Who didn’t grow up on spaghetti? It’s a childhood classic. Now that we’re grown with our own kitchen, we understand why our parents loved it so much: it’s easy to make, filling, and delicious! We took our perfect pasta with sauce recipe and turned it into this amazing casserole — it’s an easy baked spaghetti dish that the whole family will love!

Round out your easy weeknight meal with a simple side salad and grab a loaf of bread from the bakery so you can whip up some of our amazing garlic bread.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • Canned (preserved) tomatoes are used in place of prepared jarred sauces for maximum flavor.
  • 30 minutes is all that’s required to put this together.
  • Can easily be made ahead so it’s ready to bake the next day or freeze for later use.
An overhead birds-eye view of a pan of baked spaghetti.

Baked spaghetti is a perfectly delicious cheesy and meaty pasta dish — turned casserole! It’s the ultimate quick and easy meal that can even be prepped in advance. Baking it involves loading on a bunch of yummy Parmesan and mozzarella which makes the whole thing ooey and gooey with cheese.

Meat Options

We add ground beef to make this recipe even heartier. You can also use:

  • Italian sausage
  • Ground chicken
  • Ground turkey
  • Plant-based ground meat substitute

Don’t be afraid to experiment and make this pasta main dish recipe your own!

A close up view of a slice of baked spaghetti on a gray plate.

Freezing and Make-Ahead Instructions

To make this dish ahead of time, follow the recipe as instructed. Instead of baking, simply cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready, remove the plastic wrap and proceed with baking as directed in the original recipe.

To freeze, fully assembly the casserole and cover the pan well with plastic wrap or an airtight lid and place it in the freezer. You may consider using an aluminum baking dish as it makes storing it easier. It will keep frozen for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then follow the baking instructions as directed in the original recipe.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Store your leftover cheesy baked spaghetti in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep for 3-4 days. Follow the directions above to reheat it! You can also reheat single portions in the microwave at 30-second increments until it is heated through.

More Easy Weeknight Pastas