Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients

  • 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 small bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
  • 8 ounces angel hair pasta
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup grated monterey jack cheese

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1 cup water, the onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, the garlic powder, seasoned salt, sugar and bay leaves in a stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked and no pink color remains. Drain the fat from the meat, then add the ground beef to the stock pot and simmer from 20 more minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 3 quart baking dish with 1/3 of the sauce. Add half of the pasta, then 1/3 of each cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with the remaining cheese and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes.