Million Dollar Spaghetti (Printable)

Baked spaghetti layered with savory meat sauce, creamy Alfredo, and melted cheese, perfect for family dinners.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound spaghetti

→ Meat Sauce

02 - 1 pound ground beef
03 - 0.5 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 24 ounces jar marinara sauce
07 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
08 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
09 - 0.25 teaspoon black pepper

→ Alfredo Layer

10 - 15 ounces ricotta cheese
11 - 1 cup Alfredo sauce
12 - 0.5 cup sour cream
13 - 1 large egg

→ Cheeses

14 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
15 - 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and Italian sausage with a spoon, breaking apart until browned. Drain excess fat.
04 - Add diced onion and minced garlic to the browned meat. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
05 - Stir in marinara sauce, dried Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
06 - In a bowl, blend ricotta, Alfredo sauce, sour cream, and egg until smooth.
07 - Spread half the cooked spaghetti in the baking dish. Layer half the Alfredo mixture evenly over spaghetti, then half the meat sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese.
08 - Repeat layering with remaining spaghetti, Alfredo mixture, meat sauce, then top with remaining cheeses.
09 - Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
10 - Remove foil and bake 10 more minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It feeds eight people generously without requiring fussy individual plating or last-minute assembly.
  • You get the comfort of pasta night elevated by a creamy, meaty indulgence that feels like a special occasion.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day, and reheating in the oven brings back that bubbling, gooey perfection.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the fat from the meat; I learned this the hard way when my first attempt turned slightly greasy from the oil pooling during baking.
  • That egg in the Alfredo layer is crucial—it keeps the ricotta from becoming chalky and gives you a smooth, creamy texture instead of something grainy.
  • Covering with foil for the first 30 minutes prevents the cheese from browning before the pasta heats through, which was a mistake I made until a baker friend explained the principle.
03 -
  • Using a meat thermometer to check that your meat reaches 160°F ensures food safety while preventing overcooking that would make it tough and dry.
  • If your Alfredo sauce seems thin, let it simmer gently for a minute or two; it'll thicken slightly and coat the pasta more luxuriously when baked.
Go Back