Million Dollar Spaghetti (Printable)

Rich baked spaghetti layered with meat sauce, ricotta, Alfredo and melted mozzarella for cozy family dinners.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound dried spaghetti

→ Meat Sauce

02 - 1 pound ground beef
03 - 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 24 ounces marinara sauce (1 standard jar)
07 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
08 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
09 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Cheese Mixture

11 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
13 - 1/2 cup sour cream
14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Alfredo Layer

16 - 1 cup prepared Alfredo sauce

→ Topping

17 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
18 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook spaghetti until just al dente per package directions, drain and set aside.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium, add ground beef, Italian sausage and chopped onion; cook until meats are browned and onion is softened, then drain excess fat.
04 - Return skillet to the heat, add minced garlic and cook 1 minute, stir in marinara sauce, dried basil, dried oregano, salt and pepper; simmer gently 5–7 minutes, then remove from heat.
05 - In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth, fold in ricotta, sour cream, grated Parmesan and chopped parsley until homogeneous.
06 - Spread half of the cooked spaghetti in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
07 - Evenly spread the cheese mixture over the first spaghetti layer, smoothing to the edges.
08 - Arrange the remaining spaghetti over the cheese mixture in an even layer.
09 - Pour the prepared Alfredo sauce over the top spaghetti layer and distribute evenly with a spatula.
10 - Spoon the warmed meat sauce over the Alfredo, covering as much surface as possible.
11 - Scatter shredded mozzarella and the additional grated Parmesan evenly over the top.
12 - Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
13 - Remove foil and continue baking 10–15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbling. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing to set.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • With layers of creamy, meaty, and cheesy goodness, it tastes even better on the second day.
  • This pasta bake turns even a Tuesday night into a celebration, and leftovers are festival-worthy.
02 -
  • Once, I forgot to let it rest and ended up with a delicious but runny mess—ten minutes cooling is non-negotiable.
  • Switching up the order of layers makes a big difference—always go cheese mixture in the middle for perfect melt.
03 -
  • Bake on the middle rack for even browning and to avoid burned bottoms.
  • Let the assembled dish sit for a few minutes so the cheese mixture firms up for neat slicing.
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