This spaghetti casserole is carb comforting, satisfying and delicious. It is super easy to make and very cost conscious when you have to feed a village. That is why it is great to make for larger groups, it really is a whooping portion. Bring it to a work potluck event, make for a family gathering or just assemble quickly when your kids show up with their friends and they are very hungry, as usual. This casserole will not break the bank for sure.
This dish is basically a mashup of spaghetti and lasagna. And it is amazing, just what the name implies. All the ingredients are basic and inexpensive, readily available and robust. It is creamy, cheesy, melty and gooey. I start drooling just thinking about it. It is hearty and leftovers are heavenly. Spaghetti soak in the sauce and all the flavors meld in together beautifully.
I love the sweet Italian sausage in the dish. It is pork sausage flavored with fennel, garlic and sweet basil. It gives the jarred spaghetti sauce its rich, delicious flavor with those beautiful herbal notes. The key to the cheese part is to use whole milk ricotta and whole milk freshly shredded mozzarella cheese. Ricotta is flexible and extra creamy and it is the best choice to make the richest, most delicious spaghetti casserole. Freshly shredded mozzarella creates an over-the-top creamy melt that lends authenticity to this dish. It is not just the cheese it is a secret weapon.
This dish is a labour of love and might seem like an ambitious resolution, but once you get a hang of it it is super easy to assemble.
You make spaghetti with red sauce, cook sausage with fragrant vegetables and create a cheese mixture. Then you layer everything together and bake. This casserole is a huge crowd pleaser. It is also an ultimate make-ahead dish. Assemble the spaghetti casserole in advance and then bake when you ready to serve! This recipe is hearty and tasty and a colossal hit with kids and adults alike.
