers.
Storage and make-ahead
Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. It reheats beautifully, and many people think it is better the next day.
Reheat squares covered in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or in the microwave.
To make ahead, assemble the casserole without baking, cover and refrigerate for up to a day, then add 10 minutes to the baking time. It also freezes, unbaked and well wrapped, for up to 3 months.
Frequently asked questions
What is the creamy layer in baked spaghetti?
Cream cheese, sour cream and parmesan with garlic and parsley, spread between two layers of sauced spaghetti. It melts into the noodles in the oven.
Why is my baked spaghetti dry?
The noodles were fully cooked before baking or the sauce was too thin and boiled off. Undercook the spaghetti by 2 minutes and use plenty of thick sauce.
Can I make baked spaghetti ahead?
Yes. Assemble it up to a day ahead, cover and refrigerate, and add 10 minutes to the baking time.
Should I cover baked spaghetti in the oven?
No. Bake it uncovered so the cheese browns and the corners go crisp.
Make the sauce thick, underdo the noodles, and spread the cheese all the way to the edges. Then decide who set the table.
Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and a Creamy Cheese Layer
Old-fashioned baked spaghetti: spaghetti in a ground beef tomato sauce, layered with a creamy cream cheese and sour cream filling, topped with cheddar and mozzarella and baked in a 9x13 dish at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until the corners go crisp.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 ounces
- 1 can tomato paste, 6 ounces
- 1 cup water or beef broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 8 ounces cream cheese (225g), soft
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the onion, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the bits are browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water or broth, sugar, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer uncovered over low heat, stirring now and then, for 20 minutes until thick.
- Meanwhile cook the spaghetti in well salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain well.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, parmesan, garlic and parsley until smooth.
- Toss the spaghetti with about a third of the meat sauce. Spread half of it in the baking dish.
- Dollop the creamy mixture over the spaghetti and spread it gently into an even layer. Top with the rest of the spaghetti, then pour the remaining meat sauce over everything.
- Scatter the cheddar and mozzarella over the top, right to the edges of the dish.
- Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the edges are dark golden and crisp. Let it rest 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
