This Easy Baked Spaghetti is a one-pan meal that’s always a hit at the supper table or at a covered dish supper. With a creamy, cheesy center, and a meaty sauce, this pasta casserole is comfort food taken to a whole new level!
Baked Spaghetti Casserole is one of those feel-good dinners I turn to when I want something easy and satisfying. This cozy casserole is loaded with savory beef, rich sauce, and lots of cheese—all baked together into one happy, hearty meal. It’s weeknight comfort made easy.
5-Star Reader Comment
This is the best baked spaghetti I have ever had! Husband and guest loved it!
Sue
Don’t miss my spaghetti casserole recipes like Rotel Chicken Spaghetti and Easy Taco Spaghetti, which are hearty, delicious meals that are also freezer-friendly.
Spaghetti Casserole Ingredients
- Ground Beef: I use lean ground beef for this recipe.
- Medium Onion: Adding a yellow onion to the sauce is a trick to enhance store-bought marinara.
- Marinara Sauce: I like to use Rao’s because it uses very simple ingredients with no additives from other store-bought sauces. You can also use my homemade spaghetti sauce.
- Cottage Cheese: This is one of the ingredients that really sets this spaghetti bake recipe apart. Cottage cheese is much creamier than ricotta and packs in more protein.
- Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated parmesan cheese to add a wonderful saltiness and rich flavor.
- Eggs: Helps to bind the parmesan mixture, making a true casserole that can be cut and served.
- Spaghetti: Classic spaghetti is my favorite, but you can also use whole wheat pasta as well.
- Cream Cheese: Our reader Angela said, “The cream cheese makes this recipe pop with creamy cheesiness,” and I agree.
- Mozzarella: No Italian spaghetti bake is complete without that mouthwatering mozzarella cheese pull!
Variations and Additions
- Substitute ground turkey or Italian sausage (like in my Italian Sausage Ravioli Bake) for the beef.
- If you are trying to eat more vegetables, this sauce is a great place to toss in mushrooms, zucchini, and diced bell pepper.
- Fancy up the meat sauce with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
What You’ll Need to Make It
- A 9×13-inch baking dish (go ahead and lightly grease it for easy cleanup.)
- A large skillet for cooking the beef.
- A stirring spoon and cheese grater for prepping ingredients.
- Kitchen tongs for mixing pasta and sauce.
How to Make Easy Baked Spaghetti
Step 1 – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and cook the ground beef and onion in a large skillet.
Step 2 – Drain the fat, mix in the marinara sauce, and let simmer. While that cooks, make the spaghetti noodles as directed on the package.
How Long Should I Cook Spaghetti?
Pasta should always be cooked in a large pot of salted water to al dente, which means cooked through but still having a bite to it. This is especially important because the spaghetti in the oven will continue to cook in the sauce and cheese mixture.
Step 3 – When the spaghetti is drained, add the cream cheese and mix well to completely coat the noodles. The mixture will be thick, so I recommend tongs to stir the noodles.
Step 4 – Place approximately ½ cup of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Place half of the spaghetti on top of the meat mixture, smoothing to the edges of the baking dish. Layer on cottage cheese mixture, covering all of the spaghetti.
Step 5 – Layer remaining spaghetti over cheese. Spoon the remaining meat mixture over all layers. Top with Mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake.
Step 6 – Remove the foil, sprinkle on Parmesan cheese, and bake for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut and serve.
Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly Tips
- Prep ahead: Assemble the casserole the night before and refrigerate. Bake it fresh in the morning—no stress, no fuss!
- Freeze and reheat: Bake once, cool, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight, bake at 350°F until warmed through, and expect a hearty, delicious casserole anytime.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Microwave individual portions or reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes—just like fresh!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small to medium onion – chopped
- 1 24 oz jar Marinara sauce – I use Rao’s
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese – grated
- 1 egg
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 8 oz softened cream cheese
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese – grated
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion until done. Drain off fat. Pour Mariana sauce over the meat and mix well.
- In a large pot, cook spaghetti to al dente (firm and not over cooked). When done, drain. Add the softened cream cheese and mix well, coating all spaghetti. The mixture will be thick, so I recommend using tongs to stir.
- Mix together, in a medium size bowl, cottage cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese and egg.
- To build baked spaghetti, place approximately ½ cup of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Place half of the spaghetti on top of the meat mixture, smoothing to the edges of the casserole dish. Layer on cottage cheese mixture, covering all of the spaghetti. Layer remaining spaghetti over cheese.
- Spoon the remaining meat mixture over all layers. Top with Mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle on ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, and bake for an additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden brown.
- Remove from and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.
Video
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Questions And Answers
Yes! Use sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers instead of beef, and add extra herbs for flavor.
