Baked Spaghetti is everything you know and love about Bolognese in the form of an epic, juicy pasta bake with a bonus layer of molten cheese in the middle!
This is one of those rare foods that is a truly fabulous freezer meal and keeps for days in the fridge!
Baked Spaghetti
I call it a casserole, I call it a pie, I call it a pasta bake.
I actually don’t really know if there’s a proper name for this, but what I do know is this:
You are going to love it.
Because it’s everybody’s favourite Spaghetti Bolognese – PLUS CHEESE. Need I say more?? 🤷🏻♀️
So now, even if you’ve never made anything like this before, you know full well it’s going to be a home run right??
How to make it
On the face of it, you’re really just making a big batch of Bolognese Sauce then mixing it through pasta and baking it with a generous slug of cheese.
The Bolognese Sauce can be made in 30 minutes (minimum) or if you want to go all out, simmer it for a couple of hours and you’ll be rewarded with deeper flavours, a richer sauce and melt-in-your-mouth beef.
And to make the Spaghetti Pie ultra juicy, what I like to do is mix some of the sauce through the pasta and reserve some to spread on the layers.
Adding a layer of cheese slices in the middle also helps. You can use shredded if you prefer, but you get better cheese coverage using less cheese if you use slices. <– Pro cheese tip right there!
What you need
No surprises here – basically, you just need everything you use for Bolognese – plus cheese!
Carrot and celery is optional – ups the veg quota a bit but more importantly, adds to the flavour base of the sauce.
Sugar??
Only if needed. Many of the mainstream canned tomato brands here in Australia tend to be on the sour side rather than sweet and full of flavour as Italian ones are.
So if you’re dead set on Aussie-grown, add a touch of sugar to counteract the sourness. This can make all the difference especially if you’re doing a quick simmer rather than slow cooking!
BEST freezer meal!!
There are many recipes where I say “freezes fine”, but few where I say “freezes 100% perfectly!”
This is one of those freezer beauties. It is one of those dishes that comes out perfectly even after keeping it for months in the freezer.
And though it’s best cooked after thawing, it can even be cooked from frozen (though it does take over an hour, being a formidable block of ice that it is straight out of the freezer).
But the clincher is how smug you’ll feel, knowing you’ve got this in your freezer.
Open freezer door, plonk in oven.
Dinner.
Done.
– Nagi x
More Cosy Casseroles and Bakes
Lasagna (and Vegetarian Lasagna is a must try!)
Browse all Casseroles and Cosy Bakes
Watch how to make it
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Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
Bolognese Sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 1 carrot , finely diced (optional)
- 1 stick celery , finely diced (optional)
- 750g / 1.5lb ground beef (mince)
- 3/4 cup (185ml) dry red wine (or sub with water or beef broth/stock)
- 3 beef bouillon cubes , crumbled (Note 1)
- 1.2kg / 2.4 lb crushed tomato , canned
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 – 3 tsp white sugar , if needed (Note 2)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 dried bay leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano)
- Salt and pepper
Spaghetti Bake:
- 500g/ 1lb spaghetti
- 8 – 10 slices Swiss cheese (or other type), enough for a layer
- 2 cups (200g) mozzarella cheese, shredded
Instructions
Sauce:
- Heat oil in a large, heavy based pot over medium high heat.
- Add garlic and onion, cook 2 minutes.
- Add celery and carrot, cook 3 minutes.
- Turn heat up to high, add beef and cook, breaking it up as you go.
- Once beef is brown, add wine. Simmer rapidly for 2 minutes.
- Add remaining Sauce ingredients, stir.
- Bring to simmer, lower heat, cover with lid. Simmer for 45 minutes (minimum) or 1.5 – 2 hours (best!).
- If liquid evaporates too much, add water – should be saucy (see video/pics). Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble & Bake:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Cook pasta per packet directions, minus 1 minute.
- Drain, then return into pot.
- Add just over half the Sauce, toss.
- Spread half the pasta in a casserole pan, spread with half remaining Sauce.
- Top with cheese slices, then remaining pasta, remaining Sauce, finish with mozzarella.
- Cover loosely with foil (so cheese doesn’t stick), bake 25 minutes.
- Remove foil (reserve), bake further 10 minutes than remove.
- Cover loosely with foil, stand 10 – 15 minutes. Then cut slices with a knife and use a spatula to serve pieces like lasagna!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
This is what happens at dinners: wiping away a disgraceful amount of drool ALL down his front – literally!🤤
This looks so good, I’d like to make it for guests. Am wondering if it could be assembled and refrigerated for 6-8 hours, then baked without freezing it and get good results or wouldn’t make the pasta mushy? Or should I cook pasta and assemble right before baking? Thank you for any help with this.
Hi Nan, it will be perfectly fins assembled and left in the fridge. I hope you love it!
Hi Nagi! I have just discovered your recipes, and I made this for supper tonight. Because there is just my husband and I, I made it it in two 8” pans – one for tonight and the other for the freezer. It was really good and my husband said this is a keeper! I’m so happy I found your website! Thanks!
