Million Dollar Spaghetti with Italian Sausage and Tangy Cheese Filling
By Isabella Quinn
Prep
15 min
Cook
50 min
Total
65 min
Servings
8
Level
Easy
Dinner for a family of pasta lovers: Million Dollar Spaghetti recipe features Italian sausage spaghetti with a cream cheese and ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese mixture. Mozzarella cheese is added to the hot dish and broiled. Generous pasta sauce baked with the dish prevents it from drying out.
The casserole filling recipe contains cream cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and oregano. The creamy casserole filling adds flavor within layers of the casserole. Spaghetti is cooked 2 minutes less than the package directions recommend, as it will finish cooking when added to the sauce. Sautéed Italian sausage and onion with garlic and optional red pepper flakes are combined with 2 jars of marinara sauce and cooked spaghetti. Layers of this mixture are added to the casserole.
The pasta mixture should be thoroughly covered with marinara sauce before adding it to the baking dish. The broiler-cooked dish should have a bubbly, browned top. Watch the broiler carefully, as the mozzarella cheese can darken quickly. Some melting and mixing of the cheese layer within the pasta mixture with the marinara sauce is likely when the dish is hot. Individual squares of cheese are not required.
A 9x13-inch casserole dish is good for layering this recipe. Allowing it to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving will help with serving. Garlic bread and other hard breads and breadsticks, as well as salad, would be good side dishes to serve with this recipe. Leftover cooked pasta will still have sauce but will become softer.
Why we keep this one around
- Serves eight people in one 9x13-inch casserole dish. This recipe is a suitable choice if you need to serve a large group but don't want to serve more than one main dish.
- The sauce on the pasta keeps leftovers from drying and gives each reheated serving more food than reheated plain pasta with cheese.
- Picky eaters might find this meal more palatable with less spiciness from Italian sausage and red pepper flakes, if not omitted altogether.
- This meal is typically served in a pasta bowl with cheese.
- An option for preassembled dishes can reduce the host's preparation time on the day the meal is served by letting the host complete some of the dish layers a day earlier.
- It is popular with groups because pasta, sausage, marinara sauce, and cheese are all served together in a single dish that can be eaten from bowls rather than several separate dishes.
- Reduced ingredient amounts for an 8x8-inch pan make it possible to prepare the same layered meal for a smaller household with fewer portions.
Ingredients
- •1 lb uncooked spaghetti
- •1 lb Italian sausage (see note)
- •½ medium onion (chopped)
- •4 cloves garlic (minced)
- •½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- •2 24 oz jars marinara sauce
- •2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- •salt (to taste)
- •pepper (to taste)
- •8 oz cream cheese (softened)
- •8 oz ricotta cheese
- •1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- •½ tsp garlic powder
- •½ tsp dried oregano
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
- 2
Add the cream cheese, ricotta, Parmesan, garlic powder, and dried oregano to a medium bowl. Stir until smooth, then set aside.
- 3
Boil a large, salted pot of water. Cook the spaghetti 2 minutes less than the package directions suggest, then drain and return it to the same pot.
- 4
Meanwhile, add the Italian sausage and onion to a skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat, for about 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through.
- 5
Stir the garlic and red pepper flakes into the skillet and cook for about 1 minute.
- 6
Spoon excess fat from the skillet.
- 7
Add the skillet mixture and marinara sauce to the pot with the spaghetti. Toss until everything is coated.
- 8
Add half the pasta and sauce mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread it in an even layer.
- 9
Spread the cheese layer evenly over the pasta and sauce layer.
- 10
Add the remaining pasta and sauce mixture, spread it evenly, and top the casserole with mozzarella.
- 11
Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and broil for a few minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese is bubbly and browned.
- 12
Let the casserole sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then cut into portions with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
742
Calories
33g
Protein
42g
Fat
58g
Carbs
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