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Baked spaghetti in a foil pan with cheesy mozzarella topping, fresh from the oven — crowd-sized dinner ready to serve

Baked Spaghetti for a Crowd

Baked spaghetti made with uncooked noodles, seasoned ground beef, and Ragu sauce — all baked together in one pan for 90 minutes. No boiling, no draining, just cover it tight and let the oven do the work. Feeds 8–10 people.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 oz spaghetti broken into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp oregano or Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce (Ragu Chunky Garden recommended)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Brown 1 lb ground beef in a skillet. Season with garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Drain fat.
  3. Place broken spaghetti pieces in the bottom of a 9x13 foil pan.
  4. In a large bowl or the jar itself, combine the spaghetti sauce and 2 cups of water. Stir or shake to combine. The mixture will look very thin and watery — this is correct.
  5. Pour the ground beef over the spaghetti noodles.
  6. Pour the sauce mixture over everything and mix well, making sure all the noodles are submerged and coated.
  7. Top with 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
  8. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
  9. Bake at 325°F for 90 minutes. Do not uncover during baking.
  10. Remove from oven. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

The sauce WILL look too watery — that's exactly right. The dry noodles absorb all of that liquid as they cook. Trust the process and keep the foil sealed tight so no steam escapes.
Ground turkey works just as well as ground beef and is often cheaper. Season it the same way.
Serve with garlic bread and a simple salad for a complete crowd dinner.