Viral Baked Spaghetti

This Viral Baked Spaghetti is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Layers of creamy white sauce and rich beefy tomato sauce are baked into al dente spaghetti, finished with bubbly cheese on top. It’s the perfect fusion of pasta night and comfort casserole, delivering bold flavor and gooey satisfaction in every bite. Whether you're making it for a family dinner or meal prep, this dish will have everyone asking for seconds.

Author: These Carbs Don't Count

Category: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 plates

Calories: 862 kcal per serving

Ingredients

1 pound - spaghetti
1 tablespoon - olive oil
1 pound - ground beef
1 - yellow onion
2 cloves - garlic
½ teaspoon - salt
½ teaspoon - black pepper
½ teaspoon - garlic powder
½ teaspoon - onion powder
½ teaspoon - oregano
1 jar - tomato sauce
4 tablespoon - unsalted butter
4 tablespoon - all-purpose flour
3 cup - whole milk
¾ cup - Parmesan cheese
½ cup - mozzarella cheese
⅛ - Reserved pasta water

Instructions

Cook spaghetti in salted water until al dente. Reserve some pasta water, then drain.
Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the ground beef. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Sauté until soft.
Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Stir in tomato sauce and let simmer for several minutes. Set aside.
In another pan, melt butter and add minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in flour to make a roux.
Gradually whisk in milk and simmer until thickened.
Season the sauce, then stir in Parmesan and mozzarella until melted.
Toss cooked spaghetti with the white cheese sauce. Add pasta water as needed to loosen.
Transfer pasta to an oven-safe baking dish. Pour meat sauce over the top.
Sprinkle with additional mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400°F until the cheese is melted and golden. Serve warm.