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Baked spaghetti with cream cheese is the dinner I make when I need everyone to eat without complaints. The cream cheese coats every noodle, so each bite is creamy and rich instead of just saucy. The mozzarella and parmesan on top melt down into a golden, bubbly layer of cheese.
I have made this so many times for a full table that I know exactly where it can go wrong. The pasta keeps cooking once it hits the oven, so I stop it a full minute shy of where I think it is done. Pull it at al dente and the finished casserole stays creamy instead of turning soft and heavy.
Here is what sets my version apart. Most baked spaghetti recipes dot cream cheese around the dish and hope it melts evenly, which leaves you with random creamy pockets and plain noodles in between. I mix the cream cheese into the hot pasta first so every single strand gets coated before it ever goes in the pan. Pair that with a looser marinara instead of a thick, heavy sauce and you get a creamy bite all the way through.
Warm cheesy garlic bread is the only side this needs, and my cheesy garlic dinner rolls are what I reach for every time.
Dinner Rotation
The Dinner My Boys Never Let Me Retire
My boys grew up on this baked spaghetti, and it is still the meal that disappears the fastest whenever they are home. It was even worse when they were younger and brought friends over, because the pan would be scraped clean before I sat down. I love making it when I know we will have leftovers too, since it reheats so well for lunch the next day.
What You’ll Need
- Block cream cheese. This is the whole magic of the dish. Use a block of full-fat cream cheese and cube it so it melts into a creamy coating on every strand of pasta.
- Jarred marinara. A 26 to 28 ounce jar gives you the 3 cups you need for the meat sauce. Grab a classic marinara for this, and see the section above for why the style of sauce matters so much.
- Block mozzarella and parmesan, shredded yourself. Shredding your own cheese is worth the extra minute. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that can leave the top grainy instead of melting into that golden, bubbly finish.
- Ground beef. Browned with a little Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, this is the hearty base of the meat sauce. Drain the fat well so the sauce does not turn greasy.
- Italian seasoning and garlic powder. I split the Italian seasoning, some in the beef and the rest stirred into the cream cheese pasta, so the noodles are seasoned from the inside out.
How to Make Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese
Step 1: Preheat and prep the dish.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray and set it aside.
Step 2: Brown the beef.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, ground beef, half a teaspoon of Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until no pink remains. Drain the fat well so the sauce does not turn greasy later.
Step 3: Simmer the sauce.
Stir the marinara into the beef and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer for 10 minutes while the pasta cooks, then remove it from the heat and set it aside.
Step 4: Cook the pasta to al dente.
Boil the spaghetti in a large pot of salted water for 9 to 11 minutes, until al dente according to package directions. It keeps cooking in the oven, so firm now means creamy later.
Step 5: Toss with cream cheese.
Drain the pasta, transfer it to a bowl, and add the cream cheese, remaining teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Stir until no large lumps of cream cheese remain. If the pasta is sticking, coat it with 2 to 3 teaspoons of olive oil before stirring in the cream cheese to make mixing easier.
Step 6: Start the layers.
Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add the cream cheese spaghetti in an even layer on top.
Step 7: Top with the remaining sauce.
Spoon the rest of the meat sauce evenly over the spaghetti layer.
Step 8: Add the cheese and bake.
Sprinkle the parmesan and shredded mozzarella evenly over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden.
Step 9: Rest and serve.
Let it rest at room temperature for 5 minutes so it holds together when you scoop, then finish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley.
How to Store and Reheat
This baked spaghetti is best served fresh out of the oven. Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave individual servings, or cover the dish with foil and warm it in a 325°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through.
If you want to get ahead, this is one of my favorite meals to assemble earlier in the day and refrigerate until dinner, the same way I do with my cheesy baked tortellini. When I make it ahead, I leave the cheese off until right before it goes in the oven so it melts as fresh as possible.
More Easy Pasta Dinners
Baked Spaghetti with Cream Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil plus an additional 2-3 teaspoons if needed to coat the drained pasta for easier mixing
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1½ teaspoons italian seasoning blend divided, ½ teaspoon for ground beef and 1 teaspoon for cream cheese and pasta mixture
- ½ teaspoon salt plus additional for salted pasta water
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups jarred marinara sauce 28-ounce jar MIDS brand Traditional flavor used
- ½ pound spaghetti noodles
- 8 ounces block style cream cheese. cubed, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 8 ounce block whole-milk mozzarella cheese shredded about 2 cups; Galbani brand Italian style used
Garnish
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick oil spray and set aside.
- To a large skillet, preheated over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, ground beef, ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until no pink remains. Drain off any excess fat from the skillet.1 tablespoon olive oil , 1 pound ground beef, 0.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the jarred marinara sauce to the skillet with the cooked ground beef. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, simmer for another 10 minutes while your pasta cooks. Remove from the heat and set aside.3 cups jarred marinara sauce
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti noodles for 9-11 minutes or until al dente according to package directions.½ pound spaghetti noodles
- Drain the pasta, transfer to a bowl and add the cream cheese, remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Stir to combine until no large lumps of cream cheese remain. If your pasta is sticking too much once drained, coat white pasta with 2-3 teaspoons olive oil before stirring in the cream cheese for easier mixing of the warm pasta.1 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend, 8 ounces block style cream cheese., 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Spread 1 cup meat sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Spread the coated spaghetti noodles evenly in the bottom of the baking dish, top with the remaining meat sauce.
- Sprinkle the parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the spaghetti.½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese, 8 ounce block whole-milk mozzarella cheese
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted, bubbly and lightly golden.
- Remove the baked spaghetti with cream cheese from the oven and allow it to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes before adding a garnish of chopped fresh parsley and serving.Fresh parsley, finely chopped
