Baked Spaghetti Casserole
by Sommer Collier — on Sep 12, 2025 This cozy spaghetti bake casserole recipe features a savory meat sauce and protein-rich cottage cheese. We top the baked spaghetti with more melty cheeses for an ultra satisfying Italian-inspired comfort food dish!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
We have a decadent and delicious spaghetti pie here on the site, made in a springform pan and loaded with ricotta cheese. It’s heavenly! However, today’s version of baked spaghetti is a bit more simple, but packed with protein!
If you’re searching for a crowd-pleasing pasta dish that also has a generous amount of protein to balance the carbs, look no further than our baked spaghetti casserole!
Why You’ll Love This Old-Fashioned Spaghetti Bake
- Italian comfort food – This bake is packed with tender pasta, rich and zesty meat sauce, Italian spices, and 3 types of gooey-melty cheeses!
- Protein powerhouse – The addition of ground beef, cottage cheese, eggs, and cheeses in this fabulous recipe offers up nearly 30 grams of protein per serving!
- Easy to make ahead – Put everything together in just 20 minutes, then keep the casserole unbaked in the fridge until ready to bake.
From start to finish, it’s ready to serve in just over 1 hour, and makes 12 generous servings. You definitely want to put this baked spaghetti and cottage cheese casserole on your weekly meal plan rotation!
Ingredients and Tips
- Ground beef – I recommend 80% fat and 20% lean (80/20) ground beef for the most flavorful rustic meat sauce.
- Onion and garlic – The foundation of any quality Italian-inspired recipe.
- Italian seasoning – Our homemade Italian seasoning is perfect!
- Pasta sauce – Use your favorite jarred sauce, or try our classic homemade marina sauce recipe.
- Spaghetti – Cook the spaghetti per the package instructions before using it to make the casserole.
- Protein mixture – The pasta is mixed with a protein-rich combination of cottage cheese, eggs, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
- Optional garnishes – Finish the dish off with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley or crushed red pepper flakes before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Meat – Feel free to change up the protein and swap ground beef with pork, ground turkey, or chicken. You can also use slow-cooked shredded beef.
- Vegetarian – For a vegetarian version simply omit the meat from the sauce. Try replacing it with finely chopped mushrooms for some umami flavor and nice texture!
- With a kick – Mix in a few generous dashes of your favorite hot sauce for a spaghetti bake with a spicy twist.
- Even More Protein – If you want to boost the grams of protein per serving even more, consider using a legume-based pasta, like chickpea pasta, instead of traditional pasta.
How to Make High-Protein Spaghetti Bake
Tip for Success – Baked spaghetti casserole is a fantastic make-ahead dish to pop in the fridge and bake a few days later, or even to freeze and pull out on a busy weeknight. We recommend buying disposable baking pans if you plan to meal-prep spaghetti bakes and place them in the freezer.
Find the full Baked Spaghetti recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Baked spaghetti and cottage cheese casserole makes great leftovers! Store the cooled casserole in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing – Assemble the spaghetti casserole in a disposable aluminum pan, but do not bake. Wrap the pan in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil before popping in the freezer. It will keep well for up to 3 months. Then, you can bake from frozen, adding just 15-20 minutes to the cook time.
- Reheating – Reheat leftovers in the microwave in short bursts at 50% power. But if you have the time, I recommend reheating baked spaghetti and cottage cheese in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Serving Suggestions
With all of this protein rich, hearty cheesy goodness, consider adding a fresh green salad to the table for some balance.
But if you want to keep going with the Italian comfort food vibe, I highly suggest our classic garlic bread or garlic knots!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you must boil the pasta noodles before combining with the cottage cheese and meat sauce mixture and baking. But it is easy to cook spaghetti and doesn’t take long!
No, you don’t need to cover the pan in foil or anything. We want the cheese on top to get bubbly and golden brown!
Spaghetti Bake Casserole (High Protein)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian pork sausage
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 32 ounces marinara
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- 22-24 ounce cottage cheese drained
- 3 large eggs
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- Optional garnish: chopped parsley crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Set a large pot of salted water on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Then drain and set aside to cool.
- Set a large skillet (or sautéed pan) on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Brown the meat, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Once the beef is mostly cooked, add the chopped onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook the mixture for another 3-5 minutes until the onions are soft and silky. Then pour the marinara into the meat mixture. Stir well and turn off the heat. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
- Set out a large mixing bowl. Combine the cooled pasta with HALF of the meat sauce. Mix well. Then scoop the drained cottage cheese into the pasta mixture. Add the eggs and 3 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese. Gently mix until combined.
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Scoop the pasta mixture into the baking dish. Use a spatula (or wooden spoon) to press the spaghetti mixture down into the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining meat sauce over the top of the spaghetti. Then sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of Parmesan cheese.
- Bake the spaghetti for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden, and the edges are crispy.
- Allow the spaghetti bake to cool for 5 minutes, then cut into large squares and serve.
Notes
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- Storing Leftovers – This baked casserole with spaghetti and cottage cheese makes great leftovers! Store the cooled casserole in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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- Freezing – Assemble the spaghetti casserole in a disposable aluminum pan, but do not bake. Wrap the pan in a layer of plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil before popping it in the freezer. It will keep well for up to 3 months. Then, bake from frozen, adding just 15-20 minutes to the cook time.
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- Reheating – Reheat leftovers in the microwave in short bursts at 50% power. But if you have the time, I recommend reheating baked spaghetti and cottage cheese in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
