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Baked Spaghetti with Fresh Basil and Smoked Mozzarella
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Baked Spaghetti with Fresh Basil and Smoked Mozzarella

Recipes »  Main Dish  »  Casseroles

Great flavor, and easy to make! This is perfect the way it is, but would also be great with some summer squash and/or zucchini.

 "This was very good and very easy. I used it with leftover spaghetti and it was perfect. I did chop the basil as I knew my kids would not eat giant green things. I also could not find smoked mozzarella at my local grocery so I used regular. The fire roasted tomatoes gave it a nice smokey taste even without the smoked mozzarella." - deniseditgeswoolsey

Yield: 5 Ready in 30 minutes

Cuisine: ItalianMain Ingredient: Pasta

(4.5, 20) 90% would make again (reviews)

Favorite favorite of 1,289 people 1,018 people Try Soon want to try


Verified by stevemur

Servings          
Original recipe makes 5
3/4 poundDry spaghetti
1 tablespoonolive oil
1 mediumOnion; diced
6 clovesGarlic; more or less to taste, minced or pressed
4 Roma tomatoes; halved and then sliced
1 14.5-oz canFire-roasted crushed tomatoes; (regular crushed tomatoes would work fine too - just adjust seas
1 cupHeavy cream
2 teaspoonsDried Oregano
1 teaspoonSalt
1 1/2 teaspoonsBlack pepper
20 Fresh basil leaves
2 cupsSmoked mozzarella cheese; grated

Baked Spaghetti with Fresh Basil and Smoked Mozzarella Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F

Cook spaghetti until almost al dente (be careful not to overcook - it will cook more when it bakes; it should still be a little white in the middle when you put it in the oven).

In a medium skillet, heat oil, add onions, and saute until soft. Add garlic, and cook about a minute more. Add tomatoes, and cook about a minute or two. Add crushed tomatoes, and cook until sauce begins to simmer. Add cream, and cook until sauce begins to simmer. Add oregano, salt, and pepper, and simmer 5 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasonings - sauce should have a good, full flavor that won't be overwhelmed by the pasta.

Lightly oil a 9x9 baking dish, and add spaghetti. Pour sauce over spaghetti. Arrange basil leaves so that they cover the top. Sprinkle smoked mozzarella over the basil leaves.

Bake for about 10-15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted and a little bubbly.

Notes

I made this up with things I had in my fridge and cupboard. Mostly I needed to use the basil, tomatoes, and smoked mozzarella, and didn't want to make a trip to the store for anything. The smoked mozzarella really makes the dish, and the fresh basil is excellent!

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  • photo by MValerie8 MValerie8

  • photo by lizmari lizmari

  • photo by lizmari lizmari

    • Calories Per Serving: 663
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    Baked Spaghetti with Fresh Basil and Smoked Mozzarella Reviews

    Give it a rating Would you make it again?   [please sign in to add your comment]
    This is a hearty entree that we have added to our yum cycle. We use unsmoked mozzarella cheese, and sometimes ziti, and it comes out first rate.
    1 months, 1 days, 18 hours, 6 minutes ago
    I love reading reviews because I followed the advice of others by using penne pasta and I cut down the amount of pasta. I have to use Gluten Free pasta and it tasted wonderful or in the words of my family ' it taste like real people food'. ;-) Will definitely be making this gain. Thank you
    4 months, 2 weeks, 1 days, 10 hours, 49 minutes ago
    My family LOVED this. I tore up the fresh basil leaves and cooked with the sauce. Will most definitely make this again.
    5 months, 2 weeks, 2 days, 14 hours, 22 minutes ago
    Delicious!!
    6 months, 4 weeks, 1 days, 18 hours, 27 minutes ago
    Good, but a little dry. Next time..more sauce or less pasta
    8 months, 5 days, 12 hours, 27 minutes ago
    8 months, 1 weeks, 13 hours, 20 minutes ago
    Good
    8 months, 1 weeks, 6 days, 2 hours, 10 minutes ago
    This was very good and very easy. I used it with leftover spaghetti and it was perfect. I did chop the basil as I knew my kids would not eat giant green things. I also could not find smoked mozzarella at my local grocery so I used regular. The fire roasted tomatoes gave it a nice smokey taste even without the smoked mozzarella.
    8 months, 4 weeks, 12 hours, 38 minutes ago
    Really very good; but would chop up basil rather than putting leaves on top.
    8 months, 4 weeks, 1 days, 17 hours, 25 minutes ago
    Very tasty and easy to prepare but would use a different pasta in future
    10 months, 5 days, 19 hours, 25 minutes ago
    This was a little too dry, but it might have been because I used whole wheat pasta (trying to eat healthy) and I couldn't find smoked mozzarella so I used smoked Gouda. The gouda had good flavor but it didn't melt, so the next time I will use mozzarella and maybe some extra crushed tomato and cream.
    1 years, 1 months, 3 weeks, 1 days, 3 hours, 59 minutes ago
    Great recipe! I would also suggest a penne type of pasta..
    1 years, 2 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 17 hours, 4 minutes ago
    A very tasty dish and so easy to do. I added chicken to the dish
    2 years, 4 months, 1 weeks, 5 days, 23 hours, 36 minutes ago
    Not much taste
    2 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, 1 days, 23 hours, 6 minutes ago
    Very good and quick! I also used different pasta.
    2 years, 8 months, 4 weeks, 21 hours, 8 minutes ago
    I would also suggest a different pasta. Easier to scoop out of the pan. Very tasty!
    3 years, 6 days, 15 hours, 44 minutes ago
    This was super easy to make. I took another reviewers idea and shredded the basil first and it worked out really well.
    3 years, 1 weeks, 6 days, 2 hours, 51 minutes ago
    This was easy to make, and very good. Next time I'm going to use less pasta and more sauce, as the sauce was delicious and the noodles diluted the flavor a little too much.
    3 years, 2 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 20 hours, 56 minutes ago
    This was a good dish, the next time I make it however I'd make a few adjustments. I would use a diferent type of pasta, penne, tubetti, etc. I would also shred the basil and add it to the sauce at the last minute. My kids picked out the leaves and tried to claim them as a vegetable. I would also mix some of the smoked mozzerella and regular. I don't know if I got an extremly potent variety, but it was a bit overpowering.
    5 years, 3 months, 4 weeks, 19 hours, 10 minutes ago
    I made this up with things I had in my fridge and cupboard. Mostly I needed to use the basil, tomatoes, and smoked mozzarella, and didn't want to make a trip to the store for anything. The smoked mozzarella really makes the dish, and the fresh basil is excellent!
    [I posted this recipe.]
    6 years, 1 months, 1 weeks, 1 days, 15 hours, 17 minutes ago

    Tags

    1. Vegetarian
    2. Meatless
    3. Quick
    4. Bake
    5. Main Dish
    6. Italian
    7. Pasta
    8. Dinner
    9. Winter
    10. Comforting
    11. HVmPdYJmzyGwFF

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