Baked spaghetti is a client favorite whenever I did catering. It's comfort food at its best. The combination of spaghetti, layered with a hearty meat sauce and cheese is every pasta lover's dream. There is a depth of flavors with the combination of spices used in the meat. For a great tasting spaghetti sauce, its always best to season the meat prior to sauteing as this allows the flavors to be infused into the meat. Then when the sauce is added, all the flavors marry together which allows for a great tasting meat sauce. The use of capers adds a burst of mild salty flavor. This is definitely one those make-ahead dishes and is great to take along to a pot-luck dinner. Do enjoy!
For the meat
1lb ground turkey
1lb ground beef
陆 tbsp kosher salt
录 tsp cracked black pepper
1 1bsp herbs de Provence
陆 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp chili powder
录 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp parsley flakes
For the sauce
2 large onions chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
录 cup garlic, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus 1tsp for coating pasta
1 cup grape tomatoes
3 cups pasta sauce
2 tbsp capers
陆 tsp kosher salt
录 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
录 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
For the spaghetti
1lb spaghetti pasta
8 cups shredded cheese, any variety
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cook spaghetti according to cooking instructions. Drain and coat with 1 tsp of olive oil.
In a medium work bowl, combine meats and spices, season until spices are fully incorporated into meat.
In a medium stock pot, heat olive oil. Saut茅 ground beef for three minutes until meat begins to get brown. Add onions, garlic, and celery. Saut茅 for another five minutes until meat is browned and onions begin to sweat. Add pasta sauce, salt, capers, and grape tomatoes. Cover and simmer for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add parsley and basil.
Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta and then a little less than 1/2 of each cheese, then sauce. For the last layer, top casserole with remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, let cool for ten minutes. Cut into squares before serving.
