Vegetarian Baked Spaghetti Recipe

a square photo of baked spaghetti pasta.

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5 from 1 vote

Vegetarian Baked Spaghetti Recipe

This Baked Spaghetti Recipe is made with a fresh cherry tomato sauce, delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 519kcal

Author: Paige

Ingredients

16 ounces Spaghetti, cooked to package instructions
1 tablespoon Butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 small Shallot, minced About 2 tablespoons
3-4 containers Cherry Tomatoes, washed and sliced in half Will need 6 cups of cooked sauce
½ teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ teaspoon Freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon Red Pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Butter, unsalted
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 large Egg, lightly beaten
½ cup whole milk see note
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1½ cups Mozzarella cheese, grated see note
2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
olive oil, for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Use a 9 x 13" baking dish (square or oval) with a teaspoon or so of olive oil smeared around the bottom and sides. When ready to bake, set the baking dish on a large baking (cookie) sheet.
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. (Don't rinse it.)
Using a large non-stick skillet, add the butter and olive oil and shallots, let these cook on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure they don't take on much color (a little is fine!)
Add the cut tomatoes and the salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine, then let this mixture cook on high heat, stirring occasionally until it breaks down into a chunky sauce, about 10 minutes.
Next, turn the heat down to medium and mash the tomatoes down a bit with a big spoon or potato masher just enough to release their juices. Add another pinch of salt and pepper plus the tablespoon of butter and the garlic, then stir to combine. Let this cook down for another 5 minutes or so, you want it saucy but not watery.
Into the large bowl with the cooked spaghetti, add the tomato mixture straight from the skillet, scraping out all the juices, plus the egg, the milk and the Parmesan cheese and one (1) tablespoon of the chopped parsley.
Mix this together until combined (a pair of tongs works well for this) then transfer half of it to the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over the top, then add the rest of the pasta. Finish with the remaining cheese and the tablespoon of chopped parsley.
Drizzle with a little olive oil over the top, then bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted.
Serve with more olive oil, if desired.

Notes

If the cherry tomato containers are on the small side, use four containers. This doesn't have to be perfect, but you'll need about 6 cups of cooked sauce.
Use heavy cream instead of whole milk if you want a little more creaminess.
Use Jack cheese instead of mozzarella if you'd lik

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