Not just kind of amazing...

My Saturday self was awfully nice to my Monday self - yet again. This time - Baked Spaghetti. Mondays feel a bit nutto... work, school, lessons, orchestra, play practice, helping out with projects at church - and you want me to make dinner too? Oh really. So my Saturday self said... oh I'll make this delicious meal for you - tuck it into the fridge - then you can pull it out - bake it - warm the house and make it smell amazing at the same time. Done and done. Also it will provide LOADS of delicious left overs. Thank you Saturday Self! I've made spaghetti pie before and this is similar - but a twist - it has ricotta instead and is slightly different. At first I was afraid the sauce was way too much but it was actually perfect. I used my biggest baking dish and it worked perfect. I work in the office on Mondays - so I had Andy take it out at noon and just set it in the oven to be less cold. He started the oven later and by time I got home - it was well on its way to being dinner for us all. I don't think I'll ever tire of meal prep. I know some people hate it. They don't like cooking at all - why would they want to do it on the weekend? I can tell you that I would rather prep 6 meals on a Saturday than deal with them during the week when life is crazy each day in its own way. For me - this works and I'll keep proclaiming how awesome it is... because let's admit - it's kind of amazing.

Baked Spaghetti
1 lb spaghetti
1 lb lean ground beef or Italian sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
28 ounces marinara sauce
14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Extra parmesan cheese and fresh basil, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cook the spaghetti to al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and set aside. If the noodles are going to be sitting for several minutes, you can drizzle a little olive oil over them and toss so they don’t stick together.
Place the beef or sausage in a large skillet and cook over medium heat. Break up with a wooden spoon while cooking. until browned and no longer pink. Drain off excess fat and transfer to a plate that has been lined with paper towels. Set aside.
In the same large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Add the marinara sauce, tomatoes, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Turn to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir the cooked beef or sausage into the sauce.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and Parmesan cheese.
Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place half of the cooked spaghetti noodles on the bottom of the pan. Pour half of the meat sauce over the noodles.
Spoon the ricotta cheese mixture over the sauce and use a spatula to spread it in an even layer. Top with ¾ cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Add the remaining spaghetti and then the rest of the sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and garnish with extra Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired. Cut into squares and serve warm.