Description

Million Dollar Spaghetti is a rich, layered baked pasta casserole featuring a flavorful Italian sausage marinara sauce combined with a creamy cheese layer of cream cheese, ricotta, and Parmesan, topped with melted mozzarella. This hearty and comforting dish is perfect for family dinners and leftovers with plenty of sauce to keep it moist and delicious.

Ingredients

Scale

Pasta and Sauce

1 pound uncooked spaghetti
1 pound Italian sausage (see note)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 (24 ounce) jars marinara sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

Cheese Layer

8 ounces cream cheese (1 block Philadelphia), softened
8 ounces ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)

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Instructions

Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F and move the rack to the top third of the oven to prepare for baking the casserole.
Make Cheese Layer: In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, ricotta, Parmesan, garlic powder, and dried oregano. Stir until smooth and well blended. Set this mixture aside for layering later.
Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the package directions indicate. Drain the pasta, then return it to the pot.
Cook Sausage Mixture: In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage and chopped onion, breaking the sausage apart, until browned and fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for about 1 more minute. Drain excess fat from the pan.
Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the sausage mixture to the pot with the cooked pasta. Pour in the marinara sauce and toss everything together until evenly coated.
Layer the Casserole: Spread half of the pasta and sauce mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish in an even layer. Next, spread the prepared cheese mixture evenly over the pasta. Then add the remaining pasta and sauce mixture on top and spread it out evenly. Finally, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese as the top layer.
Bake: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and broil for a few minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese on top is bubbly and browned.
Rest and Serve: Let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into portions with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Notes

Use either ground sausage meat or remove the casings from sausages before cooking.
To soften cream cheese quickly, microwave for 20-30 seconds.
The cheese layer can be customized with different cheeses if desired.
Refer to process photos in the blog post for extra clarity on assembly.
This recipe also appears on page 46 of the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/8 of casserole (about 1.5 cups)
Calories: 550
Sugar: 8g
Sodium: 850mg
Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 14g
Unsaturated Fat: 12g
Trans Fat: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 50g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 28g
Cholesterol: 85mg