Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese
Published 8/18/2023
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This baked spaghetti recipe is the ultimate comfort food. It’s made with simple ingredients like spaghetti, cream cheese, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese, but the combination is absolutely delicious.
The cream cheese and ricotta cheese mixture is like pillowy dollops of heaven and the mozzarella cheese adds a touch of gooeyness.
My family absolutely loves this basked spaghetti recipe. The spaghetti is mixed with an easy meat and marinara sauce and then it’s topped with a creamy cheese mixture with more cheese on top!
Our baked spaghetti with cream cheese is special in that we feature 4 different kinds of cheese. Both cream cheese and ricotta cheese are used to cream things up and then it’s topped with mozzarella and paremsan.
What is in this baked spaghetti with cream cheese?
- Spaghetti noodles: I love me a good stringy spaghetti noodle. Feel free to use whatever noodle you wish.
- Italian sausage: we chose to use mild Italian pork sausage. Spicy Italian sausage works too, as does ground beef.
- Marinara sauce: jarred marinara sauce keeps this recipe super simple.
- Ricotta and cream cheese: these two soft cheeses are spread on top of the spaghetti just before baking to make it extra creamy.
- Parmesan and mozzarella cheese: these two harder cheeses provide flavor and a cheese pull in every bite.
Can I use a different noodle?
Feel free to use whatever noodle you wish in this baked spaghetti!
Variations
- For a vegetarian version, use a vegetarian marinara sauce and skip the Italian sausage.
- You can add other vegetables to the sauce, such as mushrooms, onions, or peppers.
- If you don’t have mozzarella cheese, you can use another type of shredded cheese, such as cheddar or Swiss.
FAQ
There is no need to use eggs in baked spaghetti.
While baked spaghetti has very similar flavors to lasagna, the noodle is what’s most different. Furthermore, lasagna is prepared in layers where baked spaghetti is not.
We recommend putting foil over your pasta bake for the first 30 minute and uncovering for the last 15 minutes.
Yes, you can make this dish up to 24 hours ahead of time. Just assemble the dish and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake, let the dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
Storage
Store leftover baked spaghetti in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days in the fridge.
To reheat leftovers: transfer the baked spaghetti into a baking dish and bake at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. OR, microwave on high for 60-90 seconds.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your baked spaghetti with any of the following sides to complete your meal!
- Homemade Mozzarella Sticks
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Texas Toast
- Mozzarella in Carrozza
- Parmesan Asparagus
- Cheese Bread
Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried spaghetti noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 24 oz. jar marinara sauce, divided
- 16 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- ½ tablespoon Italian seasoning , we used this
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups grated parmesan cheese, divided (~2 cups)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and prepare the spaghetti noodles according to the al dente instructions on the package. When the noodles are done, rinse the with cold water and set them aside.
- While the spaghetti is cooking, start preparing the Italian sausage. Place a large skillet over medium/high heat and add the olive oil and Italian sausage to the skillet. Cook until almost all of the pink is gone.
- Next, add the onion and garlic to the Italian sausage. Cook until the onion is translucent (about 2 minutes). Add 2 cups of the marinara to the Italian sausage and heat for an additional minute. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Add the ricotta and cream cheese to a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the cheeses together until they are light and fluffy (about 3 or 4 minutes).
- Next, add the Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, and 1 cup of grated parmesan to the whipped cheese mixture. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ and spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
- Add the spaghetti noodles to the Italian sausage mixture. Toss to combine. Transfer the noodles into the greased baking dish.
- Spread the whipped ricotta cream cheese mixture on top of the noodles and then pour the remaining 1 cup of marinara sauce on top and spread to cover.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese across the top. Cover with tin foil. And bake for 30 minutes covered. After 30 minutes, remove the cover, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Tips & Notes
- If you use store-bought Italian seasoning you may need to add more salt to this recipe.
- Skip the Italian sausage to make this a vegetarian dish.
- Use hamburger instead of Italian sausage. In this case, add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the hamburger while cooking.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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