Million Dollar Pasta
Baked Goods, Beef, Italian, Pasta, Pork
Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground Italian sausage or pork sausage
OR
1 lb meatballs, cut in half, then quartered
salt and pepper, to taste
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
24 ounces marinara sauce, divided
Spaghetti:
16 ounces spaghetti, zitti, or penne noodles
3 Tablespoons butter
½ cup marinara sauce, from above
Cheese Mixture:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup sour cream
1 cup cottage or ricotta cheese
Toppings:
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
⅔ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Make the Meat Sauce: In a large skillet cook and crumble the ground beef and Italian sausage and season with salt and pepper. Remove most of the grease.
Add the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent.
Add all but ½ cup of the marinara sauce (reserve ½ cup for later) to the mixture and stir to combine. Set aside.
Prepare the Noodles: Cook the pasta according to package directions, until it’s “al dente”.
Drain, and place the hot spaghetti in a large mixing bowl, with the butter and reserved marinara sauce. Toss well to combine.
Make the Cheese Mixture: Combine the cream cheese, sour cream and cottage or ricotta cheese in a bowl and mix well.
Assemble: Pour HALF of the pasta into a greased 9×13’’ pan. Smooth the cheese layer on top, then top that with the remaining noodles.
Add the meat sauce and smooth it into an even layer.
Top with the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheeses.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until it’s hot and bubbly. Check it around 20 minutes, and if the cheese is browning too quickly, tent a piece of tinfoil over it.
Wait at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving, to allow it to set up. Enjoy!
Notes
To Make Ahead: You can prepare this spaghetti casserole 1 day ahead of time. Follow recipe instructions up to step 8 (just before baking). allow it to cool, cover it well with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Or, prep the sauce, noodles and cheese layer 1-3 days ahead of time and assemble right before baking.
To Freeze: Prepare recipe right up until the baking step. Cover well with greased aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, then bake for about 20 minutes, covered, and then 20-25 minutes uncovered. If baking from frozen, bake covered for about 40 minutes, then uncover and bake at least 30-40 minutes longer, or until bubbly and warm.
Vegetarian Million Dollar Spaghetti: leave out the meat entirely or substitute plant based meat!
Ground Beef vs. Sausage: I like to use both ground beef and ground Italian sausage in this recipe but you don’t have to use both. If you do, consider saving the leftover ½ pound of Italian sausage to make Baked Ziti or Pizza Casserole.
Pasta: we use spaghetti for million dollar spaghetti but feel free to use your favorite kind of pasta.
Nutrition
Calories: 356kcal Carbohydrates: 27g Protein: 18g Fat: 19g
Saturated Fat: 10g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 6g
Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 62mg Sodium: 643mg Potassium: 370mg
Fiber: 2g Sugar: 4g Vitamin A: 629IU Vitamin C: 4mg
Calcium: 174mg Iron: 2mg