Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti for Busy Weeknights

Baked spaghetti is one of those classic comfort food recipes that never goes out of style. It’s easy to make, budget-friendly, and always a crowd-pleaser—whether you’re feeding a hungry family or bringing a dish to share.

This easy cheesy baked spaghetti recipe is perfect for busy weeknights, Meatless Mondays, or anytime you need a meal that can be made ahead and popped into the oven at dinnertime. While it’s delicious for National Spaghetti Day, it’s also one of my go-to dinners when I want something cozy, filling, and stress-free.

I’m sharing a meatless, vegetarian baked spaghetti, but this recipe is incredibly flexible. You can easily customize it with ground beef, Italian sausage, chicken, or extra vegetables depending on what you have on hand.

Baked spaghetti topped with melty mozzarella and Parmesan cheese is comfort food at its best.

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A Little Baked Spaghetti Background

Baked spaghetti is a casserole-style pasta dish made with cooked spaghetti noodles layered or mixed with sauce, cheese, and optional add-ins like vegetables, meat, cottage cheese, or ricotta. The dish is baked until hot and bubbly, creating a hearty, comforting meal.

While baked pasta dishes have roots in Italian cooking, baked spaghetti became especially popular in the United States in the early 1900s, thanks to its affordability, ease, and family-friendly appeal.

Ingredients for Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

• 1 pound Spaghetti, Broken into 3-inch pieces
  
• 1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
• 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
• 1 Bell Pepper, seeded and chopped (red, yellow or orange) 
• 8 oz. Baby Bella Mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 (24-ounce) jar Marinara Sauce--I love Dei Fratelli sauces
  
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
  
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 cups small curd Cottage Cheese or Ricotta Cheese
  
• 2 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
  
• 1 cup grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
• Fresh Parsley, chopped for garnish 

 How to Make Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. until al dente. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a pasta pot or large dutch oven over medium heat.
4. Add onion, bell peppers, mushrooms and garlic to the pan. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until softened. 
5. Stir in crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
6. In a large bowl, combine cooked spaghetti, sauce, cottage or ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/2 of the Parmesan cheese.
7. Transfer the mixture into a nonstick 9x13 inch baking dish.
8. Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
9. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
10. Garnish with fresh parsley. 

Serve warm and enjoy!

 Need the Ingredients or Gadgets to Make this Recipe?

Things that I use to make my easy cheesy baked spaghetti—all in one place. These are my go-to pantry staples and simple ingredients for those nights when dinner needs to be easy, cozy, and family-approved. I love having everything on hand so this recipe comes together fast (and without extra trips to the store).

 You can find all of these ingredients linked in my Amazon storefront.
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Customize this Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

One of the reasons I love this recipe is how easy it is to adapt: 

• Add extra vegetables. I love to load this with veggies! Shredded carrots, zucchini, spinach, white mushrooms and green peppers all work well. If you add more than a cup of extra vegetables, consider adding an additional 1/2 jar of marinara sauce to thin the sauce mixture.
  
• Use different cheeses. Mozzarella cheese is the classic, traditional choice for baked spaghetti, but cheddar, provolone or an Italian blend are great options.
• Add meat if desired.  Brown 1 pound of ground beef, Italian sausage or diced cooked chicken and stir it into the sauce before assembling the dish.

Tips for the BEST Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti 

• Use a good quality pasta sauce. I love Dei Fratelli Pasta Sauces.  My go-to sauce is this Dei Fratelli Fire Roasted Vegetable pasta sauce.  A flavorful marinara will make a big difference in the flavor of the final dish.
• Don't overcook the pasta. Keep the pasta slightly firm since it will continue to cook in the oven.
• Avoid overbaking. The cheese should be melted and bubbly, not browned.
• Make it a meal. Serve with a green salad and garlic bread for an easy, complete dinner.  Here is the garlic butter spread recipe I use for homemade baked garlic bread!
  

No matter how you customize it, this easy cheesy baked spaghetti is sure to become a family favorite. It’s comforting, flexible, and perfect for busy nights when you still want something homemade and satisfying. Grab your ingredients and get cooking—you really can’t go wrong with this one.