The Best Baked Spaghetti
The Best Baked Spaghetti also known as ‘Spasagna’ is inspired by the meal that used to be served at Cheddar’s restaurants. Alfredo coated spaghetti topped with meat sauce and cheese!
A DELICIOUS SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE
Sometimes the meals I make are inspired by my favorite restaurant foods. If you’ve ever been to a Cheddar’s restaurant then this will be a familiar dish to you. They call it Spasagna* (spaghetti plus lasagna.) If you’ve never heard of it, well, it’s about time you do. Basically, it is cooked spaghetti noodles tossed with alfredo (cheese) sauce, topped with a meaty red sauce, cheese and then baked.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes. For most pasta casseroles/bakes, the pasta does need to be cooked before adding to the rest of the ingredients in the dish.
Most of the times it is because there is not enough liquid or sauce coating the pasta as it bakes. In this recipe the spaghetti is coated with Alfredo sauce which keeps the spaghetti from drying out.
Yes. This helps to keep the pasta from drying out as well as it keeps the steam contained within the casserole dish.
This can be made ahead of time and frozen. Then just pull it out of your freezer when ready to cook. Just be sure to add on a few minutes to the cooking time.
Place any leftovers in a lidded container. Place into the refrigerator and eat within 3 days. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- spaghetti noodles
- ground beef
- spaghetti sauce
- jar alfredo sauce (cheese sauce)
- Italian seasoning
- shredded mozzarella
HOW DO YOU MAKE BAKED SPAGHETTI
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles very well.
While the spaghetti noodles are cooking, brown and crumble ground beef in a large sauce pan. Drain excess grease.
Put ground beef back in pan and add spaghetti sauce. Stir to combine well.
Meanwhile, once the cooked noodles are drained, put them back into the pot. Stir in alfredo (cheese) sauce and Italian seasoning. Stir well to thoroughly coat noodles.
Place spaghetti noodles into prepared baking dish.
Cover with spaghetti sauce mixture.
Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes (until cheese is melted and bubbly.)
Allow to cool for about 5-8 minutes. Then slice.
Serve with a salad and garlic bread!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: June 2011
Updated and republished: March 2021
The Best Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
- 1 pound ground beef
- 26 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- 16 ounce jar alfredo sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles very well.
- While the spaghetti noodles are cooking, brown and crumble ground beef in a large sauce pan. Drain excess grease.
- Put ground beef back in pan and add spaghetti sauce. Stir to combine well.
- Meanwhile, once the cooked noodles are drained, put them back into the pot. Stir in alfredo (cheese) sauce and Italian seasoning.
- Stir well to thoroughly coat noodles.
- Place spaghetti noodles into prepared baking dish.
- Cover with spaghetti sauce mixture.
- Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes (until cheese is melted and bubbly.)
Video
Notes
- Allow to cool for about 5-8 minutes then slice and serve with a salad and garlic bread.
- Baked Spaghetti can be frozen (see my tips above).
- Other pasta can be used: fettuccine, linguine, etc.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
*Spasagna is a registered trademark of Cheddar’s Restaurant
Such a great dish! Goodness, I can not wait to make it!!! Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂
Seriously Yummo! Brandie this looks soooo good! I am so making this for dinner this week!
How have I missed this on the Cheddar's menu?! Actually, we're quite new to Cheddar's – we just got one in the town next to us and that place is packed 24/7! But we really like going there. Hhhmmm … I think I'll have to look this dish up! Your version looks delicious, and I bet your version, even if it isn't *exactly* like the restaurant's dish tastes pretty darn good! 🙂
My word, this is my kind of dish! Ingenious, but simple. Can't say I've come across a dish like it, but I think restaurants in the east have something going on that I need to check out. Thank you Brandie for sending this recipe out west.
Love pasta, adding this to my next pasta making day. Looks wonderful thank you for sharing Andi
THis looks great! What a terrific idea!
I love the name. I love the idea. I am definitely going to have to try this.
I sometimes like to make a lasagna using spaghetti noodles and thought that's what this was at first but was pleasantly surprised to see that it isn't. I love everything that is in it. Especially the Alfredo sauce. My family would love this!
Wow does this recipe look fantastic. I cannot wait to try it out. Yum.
What a great idea! This looks creamy and delicious!
Love it!!! You are so creative, Brandie!!! We are having Chili spaghetti tonight & I am going to have left over noodles, now I know exactly what I am going to do with them. ~Angie
Oh Bran… I really like this recipe! I will have to give this a try since Pasta is my little man's favorite food!
I will be making this very soon! Love that it has alfredo and red sauce. It is the best of both worlds!
Oh yeah, its like spagetti pie. I love it and I will bet it freezes well. Great job on the recipe.
I love anything with meat sauce and this looks great Brandie! When one of my boys were small, he could never pronounce lasagna..He would call it zalagna! – When I saw the title of this recipe it reminded me of that! :o)
My whole family, myself included LOVEEE any kind of pasta that you get to mix Alfredo AND meat sauce. I first started eating the 2 mixed together when I was pregnant with Chloe…my tummy couldn't handle straight red/meat sauce on spaghetti, but I would crave it like mad. So, at Olive Garden, I would order a bowl of spaghetti with 1/2 Alfredo and 1/2 meat sauce. They always thought I was nuts-o, but you never want to deny a preggo. Long story short, I cannot WAIT to make this, I already know we would LOVE it!
We have a Cheddars on the other side of the freeway but I'm partial to Cracker Barrel. I really need to be more adventurous when dining out. Haha! This recipe title reminded me of the first time I heard of spaghetti tacos thanks to a show called iCarly. This dish looks delicious no matter what it's called. Yummy!
You KNOW this is my kind of food!! LOVE THIS Bran. I will be making this one asap!
I'm book marking this one for sure. I think I'll take the long route though and do the Alfredo sauce(since my husband is a sucker for it) and maybe change up the beef for ground Turkey. I'm so excited about this, can you tell?? Thanks for sharing! luvs
Dada! Brandie, you are brrrrilliant. I love this and will have to make spasagna for a real change. FANTASTIC. Have a great week 🙂
Love the name of this one, Brandie 🙂
It reminds me of the spaghetti pie I make…so yummy…I know yours is, too!
Looks like a great meal, thanks for sharing!
Aimee
I couldn't figure out what it was by the name, until I looked closer. How cool it is spaghetti in a lasagna form, I don't think I've ever seen that. I like it, hope all is well with you.
-Gina-
Love it!! I may give the boot to something on the menu this week to try it…
what a quick and hearty meal! I love this idea and it looks fantastic!