Spaghetti was not made for baking. This I know.
Winding and twirling around a fork, yes. Not smothering in ricotta and mozzarella then cramming it into a casserole pan destined for the oven.
And that, my friends, is exactly why I did it. Because I hate rules. They bring out my rebellious side.
Especially food rules like don’t put cheese on fish. What about tuna melts? Or shrimp parmesan? Or cream cheese and lox? Some of the most delicious and loved combinations. Ever.
Do you see where I’m going with this?
If two ingredients taste good together then not eating them that way because of some age-old tradition is just plain silly.
Join me in my rebellion. Bake some spaghetti.
A comforting baked spaghetti casserole with ricotta, mozzarella, black olives, fresh tomatoes and parmesan.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 casserole pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cook spaghetti to al dente. Drain and toss immediately with sauce. Add 2/3 of the spaghetti to the pan in an even layer.
- Mix the ricotta with the egg and parsley. Spoon over the spaghetti in the pan leaving an inch border around the edges. Cover the ricotta with the remaining spaghetti.
- Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over top, then olives, then place the tomato slices down the center. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper then drizzle a little olive oil over them. Sprinkle the parmesan over top of everything.
- Bake 25-30 minutes until warm in the center. Allow to set for 5 minutes before serving.
Nice recipe that you are sharing, my family would enjoy.
I’ve got to try this.Never baked spaghetti, but what a neat idea!Looks flavorful and absolutely delicious :)
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This sounds so good!
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Can’t even remember whether I ever had baked ricotta spaghetti before….it looks absolutely mouthwatering!
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I always used to get these “bird’s nest” pasta things from the local italian deli, which were basically spaghetti baked (into a bird’s nest shape) with cheese and topped with tomato sauce. BEST. EVER. I think the texture is awesome. And definitely worth rule-breaking.
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