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Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti! Spaghetti tossed with butter, then layered with a creamy ricotta sauce and a simple slow-simmered tomato sauce made with spicy Italian sausage and ground beef. It’s comforting and delicious, and it looks so pretty coming out of the oven. You can even assemble it ahead of time. This is the perfect bake for holiday dinners or any cold winter night when you want something everyone at the table will love. Just add a big, beautiful salad and you’re set.
Yesterday we shared a big list of our favorite holiday dinners. This time of year, I’m constantly entertaining and cooking big meals for family most nights throughout December.
And during these last couple of weeks—when everyone slowly starts arriving for Christmas break—I’m usually cooking for anywhere from eight to twenty people! That means keeping dinners simple, cozy, and always delicious.
This time of year is just busy. So “easy, quick, and yummy” is always the goal.
Most years I make a version of my mom’s spaghetti pie—sometimes we call it million-dollar pasta. It’s a baked pasta layered with a very creamy white sauce and a slow-simmered meat sauce. My mom used to make it all the time!
Her recipe called for lots of eggs, but I make a simpler variation now that’s honestly even yummier (my brothers have confirmed it). We LOVE this baked pasta. It’s perfect because I can assemble everything ahead of time, then bake it right before dinner. Super easy and very hands-off.
I usually serve this the week leading up to Christmas with my Christmas salad. And my new garlic bread is coming soon—but I LOVE the garlic bread wreath with this bake.
These are the details
Ingredients
- dry pasta
- spicy Italian sausage
- ground beef
- onions
- bell peppers
- Italian seasoning
- canned tomatoes
- sun-dried tomatoes
- whole milk ricotta cheese
- cream cheese
- fresh parmesan
- mozzarella cheese
- provolone cheese
- pepperoni
- fresh basil or parsley
Special Tools
For this recipe, you’ll need a Dutch oven or other large skillet. Plus, a mixing bowl, wooden spoon, and cutting board.
The Steps
Step 1: Boil the Pasta
Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Drain, then toss the hot pasta with softened butter. This keeps the noodles from sticking and adds the most delicious buttery flavor.
Step 2: Make the Red Sauce
Brown the spicy Italian sausage and ground beef with the onions, bell peppers, and Italian seasoning.
Nothing fancy—just a classic, cozy meat sauce my family loves!
Stir in the canned tomatoes or a large jar of marinara, plus a splash of water. Simmer until the sauce thickens and becomes rich. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and a handful of fresh basil.
Step 3: Mix the Ricotta Sauce
Use a food processor or simply a big bowl—both work great.
Combine the whole milk ricotta with cream cheese, and Parmesan until creamy and smooth.
Step 4: Layer Everything Together
In a large casserole dish, layer the red sauce, spaghetti, and the creamy white ricotta sauce. Finish with the remaining red sauce on top.
Add shredded mozzarella and provolone, then scatter slices of pepperoni over everything.
Step 5: Bake
Cover the dish and bake until the cheese is bubbling, melted, and beautifully browned on top.
Serving
Let the baked spaghetti rest for a few minutes so it can set up nicely before serving. Then top with fresh basil.
I love serving this with a big Christmas salad, garlic bread, and a bottle of wine for the family. The Tuscan red from our Seasonal Selection of Reds is my go-to.
Looking for more easy holiday dinners? Here are a few more to try!
Spicy Pesto Cheese Baked Rigatoni
Smothered Chicken in Mushroom Wine Pan Sauce
Crockpot Thai Short Ribs with Coconut Rice
Crockpot Short Rib Bourguignon
Lastly, if you make this Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti, be sure to leave a comment and/or rate this recipe! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground spicy Italian sausage
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 32 ounces marinara sauce, or canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni
- fresh basil, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente, according to package directions. Drain and toss the pasta with butter.3. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven set over medium heat, add the sausage, beef, onion, bell peppers, and Italian seasoning. Brown all over, 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Simmer 10 minutes, until just slightly thickened. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Remove from the heat.4. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, ricotta cheese, and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. 5. In a large casserole dish, layer 1 cup of the meat sauce with the spaghetti, white sauce, and remaining meat sauce. Top with mozzarella, provolone cheese, and the pepperoni. Bake 30 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Let sit for 10 minutes. Top with fresh basil, and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I was hoping this would be a tasty new addition to my family, but it would need some major tweaking if I attempted it again.
