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Last updated: | First published: | 24 Comments

One Skillet Baked Spaghetti

This Skillet Spaghetti recipe comes together in a single skillet and is finished under the broiler to brown the cheese. Delicious! 

Skillet spaghetti in a yellow cast iron skillet.

It’s no secret that I love pasta. If I had to choose between pasta and cupcakes… actually, I don’t even want to think about that. It’s my comfort food of choice, and my go-to when I run out of ideas for dinner. We eat some form of pasta at least twice a week, but rarely have traditional spaghetti and meatballs. 

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This is my favorite way to make spaghetti — I mean, who wants to dirty more dishes than you have to? And I don’t know what my problem is but I can NEVER have the noodles and marinara sauce ready at the same time. I always start them together and forget to factor in time for the water to boil. This baked spaghetti casserole recipe solves all my problems.

top view of baked spaghetti casserole in a skillet

Ingredients for Skillet Spaghetti 

This is such an easy baked spaghetti recipe, and it requires ingredients you likely have on hand already. Win! 

  • Ground beef 
  • Thin spaghetti
  • Water
  • Crushed tomatoes 
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Shredded Mozzarella 
  • Butter
  • Olive oil
  • Granulated sugar 
  • Dried parsley, basil, and oregano 
  • Salt and pepper 
top view of baked skillet spaghetti in a yellow skillet

How to Make Baked Spaghetti in a Skillet 

  1. Add the olive oil and butter to a cast iron skillet, then saute the onions, salt and pepper. Cook until tender.
  2. Add the ground beef and cook through.
  3. Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes, sugar, parsley, basil, and oregano.
  4. Add in the water and mix until well combined.
  5. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and add them to the pan.
  6. Bring to a simmer and cook until pasta is al dente.
  7. Once the spaghetti is cooked, top with shredded cheese and cook under the broiler until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

What Size Skillet Should I Use? 

For this skillet spaghetti recipe, I used a cast iron skillet that’s 11 ¾ inches in diameter. A smaller skillet may work if it’s very deep. 

Can I Use Another Type of Pasta? 

Possibly, but a different pasta shape may alter the cook time. Thin spaghetti cooks quickly and doesn’t need as much water, which is why I use it in this cheesy baked spaghetti!

portion of cheesy baked spaghetti with garlic bread on a white plate. A skillet of spaghetti is in the background.

Tips for the Best Baked Spaghetti 

  • Note that this recipe calls for thin spaghetti, not regular spaghetti. That’s because thin spaghetti cooks more quickly and requires less water.
  • Likewise, this recipe calls for crushed tomatoes and not diced tomatoes. Diced tomatoes may result in a runnier sauce. 
  • Push the noodles down into the sauce after adding them to the skillet. You want them to soak up to excess liquid, not rest on top and dry out. 

More Easy Pasta Dinners: 

Baked Skillet Spaghetti

4.12 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 806kcal
Author: Emily Grace

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 8 oz thin spaghetti
  • 2 cups water
  • 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup onion , finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves , minced
  • 8 oz shredded mozzarella
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • In a large cast iron skillet, saute the onions, salt and pepper in the butter and olive oil over medium high heat.
  • Cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the ground beef and cook through.
  • Drain the excess fat liquid now if necessary.
  • Pour in the can of crushed tomatoes, sugar, parsley, basil, and oregano.
  • Add in the water and mix until well combined.
  • Break the spaghetti noodles in half and add them to the pan.
  • Make sure to push them down under the sauce.
  • Bring to a slight boil, and cook 9-11 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
  • Be sure to stir occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking together.
  • Once the spaghetti is cooked, top with shredded cheese and bake under the broiler until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 806kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 132mg | Sodium: 1312mg | Potassium: 1109mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 900IU | Vitamin C: 21.2mg | Calcium: 401mg | Iron: 5.9mg
Did you make this recipe? Mention @GraceGoodEats or tag #graceandgoodeats!

I have a relationship with Le Creuset which includes receiving products for review.  

