See step by step recipe video down in the recipe card. Spaghetti with meat sauce is one of our family’s favorite dinners, but there are times when you just want something you can make ahead and not worry about stirring a bunch of different pots at once (although this classic Spaghetti and Meatballs will forever be a favorite!). Somedays I cut corners by making this Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce earlier in the day, or stirring up this simple One Pot Spaghetti when I’m short on time or energy. But this Baked Spaghetti is well loved because I can do all of the prep in advance, and then just pop it in the oven when we need it! This is great for weekend meal prepping because it can be covered and stored for up to 4 days, provided all of your ingredients are fresh when you start. When you pull it out of the oven all golden and bubbly, everyone will think you’ve been slaving over it all day! 😉 Can’t get enough spaghetti? Try this Chicken Spaghetti next!
How to make Baked Spaghetti:
Substitutions and variations:
There are lots of ways to make this Baked Spaghetti your own! Here are a few of our favorite ways to mix it up:
Swap the Italian sausage for Italian turkey or chicken sausage for a lighter spin. You can also use ground beef if that’s all you have, but you may want to increase the spices to compensate. Use another pasta shape: since the pasta is boiled separately, you just have to make sure that whatever pasta you are cooking is removed from the cooking water a couple minutes before it is tender so that it doesn’t overcook in the oven. Add more veggies! Most vegetables go well in here, so it’s a great way to clean out the fridge. Chopped spinach, kale, shredded carrots or zucchini, diced peppers or mushrooms are all great ideas. Spice it up: I use mild Italian sausage because that’s what our family prefers, but you can easily swap it for hot Italian sausage or add in a ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper if you need some heat!
How to prep Baked Spaghetti for another day:
There are a couple ways to prep this spaghetti bake ahead to make your life easier when you need it!
How to freeze a pasta bake:
This spaghetti recipe is one of our favorite freezer meals! It’s a lifesaver when back to school and busy days hit.
Prepare the baked spaghetti up to the point of baking, but don’t bake. Let cool to room temperature — ideally, put it in the fridge, uncovered for a couple of hours to cool off. Cover with plastic wrap and foil, or an air tight lid (you really have to be careful about this because you don’t want it to be freezer burnt!) and freeze on a flat shelf for up to 3 months. To serve, I recommend thawing overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for up to 6 hours. Place in a 350 degree F oven and bake until heated through — if it is still partially frozen, I recommend covering with foil or a lid while baking so that it heats more evenly. Reheating will take between 30 minutes to 60 minutes, depending on how cold or frozen it was to begin with.
More baked pastas you’ll love!
Easy, prep ahead and freezer friendly meals for the whole family.
Rigatoni Pasta Bake White Chicken Lasagna with Ham Chicken Alfredo Bake
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