Absolutely—just use two 9×13 pans. One’s for now, one’s for later!
Try Pepper Jack for spice, or a combination of ricotta and mozzarella for extra creaminess.
What To Serve With Oven Baked Spaghetti
My favorite way to turn this into a full spaghetti dinner is with Antipasto Skewers, garlic parmesan skillet rolls, easy everyday green salad, and everyone’s favorite cinnamon sugar dessert pizza!
Craving More? Try These Pasta Recipes
If you tried this Easy Baked Spaghetti Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
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It was very good however the sauce seemed to evaporate while baking. I even used a 32 oz jar of sauce instead of the 24 oz in the recipe. Next time I’ll be sure to use alot more sauce
Hey there Amy!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe and for your wonderful rating, I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! Cooking is all about making recipes fit your own tastes and preferences, so adding more sauce next time sounds like a great idea to me! I really appreciate all your support, let me know if you ever have any questions, I’m always happy to help!
~Donya
This is so delicious that I am making for the second time this month. I refuse to eat left over spaghetti but this I can eat left over and it tastes even better the second day!
Hey there Teresa!
Wow! I am thrilled to hear that you’ve been enjoying this recipe! I totally agree with you that this Baked Spaghetti makes wonderful leftovers, it’s a great meal for hectic weeks and super easy to make. Since you enjoyed this recipe, you should check out my Out of This World Rotel Chicken Spaghetti, it’s just as quick to prepare and the flavors are incredible. Thank you so much for your kind words of support and your wonderful rating, let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’d be happy to help!
~Donya
Thank you so much! My granddaughter & family are coming for a visit. I think they will love your recipe! I will let you know.
Can I prepare baked spaghetti day before and hold in the refrigerator until next day?
Hey there Linda!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a great question! You can absolutely prepare this recipe ahead of time, just follow the instructions in the recipe card until you get to the baking part, then simply cover it with tinfoil and store in the fridge until you’re ready to bake! I really hope you enjoy the recipe, let me know how everything turns out!
~Donya
Can this be frozen?
Hey there Lenetta!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, that’s a great question! The answer is yes, this dish is absolutely freezer-friendly! Just assemble it per the instructions, then instead of baking it in the oven, just wrap it up and freeze it. When you want to serve it, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw 24 hours prior to baking. I’ve often divided the recipe into two portions, cooking one and freezing one. This is a great way to stretch your budget and stock your fridge! I hope this helps, let me know how you like the recipe!
~Donya
Do you thaw it in the fridge?
Absolutely delicious recipe for a crowd – everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. The only changes I made were using ricotta instead of cottage cheese and adding garlic to the meat while sautéing. We’ll definitely be eating this again soon!
Hey there Mary!
WOW! Thank you so much for your kind words and this phenomenal rating! I am thrilled to hear that everyone enjoyed this recipe, I completely agree that this dish is perfect for feeding a crowd. It sounds like you made a delicious meal, with some tasty additions, I like to add garlic sometimes as well. Thank you so much for your support, it means the world. If you ever have any questions about a recipe, please feel free to reach out!
~Donya
My family loved this dish.I my self don’t care for cream cheese but this dish was out of this world packed with some much flavor one thing I should have done though was baked it a little longer ty
Hey there Kelly!
Wow! Thank you so much, I am so thrilled to hear that you and your family enjoyed this recipe. It’s such an easy-to-make weeknight meal, what’s not to love. If you liked this recipe, you should check out my Creamy Chicken Casserole recipe, it’s just as easy to make and it’s a terrific make-ahead dish. Thank you for your phenomenal rating and your kind words of support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please feel free to reach out!
~Donya
I left out cottage cheese and added peppers, mushrooms, garlic and spinach. Everyone loved it!
Hey there Julia!
So glad to hear everyone enjoyed this, I bet adding the extra veggies was delicious! Thank you so very much for your phenomenal rating, if you ever have any questions about a recipe don’t hesitate to ask!
Best,
~Donya
Omg!!!! We have tried so many baked spaghetti recipes. Our search is over. Only thing we did different was use homemade sauce. This was amazing
Hey Tammy!
I’m so thrilled y’all enjoyed this recipe! Using your own marinara sounds like a really nice touch, great way to make the recipe your own. Thank you so much for your rating and your support!
~Donya
This sounds great– Question – can this be frozen before and/after- Only me in HH and want some good healthy recipes to make & freeze. Still love to cook- and need recipes to fill my freezer and this one sounds great- mine never turned out good before- My son comes by at times and I would love to surprise him with this. Thank you
Hey Jan!
That’s a great question! You can absolutely freeze it, I recommend in an airtight container. I really hope you and your son enjoy this recipe, it’s definitely a favorite in my house! Let me know how it goes!
~Donya