Classic Baked Spaghetti Gets An Upgrade With A Creamy, Cheesy Twist

A lot of baked pasta casseroles may land high on the list of foods that aren't actually Italian, but that doesn't mean we love them any less. Lasagna is more authentic, but we're partial to baked spaghetti on busy weeknights when we don't have time to prepare strata of cheese, meat sauce, and noodles — it provides the same creamy, carby, meaty deliciousness with a fraction of the work. We've seen marinara-based baked spaghetti made with ricotta or even cream cheese to provide silky unctuousness, but get ready to have your mind blown, because we've uncovered a variation on baked spaghetti that is super intuitive, yet definitely underappreciated: Alfredo baked spaghetti.

You heard us right. Alfredo sauce, with its hearty, comforting savor, is actually the perfect foundation for baked spaghetti. It keeps the pasta moist, it bakes up beautifully (with crispy edges ... have mercy!), and it's endlessly customizable to fit your tastes and the demands of your busy schedule. 

Jarred Alfredo sauce is an au gratin shortcut, we know, but we also won't tell the secret if you use some store-bought sauce as a bypass in your casserole. Doctor it up with a little heavy cream, nutmeg, and cracked black pepper, and you'll barely taste the difference. Butter is one key way to upgrade store-bought spaghetti sauce, and that goes for Alfredo as well. But hold onto your hats, because there are so, so many ways to mix up Alfredo baked spaghetti, and you are sure to fall in love with each one.

A standard Alfredo baked spaghetti has a backbone of a roux-based Alfredo (it's sturdier when cooked than an authentic Italian Alfredo of emulsified pasta water and cheese), with garlic, parsley, and Parm for flavor. But there's no need to stop there. Feel free to get extra cheesy and mix in some additional dairy, whether it's ricotta or cream cheese, as already mentioned, a puck of Boursin, or some Italian cheese blend for that gorgeous cheese pull.

Pick your pasta wisely as well. A normal spaghetti bake uses spaghetti — obviously — but the fettuccine you use for pasta Alfredo isn't the right call, we think. Choose a noodle with ridges to really soak up all that luscious sauce in its nooks and crannies ... we love cellentani, ziti, or radiatori, just for some examples. For a left-field pick, go with dried gnocchi and let your little pasta pillows get drenched with the creamy Alfredo for a dreamy bite!

You don't need to stick to just pasta and sauce, either. While lots of folks put ground beef or pork sausage in their red spaghetti bakes, we invite you to choose a white meat for your Alfredo baked spaghetti, whether that's chicken (ground or diced) or turkey sausage, just for example. Lardons of crispy bacon also shine in this dish! Or pile your pasta high with fork-tender broccoli florets, caramelized onions, and sautéed portobello mushrooms. Once your casserole dish has baked, the chef's kiss on any Alfredo dish is sticking it under the broiler for a few minutes to get that delectable brown crust on the top.