I just love this pasta bake! Baked spaghetti was always (and still is!) one of my favorite meals. My mom wisely made extra spaghetti when she cooked up a batch of homemade spaghetti sauce and saved the excess pasta to make this cheesy delight with a Florentine twist. I have to confess that I liked this better. How long it takes: 25 minutes to prep, and 45 minutes in the oven Equipment you’ll need: pasta pan, strainer, baking dish, skillet, mixing bowl, oven Servings: 4 And what’s not to like? Pasta (which gets just a little bit crispy around the edges), lots of cheesy goodness, spinach and mushrooms, baked into a bubbling and golden brown casserole. I think you’ll love it, too!
About this Vegetarian Baked Spaghetti
Baked spaghetti is comfort food, plain and simple. It can be a satisfying meatless main dish or a filling side dish. This recipe is not difficult to make, especially if you have leftover pasta. I’ll run you through the recipe to get you started, with lots of extra tips and ideas.
Ingredients
How to make Baked Spaghetti
Let’s get started! Put a pot of water on the stove to heat up. Once it comes to boil, cook the spaghetti as directed on the package. Of course, if you’re using leftover pasta, you can just skip this step. Get the oven preheating and find a 1 1/2 quart casserole or baking dish. Spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Meanwhile, shred the cheese and prep the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Heat up a skillet and do a quick sauté of the mushrooms, onions, and garlic. You’ll need a large bowl to stir everything together. Before you add anything else to the bowl, lightly whisk the egg. Add the milk and sour cream and blend it all together. Add the seasoning and most of the cheese (reserve some to sprinkle on top). Mix everything up well. Add the pasta, sautéed veggies, and spinach, and stir it up. Make sure you scoop from the bottom as you stir so you get all the cheesy goodness thoroughly mixed in. Put the whole business into the casserole dish you prepared. Sprinkle with the reserved cheese and cover the dish. Bake for twenty-five minutes, uncover, and bake 20 minutes more. Serve immediately or wait fifteen minutes or so. It’s so good either way. Because this is a pretty rich casserole, it’s best with a crisp arugula salad or citrus salad.
Make It Your Own
More veggies! Sauté a chopped bell pepper with the mushrooms and onions. Substitute whole wheat pasta especially if serving the baked spaghetti as a vegetarian main dish. Whole wheat pasta is more nutritious. Other types of pasta are good, too. Try different combinations of cheese. Cottage cheese and ricotta are both good substitutes for the sour cream. Add meat. Cooked chicken can be added for more protein, if desired. Don’t want to turn the oven on? Try this Instant Pot lemon pasta with chicken. It’s a one pot pasta dish that is a crowd pleaser.
Make Ahead Ideas
Using leftover pasta is a big time saver. Buy pre-sliced mushrooms or prep them ahead of time. Thaw spinach in the fridge overnight. This casserole can be made completely ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen unbaked. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. Bake as directed, except increase first segment (covered) by ten minutes. Internal temp (check with instant read thermometer in center of casserole) should be 165°F.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Leftover pasta bake can be refrigerated for three to five days. Cover well and refrigerate promptly. Freeze for up to 3 months, if desired. To reheat, reheat in microwave in 30-second increments or until heated through.
