Baked Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Casserole

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). While the oven heats, you can prepare the spaghetti and sauce so everything is ready to bake. Grease a baking dish (such as a 9×13-inch) and set it aside so it’s ready when it’s time to assemble.
2. Cook the spaghetti. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente according to the package directions. You want the pasta to be firm to the bite, since it will continue to cook slightly in the oven. Once done, drain well and set aside so it doesn’t sit in water and get soft.
3. Brown the meat. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spatula into small crumbles. Continue cooking until no pink remains and the meat is browned evenly. Drain off any excess fat so the finished casserole isn’t greasy.
4. Sauté the vegetables. To the cooked beef in the skillet, add the diced onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and minced garlic. Stir everything together and cook for 5–7 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and fragrant. The onions should look translucent, and the peppers should have lost their raw crunch.
5. Make the meat sauce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, then add the Italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, and black pepper. Mix well so the seasonings distribute throughout the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently for 15–20 minutes. This simmering time allows the flavors to blend and the sauce to thicken slightly, which helps it cling more easily to the pasta.