Easy Baked Spaghetti with Melted Mozzarella
Recipe and photography provided by Heinen’s partner, Chef Billy Parisi.
Incredibly delicious and extra easy to make with pantry staple ingredients, this Baked Spaghetti is like a warm noodle pie topped with heaping handfuls of melted mozzarella. Whip this up when you’re in need of a no-hassle, family-friendly weeknight dinner!
Easy Baked Spaghetti with Melted Mozzarella
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, peeled
- 3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 32 oz. of Heinen’s marinara or canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 lb. spaghetti noodles
- 8 oz. shredded mozzarella
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic to a food processor and pulse on high speed until all ingredients are finely chopped. You can also chop by hand. Set aside.
- In a large pot over medium heat, add in the olive oil and cook the ground beef until browned and cooked throughout, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add in the finely-chopped vegetables and cook for 12 minutes over medium heat until lightly browned and tender.
- Add in the marinara sauce and cook over low heat to keep warm. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Add the spaghetti to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 8-9 minutes, or until just slightly crunchy. Drain and add to a large cast-iron skillet or 13×9 casserole dish.
- Add 2/3 of the sauce to the spaghetti and toss until combined. Reserve the rest of the sauce for a later date.
- Generously sprinkle the mozzarella over the top of the spaghetti and bake at 350°F for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned and melted.
- Garnish with chopped basil (optional).
