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Spatula lifting out a portion of the baked spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti Pasta Casserole

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Created by Mariam Ezzeddine
This Baked Spaghetti with chicken is an easy, cheesy, and tasty dinner that the whole family will love. It’s a classic comfort recipe that uses ground chicken instead of ground beef. It is such an easy pasta casserole that is perfect for any occasion. 
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
servings

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil light tasting
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 2 large carrots chopped
  • 3 stalks celery chopped
  • 1 lb. ground chicken
  • 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp. dried Italian seasonings
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. salt

For the Spaghetti:

  • 1 lb. spaghetti pasta cooked
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese for topping
  • Water to cook spaghetti
  • Basil to garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish with oil and keep it aside.
  • Heat a dutch oven with oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; saute for 4-5 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
  • Add carrots and celery, cook for a couple of minutes and then add ground chicken. Break it up and cook for 3-5 minutes until the chicken releases the moisture.
  • Stir in the chicken broth, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasonings, black pepper and salt. Bring it to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes until everything comes together and the sauce thickens a bit. Cover and keep the sauce aside.
  • Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions minus 1 minute. Reserve about 1 cup of prepared sauce and toss the spaghetti with the remaining sauce.
  • Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish, top the pasta with the reserved 1 cup sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
  • After 20 minutes remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes.
  • Once done, garnish the baked spaghetti with basil and serve a slice while it is warm.

Notes

  • ​​When filling your pot to cook the pasta, use enough water that once the noodles begin to cook and expand, there will still be plenty of room for the pasta to move freely. 
  • Prevent your pasta from sticking together by stirring it immediately after you drop it into the pot.
  • Don’t put oil in your pasta water! You’ll just end up with greasy pasta.
  • I love serving this baked spaghetti with Cheesy Cauliflower Bread Sticks, Roasted Garlic Bread, and Cheesy Pesto Breadsticks. But a side of salad would work really well too!
  • Feel free to add other vegetables such as bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, eggplant, or mushrooms. 
  • Don’t have ground chicken? Try ground turkey or ground beef!
  • Make this spicy with the addition of some hot sauce, cayenne pepper, and chili flakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 682mg | Potassium: 784mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3481IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 202mg | Iron: 3mg
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