Million Dollar Spaghetti
Spaghetti meets lasagna meets decadence. Imagine a lasagna that replaces the noodles with spaghetti and adds cream cheese. This warm, bone-sticking meal doesn't cost a million dollars. It tastes like it.
Equipment
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
- 9x13 Casserole Dish
Ingredients
- 16 Oz. Spaghetti
- 1 Lb Ground Beef And/Or Italian Sausage
- 24 Oz. Marinara Sauce
- 1 Stick Butter
- 8 Oz. Cream Cheese Softened
- 1/4 C Sour Cream
- 1 C Cottage Cheese Or Ricotta Cheese
- 2 C Grated Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack or Cheddar Cheese About 8 Oz. by Weight
- 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese (Optional) About 1.5 Oz. by Weight
- 1/2 Tbsp Dried Parsley (Optional)
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil
- While the water heats, brown the beef/Italian sausage over medium-high heat in a large skillet with a heavy pinch of salt and pepper. Roughly 8-10 minutes. Once browned, cut the heat, drain the fat (if desired) and mix in the marinara sauce, reserving 1/2 C of the marinara sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.1 Lb Ground Beef, 24 Oz. Marinara Sauce, Salt and Pepper to Taste
- Once the water is boiling, heavily salt the water (at least a Tbsp.) and add the spaghetti. Cook the spaghetti to al dente per package directions.16 Oz. Spaghetti
- Once you add the spaghetti to the water, begin preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
- While the spaghetti cooks, mix the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage/ricotta cheese in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I generally don't add any).8 Oz. Cream Cheese, 1/4 C Sour Cream, 1 C Cottage Cheese
- When the spaghetti is cooked, strain it add add it back to the pot. Toss with the butter and reserved marinara sauce until the butter is melted and mixed evenly throughout. Season with salt and pepper to taste.1 Stick Butter
- Grease a 9x13 casserole dish with olive oil or butter. Add half of the spaghetti to the bottom. Note: tongs work really well when handling spaghetti.
- Spread the cottage/ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the spaghetti layer.
- Spread the second half of the spaghetti over the cottage/ricotta cheese layer. Pour any excess melted butter in the pot over the top of the spaghetti.
- Spread the beef/sauce mixture evenly over the spaghetti.
- Top with the grated cheese, including the (optional) parmesan. Sprinkle with the parsley if you desire.2 C Grated Mozzarella, Monterrey Jack or Cheddar Cheese, 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese, 1/2 Tbsp Dried Parsley
- Bake in the 350 degree oven, on the middle rack, for 40-45 minutes until the fillings are hot and the cheese is melty and slightly browned.
- Let sit at least 10 minutes to allow everything to set. Serve hot with salad and garlic bread.
Notes
If you don't have cream cheese, try subbing in an extra cup of sour cream.