This pasta casserole is so rich it feels like a million bucks. Cooked spaghetti is layered with a creamy combination of ricotta, cream cheese and Parmesan and then topped with a savory meat sauce featuring a mix of beef and sweet Italian sausage and a final layer of ooey-gooey mozzarella. The result: A dish that tastes like deliciously meaty lasagna but twirls on your fork like spaghetti. It’s both comforting and a little luxurious, a perfect dish to bring to a potluck or to make ahead for a crowd.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- Two 24-ounce jars marinara sauce
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces ground beef
- 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces ricotta (about 2 cups), at room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces), plus more for sprinkling
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella (about 8 ounces)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce evenly on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl with the butter and 1 cup of marinara sauce. Toss together until the butter is melted.
- Meanwhile, make the pasta sauce. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook, undisturbed, until the meat is beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break up the meat and continue to cook until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add the garlic, onion and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved marinara sauce and mix until thoroughly combined.
- To make the cheese sauce, mix together the ricotta, cream cheese, Parmesan, parsley, egg, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl until smooth.
- To assemble, place half of the pasta in an even layer in the baking dish. Using a rubber spatula, spread the cheese sauce in an even layer over the pasta. Add the remaining pasta in an even layer over the cheese sauce. Finally, top the pasta with the meat sauce. Top with the mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
- Bake on a rimmed baking sheet until bubbling and golden brown on top, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 610 |
| Total Fat | 32 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 9 g |
| Protein | 29 g |
| Cholesterol | 116 mg |
| Sodium | 1053 mg |
Reviews
I made this reci[pe for our church, 80 people. Very successful. Everyone loved it. I added more garlic, and used turkey sausage instead. Great!