Easy Baked Spaghetti
Updated Mar 27, 2026
Homemade baked spaghetti where the pasta cooks right in the sauce, then gets finished with mozzarella and Parmesan.
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My Easy Baked Spaghetti is So Good!
This easy baked spaghetti is a variation of a recipe I grew up with my mom making called “macarona bil furun,” which is Arabic for spaghetti in the oven, or spaghetti casserole. Basically, the recipe entailed cooking spaghetti, making a chunky meat sauce on the stovetop, mixing them together, and baking them in the oven.
This baked spaghetti casserole is a great weeknight dinner recipe. The baking time takes the longest, but with a little planning ahead and around 10 minutes of hands-on time!
Easy Baked Spaghetti Ingredients
- Spaghetti: This recipe uses uncooked spaghetti, so make sure it is fully coated and spread out in the baking dish as evenly as possible. If a few pieces are sticking way out of the liquid, they can dry out in the oven. You can break the noodles in half first if that makes it easier to toss and fit in the pan.
- Olive oil, garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning: Make sure the onion is diced small so it softens as it bakes. Fresh garlic works best here since there is not a long simmer time to mellow garlic powder.
- Bell pepper, canned diced tomatoes, marinara, and water: Use a marinara sauce you already like since it carries most of the flavor. Do not skip the water or cut it too much, because the spaghetti needs that extra liquid to cook in the oven. If you want, you can swap the green bell pepper for red or yellow. Read my tips on how to cut a bell pepper.
- Fresh basil: Stir some into the pasta before baking, then save more for the top at the end. If you do not have fresh basil, you can leave it out, but it does give the finished pasta a fresher flavor. For help, see my tips on how to cut basil.
- Mozzarella and Parmesan: Low-moisture mozzarella works best here, so the top does not get watery. If you can grate your own, it melts better; the pre-shredded kind has anti-caking agents mixed in, making it harder to melt.
How to Make Baked Spaghetti
Recipe Video Tutorial
Easy Baked Spaghetti Recipe
This one-dish baked spaghetti lets the pasta cook right in the oven with marinara, tomatoes, basil, and cheese with only 10 minutes of prep!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) canned diced tomatoes
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Place the uncooked spaghetti in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add the olive oil, garlic, onions, Italian seasoning and salt. Use your hands to gently toss and evenly distribute the ingredients.
- Add the bell pepper, canned diced tomatoes, water, marinara and basil on top of the spaghetti, and toss it again using tongs to evenly coat the spaghetti with the sauce and vegetables.
- Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Toss the spaghetti and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Continue baking uncovered for 15-20 more minutes or until the top is browned and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh basil and parmesan cheese and serve.
Notes
My Top Tip: Make sure to use enough liquid for the spaghetti. These one pan meals can be tricky to measure the right amount of liquid for pasta. But in general, 4 ounces of pasta will take about 1 cup of liquid. I like it a little more saucy, so I use 5 cups of liquid for 16 ounces of pasta. A good rule of thumb is to make sure there is enough liquid to cover the pasta in the baking dish.
Storage: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. To reheat, place in a 350°F oven until warmed through, or warm gently in a pan on the stovetop with a splash of water. You can also reheat easy baked spaghetti in the microwave. I recommend covering it with a paper towel to reduce splattering, then microwave on high in 30-second increments until warmed through. This easy baked spaghetti will keep in the refrigerator for four to five days.
Freezing: You can freeze it before you bake it. Assemble baked spaghetti casserole and then wrap it securely and freeze. Transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight and bake according to the instructions. You can also freeze the baked spaghetti for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm in the oven until piping hot.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However this recipe is very loose and easy to adapt to your preferences. Serving Size: One serving is about 2 ounces of spaghetti.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However this recipe is very loose and easy to adapt to your preferences. Serving Size: One serving is about 2 ounces of spaghetti.
Nutrition
Serving: 2oz, Calories: 387kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 22mg, Sodium: 839mg, Potassium: 480mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 620IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 198mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Recipe Variations
The great thing about this baked spaghetti recipe is that you can make it a different way every time, without exact measurements really needed. You can use whatever you have on hand, changing it up however you like.
- Add meat. I made this vegetarian so that it’s all baked in a single pan. But if you’d like, you can add ground beef, ground turkey, or chicken to the recipe. Just cook it on the stovetop first and add it to your pasta bake recipe when you add the tomatoes.
- Make it vegan. On the flip side, this easy baked spaghetti pasta has no meat, so it’s very easy to make this a plant-based casserole! Just swap in a vegan cheese that melts well.
- Change up the sauce. Instead of marinara, try a creamy alfredo sauce or pesto sauce!
Recipe Tips
- Coat the spaghetti with the olive oil. Since you will not cook the spaghetti before placing it in the baking dish, it’s important to coat the spaghetti with olive oil to make sure it doesn’t stick together while baking in the oven.
- Salt the spaghetti before it bakes. Just as it’s important to add salt when cooking spaghetti traditionally, it’s the same idea when baking spaghetti. Add the salt right to the pasta in the beginning for best flavor.
- Make sure to use enough liquid for the spaghetti. These one pan meals can be tricky to measure the right amount of liquid for pasta. But in general, 4 ounces of pasta will take about 1 cup of liquid. I like it a little more saucy, so I use 5 cups of liquid for 16 ounces of pasta. A good rule of thumb is to make sure there is enough liquid to cover the pasta in the baking dish.
- Don’t cover the baked spaghetti in the oven. It may seem necessary to cover the dish so that the cheese doesn’t burn or the spaghetti doesn’t dry out, but it’s not important to do this. And I would recommend against it because you’ll miss out on the bubbly, crusty, cheesy top.
Serving Ideas
- Add a salad. Baked spaghetti is pretty hearty, so I like putting something fresh next to it to break it up a little. Serve it with Mixed Greens Salad, Classic Caesar Salad, or Simple Green Salad.
- Serve with bread. This is the kind of dinner that makes bread make sense, especially if there’s extra sauce in the dish. Try it with Garlic Knots, Garlic Cheese Bread, or Homemade Focaccia.
- Pair with a vegetable side. If you want to round it out a little more, a simple vegetable works well without making dinner feel like too much. It goes well with Roasted Broccoli, Air Fryer Asparagus, or Roasted Green Beans.
Comments
We loved it! And so easy and fun to make! We used part of a purple onion, red&orange mini peppers, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and dry basil. Definite repeat!
So glad you found a definite repeat recipe! And that you made it your own! I hope you enjoy it again and again!
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