Baked Spaghetti

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This baked spaghetti recipe is one of my all-time favorite family-style pasta casseroles, especially when I need a hearty dinner that feeds a crowd. Baking spaghetti in the oven transforms a classic stovetop meal into something extra cozy — bubbly, cheesy, and perfectly scoopable, with flavors you just can’t get from sauce spooned over noodles.

And this one is hearty in the best way: 1 pound of spaghetti and 2 full pounds of meat (ground beef + Italian sausage). The sauce is a rich marinara gently softened with sour cream, which mellows the acidity and adds creaminess without turning the casserole heavy or overly rich. As it bakes, the noodles and sauce have time to bond and extra moisture cooks off, giving you a thick, comforting baked spaghetti that holds together beautifully.

This is an everyday baked spaghetti — balanced, meaty, and family-friendly — not a cream-cheese-forward casserole. If you want a dependable 9×13 pasta bake that actually satisfies hungry people, this is the one you’ll make on repeat.

If you love cozy baked pasta dishes like this, be sure to try my Million Dollar Spaghetti, Baked Ziti with Ricotta, or Spaghetti Pie next — they’re all hearty, cheesy, and perfect for feeding a crowd. And for even more easy, family-friendly favorites, browse my Spaghetti Recipes collection.

✨ Before You Begin

✨ Cook the spaghetti just to al dente. The noodles will finish cooking in the oven, so slightly firm pasta keeps this baked spaghetti hearty instead of mushy.
✨ Drain the pasta really well. Let it sit in the strainer for a minute, then give it a gentle toss to shake loose any trapped water — excess moisture can make your pasta bake runny.
✨ Use a large pot or bowl for mixing. This recipe makes a big, hearty batch (1 pound of pasta + 2 pounds of meat), so you’ll need plenty of room to fold everything together evenly.
✨ Expect this to feed a crowd. This baked spaghetti is intentionally generous and filling, making it perfect for big families, potlucks, or planning for leftovers.

Baked Spaghetti Ingredients + Key Notes

• Spaghetti (16 ounces) – Classic spaghetti works beautifully here, but other sturdy pasta shapes can be used if needed.
• Ground beef (1 pound, 80/20) – Adds richness and hearty texture.
• Italian sausage (1 pound) – Brings bold, savory flavor that balances the sauce.
• Yellow onion (1½ cups, chopped) – Softens into the sauce for depth and sweetness.
• Garlic (1 tablespoon, minced) – Enhances the savory base without overpowering.
• Italian seasoning (1 tablespoon) – Ties all the flavors together.
• Marinara or tomato basil sauce (2 jars, 24 ounces each) – Use a sauce you love; it’s the backbone of the dish.
• Sour cream (16 ounces) – The key to a creamy, cohesive sauce without using cream cheese.
• Mozzarella cheese (3 cups, shredded, divided) – For that classic baked, melty finish.
• Parmesan cheese (1 cup, shredded) – Adds salty, savory depth.
• Marinara sauce: Use your favorite jarred sauce for convenience (tomato basil is my go-to), but garlic or four-cheese marinara is delicious too. If you want to go homemade, try my Marinara Sauce.

🥣 How to Make Baked Spaghetti

Cook the spaghetti in well-salted water just until al dente, then drain thoroughly and return it to the pot. Brown the ground beef with salt and pepper in a large skillet, breaking it into medium chunks; drain excess fat and add it to the pasta. In the same skillet, brown the Italian sausage, then transfer it to the pot as well. Leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet (adding oil if needed), and sauté the onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning until softened and fragrant. Add that mixture to the pasta, then fold in the marinara sauce, sour cream, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and all of the Parmesan until everything is evenly coated. Transfer the mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella, and bake at 350°F until hot, bubbly, and lightly golden on top. Let it rest briefly before serving so the casserole sets up nicely.

💗 Tried This Recipe? Made this Baked Spaghetti? I’d love your feedback! Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and a quick comment below.

