Description
A comforting baked spaghetti casserole featuring a rich tomato cream sauce with Italian sausage, layered with tender spaghetti and melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, perfect for a hearty family dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Spaghetti and Cheese
- 1 lb. thin spaghetti
- 3 cups freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley (optional for garnish)
Tomato Cream Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 small onion
- 1 carrot (optional)
- 1 stalk celery (optional)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (optional for more heat)
- 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes in puree
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon base, crushed cubes or powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F to get it ready for baking the casserole later.
- Cook spaghetti: Boil the thin spaghetti in salted water until just one minute shy of al dente to avoid overcooking in the oven. Strain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.
- Chop veggies: Roughly chop the onion, celery, and carrot so they fit in your food processor. Pulse about 12 times until finely chopped, or chop finely by hand.
- Brown sausage and veggies: In a large Dutch oven, cook the Italian sausage with the chopped onion, celery, and carrot over medium heat until browned. Add minced garlic and red chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds more. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Add sauce ingredients: Stir in crushed tomatoes, beef bouillon, sugar, dried herbs (basil, parsley, oregano, thyme), salt, pepper, and bay leaf into the sausage mixture.
- Simmer sauce: Cover the pot leaving a one-inch gap to allow steam to escape and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to meld flavors.
- Add spaghetti and cream: Remove the bay leaf, stir in the heavy cream, then add the cooked spaghetti, tossing with tongs to coat evenly with the sauce.
- Layer casserole: Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread half of the spaghetti in the dish, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Top with the remaining spaghetti and any leftover sauce, then cover with the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.
- Bake: Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes until cheese melts. Optionally, remove foil and bake a few more minutes for toasted top. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute the pork Italian sausage with hot chicken or turkey sausage for a leaner option. For plain ground meats (beef, chicken, turkey), add extra Italian seasonings, red pepper flakes, and fennel to maintain flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, covering tightly with foil.
- To make ahead, assemble the casserole a day before baking, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking and add 10 minutes extra baking time.
- For freezing, assemble in a freezer-safe dish without baking. Wrap with two layers of plastic wrap followed by foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F for 1 hour covered, then remove foil and bake 15-30 minutes longer until fully heated and cheese melts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
