Creamy baked spaghetti
Creamy baked spaghetti is an easy, fuss-free dinner recipe and is perfect for weeknight dinners and will become a family favorite in no time.
Pasta is a regular in most households, right? I mean, most weeks we have it more than once because it’s just so easy to make a recipe the whole family will love when its centered around perfectly cooked al dente pasta.
We of course have our favorites like this Rosemary-cream chicken pasta and this totally delectable tomato-cream rigatoni but we all want something new from time to time, don’t we? Last week I was planning on making a classic mac & cheese but when I went to cook the pasta, realized I didn’t have any macaroni in the house. All I had was a pack of spaghetti and so that would have to do. And so, my creamy baked spaghetti was born.
And my family absolutely loved it. Spaghetti is always a good idea where kids are concerned and I could make it hours in advance and just quickly bake it off before serving. What’s not to love?
I flavored the sauce with garlic powder and smoked paprika but feel free to add any herbs and spices you like. The creamy sauce is a blank canvas for flavorr. You could even go fancy-pants and add crispy bacon, roasted vegetables or mix in some bolognese sauce. I like to keep it simple though and serve it with a zesty, crunchy side salad and honestly, it is just the most delicious, easy, simple weeknight recipe. The leftovers are pretty awesome the next day too.
Table of Contents
How long to make baked spaghetti
Make a simple white sauce by melting butter and whisking in flour. Slowly whisk in milk, cream and spices then allow to simmer until the sauce is thick and smooth. Turn the heat down and add the grated cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and season to taste. Pour the sauce over cooked spaghetti then transfer the spaghetti mixture to a baking dish. Top with mozzarella cheese then place in a hot oven and allow to bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve.
Spaghetti recipes:
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
- Garlic butter mushroom spaghetti
- Spaghetti Bolognese
- Easy Creamy Parmesan Lemon Pasta
Creamy baked spaghetti
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup cream
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1½ cups cheese (a mixture of cheddar and mozzarella works well)
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 500g/1lb spaghetti, cooked
- 1 cup cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF. Melt the butter in an oven-proof skillet/deep frying pan.
- Whisk in the flour until a smooth paste is formed then slowly whisk in the milk over medium-low heat until the sauce is smooth. Add the cream and spices and allow the sauce to cook gently for 5-10 minutes or until the flour has cooked out and the sauce is silky smooth.
- Add the cheese and turn the heat off. Allow the cheese to melt then season to taste.
- Add the cooked spaghetti and stir to combine.
- Top with cheese then place in the oven and allow to bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
- Remove from the oven and serve.
