Feed a Crowd Meals for 5+

Family Pan Baked Spaghetti

A deep-pan baked spaghetti that feeds a full table, slices cleanly, and stays saucy instead of baking up dry.

  • Cuisine: American
Prep
25 min
Cook
50 min
Total
75 min
Yield
10 servings

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 1 1/2 pounds spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt for the pasta water

Meat sauce

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 jars marinara sauce, 24 ounces each
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Finish

  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 3/4 cup grated parmesan

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 baking dish so the corners release cleanly after baking.
  2. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti 2 minutes shy of the package time so it stays a little firm in the center.
  3. While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then cook the beef, onion, and bell pepper with the salt and pepper until the beef is browned and the vegetables have softened.
  4. Stir in the garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute until the tomato paste turns darker and smells sweeter instead of raw.
  5. Pour in the marinara and water, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes until it thickens slightly but still looks loose enough to coat the pasta generously.
  6. Drain the spaghetti, add it to the sauce, and fold until every strand is coated; the pan should look a touch saucier than you want because the pasta will keep drinking as it bakes.
  7. Spread half the spaghetti mixture into the baking dish, sprinkle on half the mozzarella and parmesan, then add the remaining spaghetti and top with the rest of the cheese.
  8. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes more until the edges bubble and the cheese is browned in spots.
  9. Rest the pan for 10 minutes before serving so the slices hold together and the sauce can settle back into the pasta.

Notes

This is the kind of pan you make when people are hungry and dinner needs to feel like it is enough. The sauce is kept a little loose on purpose, because spaghetti keeps drinking even after it comes out of the oven.

If you are taking this to church, a family gathering, or a hard weeknight with extra mouths at the table, bake it until the edges are bubbling and the center is hot, then let it rest. That short rest is what turns it from a sloppy pan into a supper you can serve with confidence.

Recipe Rescue

The sauce tastes flat after baking

Likely cause:The beef and tomato paste did not get enough browning before the sauce went in.

Fix now:Add a little more salt, a pinch more oregano, and a spoonful of parmesan while the pan is still hot.

Next time:Let the meat get real color and cook the tomato paste until it darkens before you add the jars.

Substitutions

Ground beef

Swap:Use half ground beef and half Italian sausage for a richer pan.

Reduce the added salt slightly until you taste the finished sauce because sausage can bring its own seasoning.

Carryover / Next Meal Ideas

Spaghetti stuffed peppers

Chop leftover baked spaghetti, fold it with a little extra sauce, and stuff it into halved bell peppers for a second supper.

  • Bake the stuffed peppers covered until the peppers soften, then uncover to brown the top.

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