This easy baked spaghetti casserole recipe is made with ground turkey and part skim ricotta cheese. Simple to make and so delicious, it is guaranteed to be your new favorite way to make spaghetti!
Baked Spaghetti is a delicious take on lasagna, only using spaghetti in place of the traditional long sheets of noodles. It’s a fun to eat and easy to make pasta dish that’s perfect for weeknight dinner or entertaining.
This fun and crowd pleasing comfort food gets lighted up using ground turkey and part skim ricotta cheese. To make even healthier, you could swap in whole wheat spaghetti and any roasted veggies you have on hand.
Baked Spaghetti with Ground Turkey is one of my favorite dishes to make for parties or whenever I’m entertaining. It’s a dish that everyone loves to eat and is perfect to make ahead. Plus, it’s a much cleaner way to eat spaghetti, perfect for kids and messy adults!
Baked Spaghetti with Ground Turkey
This simple and delicious recipe comes together quickly and is perfect for any skill level. Firstly, spray your casserole dish or a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray; set aside.
This dish has four simple layers: spaghetti, meat sauce, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella. The ricotta cheese and mozzarella need no preparation. You will only need to prep the spaghetti and ground turkey meat sauce.
Firstly, boil the spaghetti until it is just al dente, about a minute short of the cooking time indicated on the box. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, prepare the ground turkey meat sauce. In a crockpot or large skillet, cook the onion and ground turkey until the turkey is no longer pink in color. Add in the garlic, seasonings, and canned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and let cook for an additional five minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, eggs, and parmesan cheese. Add in the cooled spaghetti and toss until well coated.
For assembly, simply layer in the ingredients starting with half of the spaghetti mixture. Next, spread half of the ricotta overtop and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese.
Pour on half of the ground turkey meat sauce and then repeat the layers, ending with the mozzarella cheese on top.
Cover with foil and bake until hot and bubbly. Remove the foil to allow the cheese to melt; you can broil for a minute or two if you prefer the top slightly browned.
Let the Baked Spaghetti with Ground Turkey sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.
Make-Ahead Baked Pasta Dishes
If you love simple and delicious make-ahead Italian casseroles, be sure to checkout these favorites:
Turkey Spinach Manicotti – another lightened up Italian recipe made with ground turkey and part skim ricotta cheese.
Zucchini Ricotta Roll Ups – a low carb dish that is full of delicious flavors.
Chicken Bacon Spinach Tortellini Bake – the ultimate comfort food, this cheesy casserole is always a crowd pleaser.
Baked Ravioli with Chicken and Broccoli – no need to boil the ravioli before putting together this delicious creamy dish.
Cheese Beef Stuffed Shells – this Italian classic is simple to make ahead and great for every occasion.
Italian Turkey Lasagna – another classic dish that gets lightened up thanks to ground turkey and part skim ricotta cheese.
I hope you love this recipe for Baked Spaghetti with Ground Turkey! Be sure to comment below how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
Baked Spaghetti with Ground Turkey
Equipment
- 9 x 13 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground turkey (I like 93/7 blend)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 15 ounce cans tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese (part skim works)
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish; set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook spaghetti in boiling water until just al dente, about a minute short of package instructions. Drain. In a large bowl whisk together the butter, parmesan, and eggs. Toss in the spaghetti to coat; set aside.
- In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in ground turkey and onion, breaking up turkey with a spoon. Cook until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook one minute longer. Pour in tomato sauce and sprinkle on Italian seasoning and kosher salt. Bring sauce to a low boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Place half of the spaghetti mixture into baking dish. Top with half of the ricotta cheese and use a spatula to spread it over top. Sprinkle on half of the mozzarella and top with half of the meat sauce. Repeat layer by adding the remaining spaghetti, then ricotta, then meat sauce, and topping off with remaining mozzarella.
- Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and lightly brown, 10-15 minutes longer. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.
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Maria
Aww my favorite! never tried this baked version, will do this tomorrow for dinner <3 love it! so excited!
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
Love the idea of baking spaghetti and I always forget how good ground turkey is!
Emily Liao
Wow, this baked spaghetti was so good! Loved the flavors in this 🙂
Cate
Oh this looks delicious!! So much easier than lasagna and I love the use of turkey instead of beef, saving this one for sure!
Sue
I’ve never made a spaghetti casserole before, but this looks so much easier than lasagna, can’t wait to try it!