Equipment
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 15 ml olive oil
- 450 g ground beef
- 225 g italian sausage
- 100 g yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic, finely chopped
- 12 g italian seasoning
- 360 ml marinara sauce
- 60 ml water
Pasta
- 450 g spaghetti
- 45 g butter
- 240 ml marinara sauce
Cheese Filling
- 425 g ricotta
- 225 g cream cheese, softened
- 56 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 40 g parmesan, shredded
Topping and Garnish
- 174 g low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 45 g parmesan, shredded
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- basil, fresh
- parsley, fresh
- red pepper flakes
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 823 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbohydrates
- 59 g
- Fat
- 47 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 8 g
- Sodium
- 905 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 23 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 15 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 150 mg
- Potassium
- 963 mg
- Calcium
- 537 mg
- Iron
- 3.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 156 mg
- Phosphorus
- 706 mg
- Zinc
- 6.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 442 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 4 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 103 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 2.5 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.37 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.64 mg
- Niacin
- 7.3 mg
- Folate
- 49 mcg
- Water
- 149 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F).
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking the meat into small pieces for 4 minutes.
Add the chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and cook until the meat is no longer pink and onions are soft, about 4 minutes.
Stir in the Italian seasoning, 360ml of marinara sauce, and 60ml of water, then simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
Boil the spaghetti in the salted water until slightly firm (1-2 minutes less than package instructions), then drain.
Return the pasta to the pot and mix with the butter and 240ml of reserved marinara sauce until the butter melts.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, softened cream cheese, 56g of mozzarella, and 40g of parmesan, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Layer half of the buttered spaghetti into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, followed by the cheese mixture, the remaining spaghetti, and the meat sauce.
Top the casserole with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 190°C (375°F) for 25 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue baking for 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
Remove from the oven and let the dish rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with optional fresh herbs.
Chef's Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese is fully softened to room temperature to avoid lumps in the cheese layer.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap tightly in foil and plastic wrap.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175°C (350°F) oven until the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
Pasta is mushy after baking
Cause: Spaghetti was fully cooked before being added to the casserole
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Boil pasta 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions for al dente.
Cultural Context
Million Dollar Spaghetti is a popular American comfort food, likely evolving from classic Italian-American baked pasta dishes like baked ziti or lasagna. Its name suggests a rich, decadent experience, often served at family gatherings or potlucks due to its crowd-pleasing nature and make-ahead potential.
