Special Baked Spaghetti Recipe

Okay, this is crazy good. Think lasagna, but made with spaghetti noodles rather. Thin spaghetti noodles, really, or vermicelli.

A couple of beaten eggs are tossed in with the cooked noodles (along with grated Parmesan, yum!) and layered just the method you would if you were using lasagna noodles.

The egg assists bind the noodles in place so you can quickly eliminate even rectangles to serve without them breaking down.

It's the ideal thing to serve a starving adolescent boy who is checking out for spring break, who somehow manages to eat his weight every day, who enjoys to skateboard and can play Minecraft for hours without getting bored. Not that I know anybody like this at all.

Baked Spaghetti Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes        Cook time: 1 hour, 45 minutes            Yield: Serves 8 to 10

If you don't like mushrooms, please feel free to leave them out. If you like mushrooms, I suggest using shiitake since they are so splendidly flavorful. Or you might augment creminis with dried porcinis that have actually been reconstituted in hot water.

Save time on prep by chopping the onions and mushrooms while the sausage is cooking, and grating the cheese while the pasta is cooking.

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb vermicelli pasta or thin spaghetti
• 1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 1/4 pound shiitake or cremini mushrooms, approximately sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped, about 1 1/2 cups
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cups or 24 ounces of marinara or meatless tomato sauce *.
• 1 1/2 cups water.
• 1 Tbsp Italian spices.
• 1/4 cup sliced fresh parsley.
• 1 Tbsp olive oil plus more for greasing the casserole meal.
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese.
• 2 eggs, beaten.
• 1 cup ricotta cheese.
• 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.

* You can make your very own or use a good quality jarred sauce. Making your own, make a double recipe of our basic tomato sauce, blend it smooth to use in this baked spaghetti recipe.

Method

Put a big pot of water on the stove on high heat. Add salt to the water, about 2 Tbsp for 6 quarts of water. While the pasta water is heating, continue with the next actions.

Break up the sausage into clumps into a big sauté pan. Turn the heat on, to medium. Slowly prepare the sausage, breaking it up into smaller sized pieces with the a wooden spoon. The slow cooking will assist the fat render out. Cook up until the sausage is prepared through, not pink anywhere, and gently browned. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain pipes the fat from the pan (not into your sink or you may obstruct it!).

Add the sliced onions and mushrooms to the pan. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook, stirring often, till the onions become translucent and the mushrooms have given up some of their liquid. Include the minced garlic and red chili pepper flakes, and prepare a minute more.

Add the marinara sauce and the 1 1/2 cups of water to the pan with the onions and mushrooms. Include the sausage back to the pan. Include the Italian spices and chopped parsley. Bring to a simmer and decrease the heat to a really low simmer on the lowest simmer setting on your stovetop. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or two while you make the pasta.

By this time your pasta water in step one ought to be boiling. Include the pasta to the boiling water and cook, uncovered, at a rolling boil, for 5 to 6 minutes, al dente. Keep in mind that the pasta will continue to cook and soak up a few of the sauce when it is in the casserole meal in the oven, so the pasta must be al dente. When prepared, drain pipes the pasta and rinse in cold water.

Place the cooled pasta in a huge bowl. Toss with olive oil, then the Parmesan, then 2 beaten eggs. It's easiest to do this with your (clean) hands.

Preheat your oven to 350 ° F. Rub the inside of a 13x9 inch casserole meal (a Pyrex dish works fantastic) with olive oil. Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the casserole meal.

Place half of the pasta in an even layer in the casserole dish.
Cover with half of the sauce. Then dot the sauce with all the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle half of the Mozzarella over the ricotta layer. Layer once again with the continuing to be pasta, the staying sauce, and the remaining Mozzarella.

Cover with foil and bake for 40 min at 350 ° F. Remove the foil and bake an extra 20 minutes discovered. Remove from oven and let rest for a minimum of 10 minutes prior to cutting into squares and serving.

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