Classic Spaghetti Bake with Mozzarella
Classic Spaghetti Bake with Mozzarella is a great dish for potlucks and family gatherings. Made with cheese, ground beef, pork, or lamb, pasta and tomatoes!
Friends, I don’t know about you, but the week after New Year’s is a fun week to serve comfort dishes! Like this Classic Spaghetti Bake with Mozzarella! Especially with the snow coming down like it is here in central Oregon this week!
If you like a really saucy spaghetti, then you can double the sauce for this recipe.
Classic Spaghetti Bake with Mozzarella
So cheesy good, this spaghetti bake is a great dish to pull out of the oven, and serve with a salad and hot crunchy bread. Or, you may want to try this Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pasta Bake or this Best Four Cheese Pasta Bake.
Invite your neighbors over? Ask them to bring a bottle of wine and dessert!
You’ve got a small dinner party!
Ingredients for Classic Spaghetti Bake
- Pasta and ground beef, pork, or lamb.
- Tomatoes, spices and fresh herbs.
- And then a delicious fresh mozzarella cheese log, grated Parmesan, ricotta cheese, and eggs!
Optional to use shredded mozzarella cheese!
People need to be reminded more than we need to be instructed: Make today our best day.
It’s easy to keep trying to capture the special moments (hello, smart phone), and not really “feel” those special moments.
I’ve been hit and miss with my Instagram stories, because not every day do I feel like posting the activities in my home.
[TIP: When making this dish, cook the pasta el dente (slightly underdone).]
But honestly, we’ve been so busy making our new house a home, it’s been quite enjoyable to just put my phone down.
Same goes for having people over. I’m not always good at documenting every dining experience we have with people.
The truth of the matter: We host a lot.
Make today count
Just do it, Friends.
As my friend Melissa says in her book, Dwelling, we all have good days we want to remember, and some yesterdays we’d like to forget. [affiliate link to her book!] By the way, what an inspirational book to read for the New Year!
Which is why today counts.
I love creating memories with friends around the table. That is when my soul is truly nourished.
This dish … remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.
Enjoy!
PS. Try my friend Deborah’s Penne Pasta Bake with a hearty meaty sauce!
Get the Recipe:
Classic Spaghetti Bake with Mozzarella
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz package of pasta, cooked el dente (slightly underdone)
- ¼ c olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef, pork, or lamb
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1 28 oz can whole, peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 7 oz can tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp dried thyme
- ½ Tbsp dried marjoram
- Basil or parsley to garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 16 oz fresh mozzarella cheese log, (optional to use shredded mozzarella)
- ⅔ c grated Parmesan, divided
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ c ricotta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large 9X13 (or similar sized) baking dish.
- Cook the pasta el dente (slightly undercooked) according to package directions.
- In a large skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium-high. When oil is hot, add in the ground beef and allow to brown. Salt and pepper, then after 4-5 minutes, add in the onion, garlic, marjoram, thyme, and oregano. Stir gently and allow meat to finish cooking and the onions to become tender—taste for additional seasoning. Stir for about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low and add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Stir for 20 minutes and allow the sauce to reduce by about 1/3. Taste for seasoning.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl (large enough to fit the cooked pasta), whisk together the eggs ricotta, and 1/3 cup of Parmesan. Add the pasta to the bowl and coat with the egg mixtures (use your hands or tongs!)
- Layer 1/3 of the pasta in the baking dish followed by 1/3 of the meat sauce, and 1/3 of the mozzarella slices. Continue this layering until all ingredients are used. Finish the layering with mozarella and any additional grated cheese, like Parmesan.
- Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, then remove foil and return to baking for 20-25 minutes more, or until top is golden and browned—you can also stick the dish under the broiler on low for a minute or two to speed up the browning.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
DELICIOUS! Next time I will reduce the amount of pasta, double the sauce and use only shredded mozzarella as the cheese in log doesn’t melt.
Thanks, we added that option!
Sharing this recipe in a new easy dinner post that should go live in next seven days! ha!
thanks Sandy, I shared that I talk about your blog at parties!
laura in Colorado! send us snow!