Tasty and delicious pasta recipe where spaghetti is layered with ricotta cheese, spaghetti sauce and mozzarella cheese on top. Great Meatless Monday dish, or you can add cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms for a little more pizazz!
1 hamburger chopper to cut meat down in small pieces while frying
1 spatula
1 wooden spoon
1 mixing bowl
aluminum foil
Ingredients
16oz. pkg.spaghetticooked and drained, or gluten free spaghetti pasta
3largeeggsbeaten
1/2cupParmesan cheesereal shredded cheese – not the grated stuff from the can
1/2stickunsalted buttermelted (1/4 cup)
24oz. ctn.Ricotta cheeseor cottage cheese (see note)
48oz. jarspaghetti sauceor two 24-oz. jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce
2lbs.93% lean ground beefcooked and drained
2cupsMozzarella cheeseshredded
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Boil spaghetti in large stock pot according to package directions.
Drain noodles in colander.
Transfer spaghetti noodles to a mixing bowl.
To cooked and drained spaghetti, add eggs, ½ cup Parmesan cheese and butter.
Stir until butter is melted and mixture is thoroughly mixed.
Pour spaghetti mixture into greased 9x13” deep baking dish that’s been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.
Brown ground beef in a large skillet and drain; spread over top of the noodles.
Use a hamburger chopper to cut the meat into small pieces while frying.
Spread cooked hamburger meat with Ricotta cheese or Cottage cheese.
Pour spaghetti sauce over top.
Sprinkle top with 1 cup Mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil.
Bake about 45-50 minutes until casserole is bubbly.
Remove foil.
Sprinkle remaining Mozzarella cheese on top and bake about 5-10 minutes longer, until melted.
Notes
NOTE: If using cottage cheese, this is best if it sits out about 10 minutes to set up before serving.NOTE: You can add any of the following for enhanced flavor, as you desire: Italian sausage, 4-oz. can drained sliced mushrooms, ½ cup diced bell pepper (sautéed with ground beef), ½ cup diced onions (sautéed with ground beef). Layer on top of the spaghetti mixture before spreading the casserole with cottage or ricotta cheese.NOTE: Cottage cheese has a lot more liquid than ricotta cheese. While it is the original cheese used in this recipe it does tend to make the casserole a little soupier. Ricotta cheese has a completely different texture and stands up more. It doesn’t become soupy while heating.NOTE: If you purchase gluten free pasta, I recommend using Ronzoni.NOTE: This is also good meatless without the ground beef. Or you can use a spaghetti sauce with Italian sausage and skip the ground beef as well.