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Comments

  1. Patrick says

    3 stars
    When this recipe says large skillet, it should say giant, 14″ skillet. This will make a monstrous mess in a normal cast iron skillet and won’t cook.

    Reply

  2. Derrick says

    Hi, I have a cast iron skillet that is 10 inches or so in circumference and I am wondering if that is big enough for this recipe or do I need to cut the amount of ingredients in half?

    Reply

  3. Patti says

    5 stars
    Hello! I love this recipe. I was wondering if I can include the recipe. Along with the photo that says “One skillet baked spaghetti” in a recipe roundup on my site?

    Reply

  4. Gabby says

    I absolutely LOVE Spaghetti! You bake it, just cook it or even leftover the next day! My other half is the exact opposite it is quite funny too! I want help meal planning so I tell him if he doesn’t help me with it I tell him we will have spaghetti again! so bad but so good!
    I also wish to invite you to my link party called Tips & Tricks Link Party! It opens every Monday at 9pm Eastern and goes until Thursday at Midnight Est. I hope to see you there!

    Reply

  8. Dottie Hinson says

    I was halfway through cooking this recipe and thinking, “This recipe sucks. The sauce is too thin. I’m gonna write a bad review.” That’s when I realized I used diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes. I’m the moron. I saved the dish though with some Italian sauce to thicken it up some. It turned out great. I look forward to making it again…the right way. 🙂

    Reply

    • amy says

      Oh crap! I did the same thing. I bought diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes. I live 40 minutes away from the nearest grocery store too. I think the word “Crushed” needs to be highlighted in the recipe. Now I don’t know if I should still try making it and just add tomato paste instead to thicken it, or if I should skip it and make regular old spaghetti tonight. I was really looking forward to trying this recipe too!

      Reply

  9. Karen Goodman says

    I’m so thrilled you came over to my last link party and posted your recipe. It’s one of my very favorites and is featured in today’s Future Expat Required Ingredient Link Party. I’ll also pinned it to my party board and will be giving this one a try myself soon!

    I hope you’ll come back and add any spinach recipes you have to today’s party.

    Reply

  11. Nicole @ Three 31 says

    Two of my favorite things in life: Le Creuset and carbohydrates! Seriously, I am swooning over this perfect shade of sunshine-y Solei right with you. I would rush to the store to pick-up a pan in this shade if I didn’t already have a collection taking control of my kitchen and pantry. I think the folks at Le Creuset pump special oxygen into their store because I spend like a lunatic every single time. They love to see me walk in, the last trip resulted in the most perfect anniversary gift a girl could dream of: Le Creuset stainless steel cookware set. I also picked up not one, not two, but THREE cast iron skillets (in three different shades) on the clearance rack. No joke, there are the tiniest of tiny paint splatters on these skillets that resulted in their ‘imperfect’ status. SCORE FOR ME!

    Oh, and this recipe looks easy-peasy and one I’ll have to try ASAP. I just made a huge batch of spaghetti and I never time it correctly either. I also make enough pasta to feed half the first world too. Thank goodness for leftovers!!!!!

    Reply

  14. Jelli says

    I’m crazy about baked spaghetti. I’ve done in the slow-cooker but never in a skillet. Someone bought me an ovenproof skillet last year, so I’ll have to try this. Looks fantastic, Emily! Visiting tonight from Live.Laugh.Rowe.

    Reply

  15. Lisa @ Cooking with Curls says

    Okay first off, I am so jealous that Le Creuset sends you products to try out! 😉 Second, Spaghetti is an awesome meal, and I love that it is all together in one pan…genius!! Thank you so much for sharing with us at Best of the Weekend this week. Have a wonderful weekend. 🙂

    Reply

  18. Emily says

    Spaghetti at home is one of my favorites, and I love the idea of eliminating another dish to wash by cooking the pasta in the skillet. On another note, I bought myself my very first Le Creuset french oven for Christmas last year. It’s worth every penny!

    Reply

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