This recipe is another “pantry-buster” (i.e., a recipe made completely of things most people will have lying around). It’s quick, easy, and so delicious. In hindsight, it probably would’ve been really tasty (and add some nutrients) to add frozen spinach in the cheese layer.
You will need:
- 3/4 pound of spaghetti
- 1 jar of spaghetti sauce (or equivalent of homemade sauce)
- 2 small cans of mushrooms (or fresh mushrooms if you have them)
- spices and herbs of your choice
- cheese of your choice (about 2 cups)
Boil spaghetti until al-dente. (That means it’s still a little bit resistant/firm)
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a 9″x9″ baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Now you can start layering. Start with a layer of spaghetti.You should use half of your spaghetti at this time.
Then add half of your sauce. You can use homemade spaghetti sauce if you have some in the freezer, or if you don’t, a jar of store-bought junk is fine.
Add half of the mushrooms and some herbs to the sauce layer.
And top with half of your cheese.
Then repeat the layers. Pasta, sauce, mushrooms/herbs, cheese.
Top with more herbs and put the whole thing in the oven. As I was pantry-busting, I also chucked in a loaf of frozen garlic toast.
Bake it about 25 minutes, until everything is warm and melty. I switched to the broiler for the last 2-3 minutes, so that the top would get that lovely toasty color.
Serve it up, and enjoy! The leftovers were even better. Mmm…
Hi! I'm Emily. I'm a Navy wife and stay at home mom of two beautiful children. I cook simple, delicious, grain-free recipes, do crafts, decorate my home on a budget, and keep a happy household. I tandem breastfeed, babywear, cloth diaper, practice elimination communication, homebirth, and co-sleep, but I'm not a hippie.
I made this tonight and it was FANTABULOUS!!! Thanks
Hi Emily!
I saw this recipe and thought I should try it sometime–then that sometime became tonight! (Or rather last night, as it’s now in the wee hours!) I had less than an hour to make something and it HAD to include chicken–as my dear daughter decided to turn off the fridge/freezer the other night, and all my meat was thawed, and chicken is what was left!
It was definitely a pantry kind of meal–WHAT can I find in there??? We didn’t have any spaghetti noodles, so I used some ziti I found. I added a can of tomato sauce, as my jar of spaghetti sauce seemed inadequate. I had three partial bags of shredded cheese, and some parmesan. And I sliced the chicken and cooked it in olive oil, before adding it to the layers.
Man, this turned out GOOD! Much better than regular spaghetti! We may have to make it again and again–one of those easy meals to make whenever I have to brave the commissary and go grocery shopping! My kids devoured it–though anything spaghetti/lasagne/tomato based is always a winner!
Thanks!
Jennifer
http://www.monsterbugblankets.com
Yum! I’d have to remember this one! Like giabella, I’d add some meat so my super-carnivorous husband would eat it. Looks great! Plus, since it’s not expensive, it would be extra good for these tough economic times!
Comfort food at it’s finest. mmmmmmmmm
giabella, you’ve got the idea! The basic point of this post is that Baked Spaghetti is EASY! And you can make it however you like it.
Yummy! I would add Riccotta cheese, some ground beef, take away the mushrooms and my kids would jump in!