BAKED MILLION DOLLAR SPAGHETTI (Good)

By carvalhohm

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked two minutes shy of directions and drained
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper)
• 6 cups Quick Marinara Sauce (recipe follows)
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• parsley, chopped (optional as a garnish)

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from kookmenow.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet add the beef, onions, garlic, salt and pepper into the pan and cook on high. Once browned, turn off the heat, drain the liquid left in the pan and mix in one cup of the marinara sauce. Add the cooked spaghetti to the remaining 5 cups of the marinara sauce and toss to combine.

Mix the cream cheese and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese in a bowl.

Add half the pasta/sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Add the cream cheese mixture and top with the remaining pasta/sauce mixture.

Add the meat sauce mixture on top of the pasta and top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly

Quick Marinara Sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tablespoons)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 (28-ounce) cans whole, peeled, tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes with about half of their juices (discarding the rest), the herb sprigs and basil and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 25 to 30 minutes or until thickened.

Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper, to taste. Serve or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.