Beneath the peanut butter cups, bacon cupcakes and jelly beans, I felt the urge to make baked spaghetti.
It felt like a small miracle.
I wanted to make dinner for you — yes, you on the other side of the screen.
I’m not the biggest spaghetti fan — it’s the tomato-sauce thing I’m iffy about — but most people love a smooth tomato sauce simmered with garlic and spices. If that’s you, great. If not, pretend you love it since you’re here for dinner.
I’ll set out other tasty things, too.
Think hot garlic bread brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan.
Wine? Red or white — your choice. Maybe a little rum, too. I like to mix it up.
And salad — lots of it. I probably won’t eat much of it myself, but I made it for you.
See? I like you. I really like you.
Baked Parmesan Spaghetti
Yield:
4
to 6
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Ingredients
- 3/4 pound whole wheat spaghetti
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 pounds ground beef, I used 93% lean
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 10-12 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 cups your favorite pasta sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. If your spaghetti lists a 10-minute cook time, cook it for about 7 minutes so it’s slightly underdone before baking.
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Heat a skillet over medium and add the olive oil. Sauté the chopped onion with a pinch of salt and pepper until soft, about 5–6 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook another minute. Season the ground beef with the teaspoon of salt and pepper, add it to the skillet, break it up with a spoon, and brown, about 5–6 minutes.
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Stir in 1 cup of the pasta sauce and half of the chopped basil, then combine with the cooked pasta. Spray a 9×13 baking dish (or an 8-inch round, 4-inch deep dish) with nonstick spray. Spread half the spaghetti mixture into the dish, top with 1/2 cup sauce and half each of the cheeses. Add the remaining spaghetti, then the remaining sauce and cheeses. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
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I appreciate you so much!
Remember: dessert is earned — no dessert unless you eat your dinner. That’s the rule in this house (a rule I don’t always follow).