Baked Sketti...recipe and pics below!

When The Husband is at drill...it's just The Toddler and I...and The Dog of course.  The Dog is not on my good list this weekend...but I digress.

You ask The Toddler "What do you want for dinner?"  I don't care what time it is, what day...his answer is 'sketti and meatballs'.

For a child that does not have a single drop of Italian blood in him that I can find on the geneaology charts, he loves Italian Food.  Fettuccine, spaghetti, ravioli, lasgana, noodles with light sauce, bread with oil...on and on.  He LOVES Italian Food.

Lucky for him, his momma can cook Italian Food like no ones business.  For a woman with no Italian blood, I don't do a bad job.  I need to perfect my alfredo sauce, but I have the red sauces down.  They are simple, and not over sweet like the bottled ones.

Last night, I made Baked Spaghetti with Meatballs.  

Recipe below:

Two large cans of crushed tomatoes
Can of tomato sauce if you have one
Schwans Meatballs, or your choice
Box of spaghetti
Italian Seasoning, garlic cloves, salt , pepper
Shredded Italian Cheese and Parmeson
You can also layer in pepperoni if you want...I didn't because The Toddler won't eat pepperoni.  Weird kid.


Two large cans of crushed tomatoes.  I like to add a regular can of tomato sauce in there, but there was none at Whole Foods, and none at home.  So just the crushed tomatoes.
Pepper, Salt, three crushed cloves of garlic, and Italian seasoning (I use the Mrs Dash grinder with Italian Herbs)
Let simmer with the lid vented on the back burner for about an hour. Low simmer.  If you can't go an  hour, that's fine too.  This is more of a dinner you cook on Sunday or Saturday, not a rushed Wednesday night. 
If you want to use pre-made spaghetti sauce, you will need two jars.  I used to add a small can of crushed tomatoes to that to make it saucier.

While my sauce is simmering, I bake my meatballs.  No, I do not have a meatball recipe.  I can't get them to stick.  I need to learn.
But in the meantime, I use Schwan's Italian Meatballs.  They are really very good.  I made almost an entire bag of them last night because I like a LOT of meatballs in my baked spaghetti.
Bake per package instructions.  Once they are done, I put them in the sauce to continue simmering.
Leave oven on for baking in a bit.

Now is the time to start the water boiling for the noodles.  I add a big glop of olive oil to mine. 
Cook your noodles per package directions, rinse well.

I have a Corning Ware deep dish casserole that I have been using for about 15 years now.  I am going to cry when I break it.

Ladle in sauce and meatballs on the bottom. 

Fork over a good mess of noodles, and layer over the sauce.

Ladle in sauce and meatballs next.

Sprinkle with parmesan and shredded cheese, add another layer of noodles, sauce, cheese...so forth.

Until you run out of room.

Top with cheese and cover.




Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees until bubbly.  I highly recommend a pan under your casserole.  Sometimes it bubbles over, sometimes it doesn't.  I hate cleaning cheese out of an oven.

Scoop and serve.