Baked Spaghetti was a recipe that my Grandma Fanny made when my Father was a child. I watched his older sister, my Aunt Hilda, make it when we used to spend private time together. I remember loving to go to her house to pat the belly of the big porcelain Buddha that sat on the foyer table, help her make the Baked Spaghetti and walk her dog-Peppy. It was Aunt Hilda who taught me that I could make this easy casserole in a large casserole dish for the family; but if I wanted it to look fancier, I could bake it in individual portions. I made it the fancy way for Dad’s 95th Birthday Party. I love the way food continues to stir up so many memories and binds the generations together.
While Baked Spaghetti stirs up memories from my Father’s family, Truffle Mac ‘N Cheese brings back memories of trips with our children. Taste memories and family memories seem to go together.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baked Spaghetti
By Published: May 12, 2014
Yield:
- 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound cappelini
- 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese (I prefer white) shredded
- 1/4 pound Sweet Butter softened
- 16 ounces tomato sauce homemade/bottled
- 1/2 cup cornflake crumbs/Panko
- baking spray
Equipment
- 1 spaghetti pot
- 1 13x9x2 oven to table casserole
Directions
- Parboil pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and pour back into the pot.
- Add cheese, butter and tomato sauce to pasta. Mix well. Preheat oven to: 375° F.
- Spray casserole dish. Pour spaghetti mixture into casserole. Smooth out the top. Sprinkle with cornflake crumbs/Panko; Bake for 30-45 minutes until mixture is bubbling and browned. Serve hot with a big salad.
- Note: This recipe can be divided into 12 average size muffin cups. Spray each muffin cup and reduce cooking time to about 20 minutes or until you see the sides becoming crisp and the top browned. Let spaghetti cool five minutes in pan before running a spatula around the sides and unmolding them..
