Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- salt & pepper to taste
- 32 oz marinara sauce homemade or store bought
- 1 cup water
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 8 large fresh basil leaves chopped
- salt & pepper to taste
- 16 oz spaghetti
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 8 oz mozzarella cheese shredded (for topping)
- fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Boil spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Drain, return to the pot, and toss with butter to coat each noodle.
- In a large skillet or pot, cook onion and ground beef over medium heat until browned. Stir in garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Add marinara sauce and a bit of water, then let it simmer while you prep the next steps.
- Preheat oven to 375° F. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, cream cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, chopped basil, salt, and pepper. Stir until smooth and spreadable.
- Add the buttered spaghetti to a greased 9×13 glass baking dish. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the noodles, then pour the meat sauce on top and smooth it out.
- Pour the remaining meat sauce over the cheese layer and spread evenly.
- Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes to melt the cheese on top.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, cut into squares, and serve hot.
Notes
For a vegetarian option, substitute ground beef with your choice of vegetables or meat alternatives.
Feel free to customize with your favorite cheeses or add more vegetables to the meat sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square (about 1/12 of the casserole)
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.