Baked Spaghetti
- Serves 4 to 6
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 50 minutes
Baking pasta with cheese on top creates a chewy and crispy topping kids will love. You can assemble the dish ahead and refrigerate it, then bake it right before dinner.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- course salt and ground pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
- 1 pound of spaghetti (cooked a few minutes less than instructions direct)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce ehat, and simmer, breaking up tomatoes with spoon, until sauce is thickened and reduced to about 5 1/2 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook spaghetti a few minutes less than the package instructions direct (pasta will continue to cook in oven). Drain pasta; return to pot.
- Toss sauce with pasta. Pour pasta into a large gratin dish or 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with cheeses. Bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
Source: Everyday Food - Issue 5, September 2003, page 66.