Hi Reba,
Very sorry to hear your family did not enjoy this recipe. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!
Is the top of this hard/crusty? Or is it supposed to be melted? Thanks!
Hi Kerry,
The cheese is melty:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
I know this isn’t a glowing review but I hope it is still published. I am a longtime fan, but it makes it hard to trust your recipes now when they are consistently being changed after being published, with no notation of the updates – just ingredients removed. Your community has asked you multiple times to notate changes and you refuse to do so. It truly makes me hesitant to make recipes because I never know if they’re finished or will be further altered, even after you publish them. I would really appreciate a response and some insight, it makes me feel uneasy.
Hey Rebecca! I understand and apologize for not nothing:) I did remove the yogurt after many said they didn’t feel it was needed. It was a small amount.
I’m so sorry you did not enjoy the recipe! Is there anything I could help you with?
Let me know! Happy holidays!
Unfortunately my husband and I did not enjoy this at all.
Very sorry to hear this, Melinda. I appreciate you trying this recipe. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!
A new favorite! Insanely good! Don’t need a Dutch oven – I used a large cast iron. Also needed to thin the white sauce a little with water. I am obsessed!
Thanks so much, Caitlyn! So glad this dish turned out well for you! Have a great Sunday!
Tieghan this was delicious! We had it for dinner tonight with the yogurt. I had to make a couple of tweaks to accommodate diet restrictions. Ground turkey instead of beef and lower fat cheese. I will definitely be making this again.
Hey Mary,
Happy Sunday! So kind of you to try this recipe and leave feedback, I’m glad it was a hit!
I made this and was pretty disappointed. It’s way too heavy and greasy, and the flavors don’t really work together. The creamy cheese layer completely overpowers the sauce, so it just tastes flat and muddled instead of comforting. Also feels overly complicated for a baked spaghetti that doesn’t deliver much payoff. Definitely not something I’d make again.
Hi Belinda,
I appreciate you trying this pasta dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
Hi Tieghan! This looks so yummy!! Perfect for a cold December birthday dinner:) can I make ahead and freeze?
Thanks so much, Bev! Yes, you can absolutely freeze this, that will work nicely for you!
Happy Holidays!
Was this tested with and without yogurt? I would love to try the recipe but wanted to check before making it 🙂
Hi Eliza,
Yes, it has been tested without the yogurt:) Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Happy Holidays!
Was this tested once the yogurt was removed? I would like to try the recipe but not if it’s been untested.
Hey Julie,
Yes! Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays!
I tried to trust the recipe but the copious amounts of butter and the Greek yogurt both seemed a bit out of place. Unfortunately I won’t make this again.
Hi Beverly,
I appreciate you trying this pasta dish and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
It was great! One of those foods you want to keep eating .
Could I sub cottage cheese for either the ricotta or cream cheese…?
Hi Adair,
Sure, that should work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this dish a try!
Would you consider sharing the recipe your mom made? It sounds so good! 🙂
Hi Ann,
I can share that sometime in the future! Thanks for asking!
What are all these people talking about? Am I missing something? There is no yougurt in this recipe! I made this its delicious
Thanks so much, Donna!! I ended up removing the yogurt from the recipe, but I am so glad you enjoyed the pasta!
This looks yummy – I plan to make it tonight! A bit confused with all the comments mentioning Greek Yogurt as I don’t see that in the recipe?
Hi Jerri,
You can ignore those, I decided to remove the yogurt from the recipe, you can follow as written.
I hope you love this dish! Happy Holidays!