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⭐ Pro Tips for the Best Baked Spaghetti

⭐ Cook the spaghetti to al dente. The noodles keep cooking in the oven, so slightly firm pasta prevents a mushy casserole.
⭐ Drain the pasta like you mean it. Let it sit in the strainer for a full minute, then give it a gentle toss to shake loose trapped water — extra moisture can make baked spaghetti runny.
⭐ Why sour cream works. It mellows the acidity of marinara and adds body, so the sauce clings to the noodles and bakes up creamy and cohesive (not watery).
⭐ Fold gently, don’t stir hard. Tossing too aggressively can break the spaghetti and turn the texture messy instead of hearty.
⭐ Let it rest 10 minutes before slicing. This gives the sauce time to set so you get thick, scoopable servings.

Variations & Substitutions

• Vegetarian Baked Spaghetti: Skip the meat and reduce the marinara slightly so the noodles stay coated, not soupy. Add sautéed mushrooms or zucchini for texture.
• Different Pasta Shapes: Penne, rotini, or ziti all work well if that’s what you have on hand.
• Sauce Options: Tomato basil is classic, but garlic or four-cheese marinara works nicely too.

More Fabulous Spaghetti Recipes

• Spaghetti Recipe with Ground Beef 
• Italian Spaghetti
• One Pot Spaghetti
• Crockpot Spaghetti
• Instant Pot Spaghetti
• Mexican Spaghetti
• Chicken Spaghetti With Rotel

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today — happy cooking, friends! 💗 Kathleen

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Baked Spaghetti

Double meat, delicious marinara with a hint of cream, and lots of cheese will make baked spaghetti a family favorite. I promise- they’re gonna want seconds!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Kathleen

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti
• ▢ 1 pound ground beef 80/20
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• ▢ 1 pound Italian Sausage
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 2 (24-ounce) jars tomato and basil sauce or marinara sauce
• ▢ 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• ▢ 3 cups mozzarella shredded, divided
• ▢ 1 cup parmesan shredded

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Cook the spaghetti (1 package) in well-salted water according to package instructions, just to al dente and drain well. Wipe out the pasta pot with paper towels and pour the well-drained pasta into the pot.
• Add the beef (1 pound), salt (1 teaspoon), and pepper (1/2 teaspoon) to a large skillet and brown, breaking it up into medium chunks until there is no longer any pink. Drain excess fat. Pour beef into the pasta pot.
• In the same skillet, brown the sausage (1 pound), breaking it up into medium chunks, until cooked through. Pour the sausage into the pasta pot. Remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat in the skillet. If there are not 2 tablespoons of fat, add vegetable oil.
• Add the onion (1 1/2 cups), garlic (1 tablespoon), and Italian seasoning (1 tablespoon) to the skillet and saute on medium-low until the onions are translucent. Pour into the pasta pot.
• Pour the tomato basil sauce (2 jars), sour cream, 1 cup mozzarella, and parmesan (1 cup) into the pasta pot and fold until everything is evenly combined and all the pasta is well coated in sauce.
• Pour the pasta into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven until bubbly, about 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle top with parsley and serve.

Fans Also Made:

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  Spaghetti Stuffed Garlic Bread

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Notes

1. Moisture: Make sure you allow your pasta plenty of time to drain. Toss it gently in the strainer to shake loose any trapped water. Excess moisture will make your pasta bake runny!
2. Vegetarian version: If you want to make a meatless baked spaghetti, you can simply leave out the meat and decrease the amount of marinara sauce. You’ll want just enough sauce to coat the noodles. You can add veggies, but beware of the moisture they will bring. Some great options would be mushrooms, zucchini, or eggplant.
3. Cooking the pasta: Use proper pasta cooking techniques when cooking the spaghetti. Be sure not to overcook it, or it will turn to mush when baked!
4. Pasta: Since this is a spaghetti bake, the recipe calls for spaghetti, but you can use any kind of pasta you want!
5. Marinara sauce: Use your favorite bottled sauce for extra convenience! I like to use a tomato basil flavor, but a four cheese or garlic marinara sauce would be good too! If you want to make a homemade, try my marinara sauce recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/8 of the recipe | Calories: 584kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 125mg | Sodium: 2285mg | Potassium: 812mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Vitamin C: 3.6mg | Calcium: 399mg | Iron: 2.4mg

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