Perfect Carol!!
Perfect Carol!
If only my husband ate cheese 🧀😭😭
Oh no! Make half without cheese for him and add the extra cheese to your half!! 😉
Cannot wait to try this recipe.
Thank you
Hope you get a chance Bronwyn! N x
Maybe a silly question but how could I make this a veggie dish? Use lentils instead of beef? Would love your thoughts Ngai!
Hi Hannah! That’s not a silly question at all. I haven’t tried this exact recipe with no meat, but to do so I would use double the amount of carrot and celery and saute slowly to make a great flavour base (soffrito!) to make up for loss of meat. Then I’d add chopped mushrooms – good flavoured ones, not plain white ones – and saute until soft, then I’d also add chopped DRIED porcini mushrooms. Flavour boost!! Then I’d add the tomato, Vegeta stock powder (instead of beef) and all the other sauce stuff, simmer it all with the lid on for 30 minutes or so to let the flavours develop. THEN I’d add dried lentils (quantity I don’t know, but I know it triples in volume), simmer 20 min or until soft. Voila! (PS I would probably stir in a good amount of parmesan for more umami) N xx
This baked spaghetti looks out of the world!! Epic indeed..
Thank you Arpita! N x
I enjoy your recipes very very much. I am able to cook almost everything here in South Africa (I don’t quite have the confidence for cooking Asian food from scratch yet). I have made a version of this baked spaghetti for years when we have many guests – especially young people. I will definitely add the slices of cheese as opposed to grated to see how it works. Thank you for your recipes.
PS: Dozer is wonderful!
I love hearing that Maria! Hope you venture into Asian food soon – I think you’ll love it! For a super simple one for winter, try the Chinese Chicken Corn Soup. Super duper easy and fast! N xx
Lovely recipe for spaghetti pie..I have DREAM FIELDS SPAGHETTI for low carb conscious folks..will make and let you know
DOZER you are a distant cousin to Luca. OUR KITCHEN FLOOR USUALLY HAS DROOL DRIPS when any food is around
Grossest thing ever is when I was walking around barefoot and I SLIPPED ON DOZER’S DROOL!! 🤢
But I am glad to see recipes of this nature being shared. Finding fewer and fewer people cooking at home all the time. It’s not a difficult thing to do.
Takeout and restaurants in my area aren’t that good and it’s EXPENSIVE!!!
I have been making baked spaghetti for 40 years. Nothing new here!
You PRO, you!!! ❤️
😂😂😂 N xx
Well Nagi, I have never heard of baked spaghetti but it sounds and looks delicious. I will make it for when family are over for dinner (with salad and garlic bread). Looks like a great make ahead meal that will leave me less frazzled getting dinner up & more time to enjoy the company. Thank you! KXO
YES! Exactly 🙂 I made it for friends the other night – and it was perfect because the kids could eat it too! N xx
Awwww Dozer Dawg, I’m SO glad to know I have your great company in the drool department. I read the recipes and drool too, it’s nice to know I have a fur-buddy keeping me company! 😀
😂😂😂 I’d be happy to wipe you down too
I would suggest that old school bolognese has milk or cream added, which would edit the need for sugar. It will solve most bitterness problems and not give it the “off putting” sugary taste! Just a thought!
Hi Kelly! You are absolutely right, classic Ragu alla bolognese does indeed have milk in it! N xx
I’d love your thoughts about putting cream or milk in this recipe tho. How much milk shoulf I add?
Nagi, you’re awesome! Love, love, love your personality. Love how you convey recipe tips and tricks. Love checking in on Dozer and seeing what he’s up to. Your weekly email brightens my day . . . and fills my stomach. Thank you!
Thank you for the lovely message Ellen! N xx
Oh my make my tummy growl goodness! This looks so good and I’ve been on the hunt for freezes beautifully recipes. I want to make my own TV dinners! This should start me off! Thank you.
Absolutely 100% perfect TV dinner! N xx
Looks great, just want to know the size of canned crushed tomatoes, I see you are using 3. Want to try tonight, Tks Nagi, your receipes all are so great, Tks again
Hi Gale! They are 400g/14oz each 🙂 N xx
I like to know as well
We make a similar recipe; we also use ricotta cheese for one layer and call it “spaghetti lasagna”. I will be trying your recipe soon. Don
Mmm yes! Like Baked Ziti – so good! N x
Dozer ❤️ We all have a bit of drool from time to time.
😂😂😂
Looks delicious! I’m guessing a 13 x 9 pan?
Or even bigger! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, Your recipes are always so delicious, however I have now moved over to the wonderful world of Keto, and was hoping you could produce a few wonderful Keto recipes.
Hello Kiel! I have a couple of great Keto friendly ones coming up! N x
Kath, it’s called Pastitsio
Nagi, thank you, this sounds wonderful!
Yes! That’s the one 🙂 I must share it one of these days! N x