Pasta Sauce Recipes: Easy Baked Spaghetti

Ragu Pasta Sauce Recipes:  Easy Baked Spaghetti

Whenever I make spaghetti, I feel a bit nostalgic. The aroma of garlic, tomatoes, and Italian spices simmering on the stove take me back to my childhood. I remember coming home from school and smelling that glorious aroma as I opened the front door. My mom would usually be in the kitchen stirring the sauce that sat in a shiny stock pot on the stove. No matter how many times I came home to find my mom in the kitchen making spaghetti, it never got old. It’s true that spaghetti was my favorite meal back then but it was more than that. There’s something about a home cooked meal that makes you feel cared for, loved, and at home.

Now that I have a family of my own, I’ve always tried to cook dishes that feel like home. Fortunately, my daughter and husband love spaghetti just as much as I do. I’ve never been able to replicate the taste of mom’s spaghetti sauce but I sure have come close a few times. When RAGU asked me to try out their NEW RAGU Homestyle Pasta Sauce, how could I refuse? They assured me that RAGU Homestyle is their boldest flavor yet because they peel, chop and simmer their ingredients just like my mom did. They also use a special blend of herbs (basil, fennel, oregano and black pepper) to layer and build the flavor. Did they steal mom’s recipe? Ha! Just kidding. With no artificial flavors, no artificial colors and no high fructose corn syrup, it’s like coming home from school again.

 

 

To try out the new RAGU Homestyle Pasta Sauce, I decided to make Baked Spaghetti instead of my usual spaghetti. If you’ve never made baked spaghetti before, you’re in for a treat. There’s something about baking spaghetti in the oven that brings out all the delicious flavors. The best part? As long as you use thin spaghetti, there’s no need to cook the noodles ahead of time. That’s right—> You get to use uncooked noodles in this recipe! Let’s get started.

Ingredients

• 1-2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 cloves of garlic {or equivalent in minced garlic}
• 2 TBSP Italian seasoning spices {the spice, not the salad dressing 😉 }
• 3/4 cup of water
• 2 (32oz) jars of RAGU Homestyle Pasta Sauce (I used Thick & Hearty Traditional)
• 3/4 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar or Mexican)
• 1 lb thin spaghetti
• parmesan cheese for topping

Steps

• Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Over medium-high heat, add garlic cloves to a large skillet. Add ground beef and brown. Drain any fat.

 

 

 

• Add both jars of RAGU Homestyle Pasta Sauce to the ground beef.

 

 

 

 

• Add Italian seasoning spices. Combine and simmer over low heat until heated through.

 

 

 

• Line the bottom of a large casserole dish with enough spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom.
• Add 1/4 cup of water.
• Layer 1/3 of UNCOOKED spaghetti noodles over sauce.

 

 

 

• Sprinkle 1/4 cup of shredded cheese over noodles.

 

 

• Repeat the above steps {layering spaghetti sauce, water, noodles, cheese} two more times.
• Cover casserole dish with top or aluminum foil and bake at 325 for 1 hour.

 

 

• After the 1 hour baking time, your thin spaghetti noodles should be perfectly cooked and piping hot. If you use a pasta other than thin spaghetti, the noodles may get gummy. In other words, stick with thin spaghetti. I used fettuccine noodles in the picture below only because I ran out of thin spaghetti.
• If desired, top with parmesan cheese and serve hot.
• Leftovers taste great the next day!

 

 

 

If you’d like a printable copy of this recipe, Easy Baked Spaghetti, click the download button below.  

 

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This recipe was such a hit in my household that it lasted all of one day! I think I’ll make double next time. 😉 If you’d like more pasta sauce recipes, head on over to the RAGU website.

 

What does homestyle mean to you?