Baked Spaghetti - The Easiest Dish on the Planet

Hello Friends of Mom Loves Baking! I'm Amy and I am culinarily challenged, BUT when Lise asked me if I had ever heard of baked spaghetti, for the first time in my life I could offer a recipe.

My mother grew tired of watching spaghetti grow cold because my father was returning home from work late. Her solution, smothering the dish with cheese and popping it into the oven, making baked spaghetti a family favorite.

To get started: Crank your favorite music and open a bottle of wine. Cooking is more enjoyable with Ed Sheeran and a bottle of Cabernet.

What you will need

A half a box of noodles- my favorite is angel hair but you really could use just about any noodle including ziti or penne

1 large jar of marinara sauce- any flavor- sausage, red pepper, garlic and four cheese are my favorites, sometimes I mix a jar of marinara with a jar of vodka or alfredo sauce

1 pound ground meat - hamburger, veal, turkey burger, sausage or a mixture (this dish tastes good without meat as well).*

2-4 cups of mozzarella

Optional:
Fresh or dried oregano, garlic and basil, to add to sauce and as garnish. Fresh or canned diced tomatoes, seasoned or unseasoned
Olive oil- to drizzle on bread.
Parmesan cheese, to taste.

You can sneak at least a handful of spinach in the sauce and the kids will never suspect it. If you have any red wine left, pour 1⁄2 cup into the sauce.

Small servings feeds 10, larger servings feeds 6.
*If you have leftovers, cooked hamburgers, meatloaf, grilled onions or peppers, throw what you have in the sauce.

How to make Baked Spaghetti

Bring large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add noodles. Cook half the time of instructions (because the noodles will continue to cook in the oven), normally about 5-6 minutes. Drain.

Brown meat if you are using meat and drain. Add marinara sauce and can of diced tomatoes with juice (if using) to the browned meat. You want to noodles to be really saturated with sauce or it will dry out.

Spread the cheese to completely cover the dish. Sprinkle with fresh or dried oregano, basil and garlic.
Bake covered for 1 hour or uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve.
Sprinkle with parmesan to taste.

This dish goes great with warmed French bread, drizzled with olive oil and garlic. If you do not have French bread, or olive oil, throw some regular sliced bread in the oven with butter and garlic and broil until crisp (about 2 minutes).