Spaghetti Casserole

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 pound bulk Italian pork sausage
• ½ pound ground beef
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• 6 large cloves garlic, minced
• 24 ounces marinara sauce
• ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt & pepper,

  to taste
• 15 ounces whole-milk ricotta
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

  (use whole milk mozzarella if you can find it)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix
• ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 pound spaghetti noodles
• 4 ounces full-fat cream cheese, cut into 1" chunks
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup reserved pasta water
• ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

  (use whole milk mozzarella if you can find it)

Instructions

• 1 Preheat oven to 350°F.
• 2 Meat Sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add pork and
  beef, and break into small bite-sized pieces as it browns. When meats are about
  half-way cooked, stir in onion and garlic. When meats are fully cooked, drain
  away excess grease. Add marinara sauce and fresh basil, and stir to combine and
  heat thoroughly. Season to taste with salt & pepper, then remove skillet from
  heat.
• 3 Cheesy Yum: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta and egg. Then fold in mozzarella,
  Parmesan, dried Italian herb mix, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Set
  aside.
• 4 Spaghetti: In a large pot of water, cook spaghetti according to package
  directions, to al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Then drain spaghetti and
  return it to the same pot. Add cream cheese, butter, 1 cup of prepared meat
  sauce, ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water, and salt; fold to coat + melt the
  cream cheese and butter. If needed, add a bit more reserved pasta water to
  maintain a creamy texture.
• 5 Assemble: Add half the spaghetti mixture to the bottom of a 9"x13" pan, in an
  even layer. Spread half the cheesy yum over the spaghetti. Then add the
  remaining spaghetti mixture, followed by the remaining cheesy yum. Spread the
  remaining meat sauce over the cheesy yum, then sprinkle remaining 2 cups of
  mozzarella evenly over the top.
• 6 Bake: Cover pan with foil and bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15-20
  minutes more, or until cheese is bubbling and melted to your liking. If desired,
  place pan under broiler for 1-2 minutes to blister the cheesy top. Remove from
  oven and let rest 5-10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Info