Baked Spasagna

Baked Spasagna

·         1 1/2 lbs (24 ounces) spaghetti noodles, uncooked

·         2 lbs shredded mozzarella cheese (you could probably get away with less)

·         8 ounces ricotta cheese

·         8 ounces sour cream

·         1 1/4 cups half-and-half

·         1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

·         1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil

·         1/2 teaspoon pepper

·         1 teaspoon minced garlic

·         1 teaspoon kosher salt

Meat Sauce:

·         12 ounces ground beef or sausage

·         1/2 cup chopped white onion

·         1 (24 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce

Instructions

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.       Cook spaghetti al dente according to package directions. Drain and place in large mixing bowl.

3.       In another mixing bowl, stir together sour cream, ricotta, half-and-half, mozzarella, oregano, basil, pepper, garlic, salt, and half of the Parmesan cheese.

4.       Add above cheese mixture to the spaghetti. Mix gently until spaghetti is evenly coated with mixture.

5.       Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.

6.       Gently place spaghetti mixture into prepared dish. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese.

7.       Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

8.       Remove from oven, remove foil and place dish on cooling rack for 10 minutes.

9.       While pasta is cooking, prepare the meat sauce.

10.   For the meat sauce: Add ground beef or sausage to a skillet over medium heat and brown meat well. Add salt and pepper. Add the onion and cook until soft. Drain meat and set aside. Add spaghetti sauce and let simmer for about ten minutes.

11.   Cut pasta into into squares and top with meat sauce.