Give your tastebuds the million-dollar treatment with this decadent pasta bake. Layers of spaghetti are sandwiched between a creamy cheese blend and topped with hearty bolognese sauce and mozzarella cheese, then baked to gooey cheesy perfection! This truly is a luxurious yet comforting meal and your family will love you for it!
What’s In Million Dollar Spaghetti?
To make this rich-tasting masterpiece, you will need:
- Lean ground beef
- Onion and garlic
- Marinara sauce
- Italian seasoning
- Dry minced onion, garlic powder, and dry parsley
- Red pepper flakes
- Spaghetti
- Ricotta, cream cheese, and mozzarella cheese
How To Make A Layered Million Dollar Spaghetti Casserole?
This casserole is made in three steps: (preheat the oven to 350 F)
- Make the sauce:
- Saute the onion and garlic in ½ tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Mix in the ground beef and cook until brown.
- Pour in 2 cups of marinara sauce, one tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes and set aside.
- Make the cheese blend:
- Combine the ricotta cheese and cream cheese with the minced onion, dry parsley, garlic powder, one tsp Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Cook the spaghetti and assemble the casserole:
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water for three minutes less than the recommended cooking time (par cooked). Drain and return to the pot. Pour in one cup of marinara sauce.
- Assemble the dish: spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and place half of the spaghetti into the bottom.
- Spoon the cheese mixture over the spaghetti.
- Add the remaining spaghetti on top of the cheese mixture.
- Pour the bolognese sauce over the spaghetti.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
How To Prevent Spaghetti From Overcooking When Making A Casserole?
Since we are going to bake the spaghetti and it will continue cooking, the best way to prevent it from becoming too soft and mushy is to not fully cook it in boiling water before assembling the casserole. Cook it 2-3 minutes less than the recommended time.
Other Baked Pasta Casseroles For You:
- Best Tuna Casserole Recipe
- Best Boneless Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
- Cheesy Hamburger Casserole
Million Dollar Spaghetti
Give your tastebuds the million-dollar treatment with this decadent baked pasta dish!
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Servings: 12
Calories: 351kcal
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 cups marinara sauce divided
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tsp dry minced onion
- 1 tsp dry parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 F
- Make the sauce:
- Saute the onion and garlic in ½ tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Mix in the ground beef and cook until brown.
- Pour in 2 cups of marinara sauce, one tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 minutes and set aside.
- Make the cheese blend:
- Combine the ricotta cheese and cream cheese with the minced onion, dry parsley, garlic powder, one tsp Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Cook the spaghetti and assemble the casserole:
- Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water for three minutes less than the recommended cooking time (par cooked). Drain and return to the pot. Pour in one cup of marinara sauce.
- Assemble the dish: spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray and place half of the spaghetti into the bottom.
- Spoon the cheese mixture over the spaghetti.
- Add the remaining spaghetti on top of the cheese mixture.
- Pour the bolognese sauce over the spaghetti.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly on top.
- Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Notes
- Do not fully cook the spaghetti in boiling water, cook it for 2-3 minutes less than the recommended cook time.
- Remember to add salt and pepper to the meat sauce as well as the cheese blend.
- If you can, shred the mozzarella cheese yourself. It will melt better.
Nutrition
Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 16g