Baked Spaghetti

Okay, this is crazy good. Think lasagna, but made with spaghetti noodles instead. Thin spaghetti noodles, actually, or vermicelli.

A couple of beaten eggs are tossed in with the cooked noodles (along with grated Parmesan, yum!) and layered just the way you would if you were using lasagna noodles.

The egg helps bind the noodles in place so you can easily cut out even rectangles to serve without them falling apart.

It’s the perfect thing to serve a hungry teenage boy who is visiting for spring break, who somehow manages to eat his weight every day, who loves to skateboard and can play Minecraft for hours without getting bored. Not that I know anyone like this at all.

Baked Spaghetti Recipe

If you don't like mushrooms, please feel free to leave them out. If you love mushrooms, I recommend using shiitake because they are so wonderfully flavorful. Or you could augment creminis with dried porcinis that have been reconstituted in hot water.

Save time on prep by chopping the onions and mushrooms while the sausage is cooking, and grating the cheese while the pasta is cooking.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb vermicelli pasta or thin spaghetti
• 1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 1/4 pound shiitake or cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cups or 24 ounces of marinara or meatless tomato sauce*
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp olive oil plus more for greasing the casserole dish
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

*You can make your own or use a good quality jarred sauce. To make your own, make a double recipe of our basic tomato sauce, blend it smooth to use in this baked spaghetti recipe.

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