How to Make Baked Spaghetti
- cook TIME 30 mins
- prep TIME 12 mins
- total TIME 42 mins
Ingredients (17)
- 14 oz cooked spaghetti from 7 oz raw
- 8 oz 85% lean ground beef
- 1 cup homemade tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp Hunt's tomato paste
- 1 oz cheddar cheese
- 1 oz fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 oz onion diced
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1 tbsp brown gravy mix
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep
Cook the Spaghetti: Bring water to a boil in a large pot, then add the spaghetti. Check the packaging for the specific water amount and cooking time. It usually takes around 8 - 12 minutes to cook spaghetti.
Mince the Garlic: Separate the cloves, and crush them with the middle part of a chef’s knife’s flat side to facilitate considerably easier peeling then place the peeled cloves under the knife’s edge.
Dice the Onion: Slice the onion in half. Lay one of the halves flat on the chopping board. With the knife pointed toward the root, thinly slice the onion, then push the knife crosswise through it. Hold the sliced bits together with your non-dominant hand and cut them lengthwise into tiny cubes.
Cook
Sauté the Herbs and Veggies: Over medium-high heat, sauté 1 tbsp garlic with 1 tbsp olive oil for 30 seconds, then add 2 oz onion and 1 tsp thyme, and continue stirring for around 1 minute until fragrant.
Sauté the Beef with Tomato Paste: Proceed to add 1 tbsp Hunt's tomato paste, quickly stir for 30 seconds, then add 8 oz 85% lean ground beef and continue sautéing for 5 minutes until the meat is golden brown.
Season the Beef: While sautéing, add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tbsp brown gravy mix, and 1 tbsp all-purpose flour, and stir around to season the beef.
Add the Sauce and the Broth: Add 1 cup homemade tomato sauce to the seasoned beef, stir around, then pour 1 cup unsalted chicken broth in and let the mixture simmer for 3 minutes.
Add the Spaghetti: Turn off the heat, add the 14 oz cooked spaghetti to the pan and stir until thoroughly coated.
Pour the Mixture into a Baking Dish: Evenly dispense the cooked food into a baking dish. Make sure the dish is deep enough so it isn’t filled to the brim and spills over during the baking process.
Bake the Mixture: Preheat the oven to 400°F, wait for several minutes for the oven to heat up, then put the baking dish in and bake for 15 minutes.
Add the Cheese: Remove the baking dish, sprinkle 1 oz cheddar cheese and 1 oz fresh mozzarella cheese over the top, then bake at 450°F for another 5 minutes.
Garnish and Enjoy: Remove the baking dish, garnish with 2 tbsp parsley, then serve hot.