Easy Baked Spaghetti and Meat Sauce (with Vegan Option)

By Mariealicerayner @MarieRynr
 
I had picked up a package of vegetarian ground round at the shops the other day to try and so I thought I would make an easy baked spaghetti and meat sauce dish with it.  The recipe is one I adapted from a cookbook I have by Cooks Country for One Pan Wonders.   It is sized for 2 people.
Everything is supposed to cook in the same pan. The pasta and everything. The original recipe had meatballs on top. I was not sure if I could make meatballs with the meat substitute so I chose to fry it like you would ground beef with a few other ingredients and add it like that. This worked very well.
 
What you have here is a simple casserole in which all the ingredients are stirred together, including uncooked pasta and sauce, in a casserole dish and baked in the oven.  I used vegan friendly products and the end result was quite tasty, although I am sure with real meat and cheese it would be even tastier.
So do give it a go either way.  This tasty casserole makes a great mid-week supper for the Omnivore or the Vegetarian!  Quick and easy to make. No fuss. No muss.   I made some simple garlic toast to enjoy with mine and I had a salad on the side.
 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY BAKED SPAGHETTI AND MEAT SAUCE
Very simple store cupboard ingredients and not a lot of them. I will show the vegan ones I used separately and give my opinion of them. Simply double to feed more.
  • 6 ounces (170g) uncooked spaghetti noodles
  • 1 (12 ounce/340g) jar of marinara sauce
  • 1 jar of hot water (as above)
  • 1/2 TBS oil
  • 1/2 pound (227g) of lean ground beef or veggie ground round
  • 1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 TBS prepared pesto
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • grated mozzarella cheese (or Vegan mozzarella shreds)
  
I am sure you could use any brand of spaghetti noodles for this. I tend to buy a quality brand.  Today's was a bronze die spaghetti. I usually buy when they are on offer.
I used De Cecco Sugo alla Siciliana spaghetti sauce. Not only was the jar the right size for this recipe, but it also contained black and green olives. I like olives. You can use any good quality spaghetti sauce.
 
If you are using ground beef use  an extra lean one.  I miss the ground steak we used to get in the U.K.  It was excellent.  
Chop your onion and garlic very fine, and use a good quality pesto sauce.  I actually buy mine in a box which has several small pots of pesto in it. That way nothing goes to waste. I just found that I could not use a whole pot or container of pesto before it went off.  

These are the ingredients I used to make it Vegan.  That is the ground round, and the mozzarella shreds.  And of course a photo of the sauce which I used.  The veggie ground round was quite acceptable. I did  not mind it in the least. It had a nice texture.
The cheese on the other hand.  I don't know.  It will take some getting used to I think. It didn't taste bad, but it wasn't exactly the same as cheese either.  Dare I say it, I thought it to have a texture which was just okay, not what I wanted. 
I think Dairy is going to cause me the most problems as I try to introduce more and more plant based recipes into my diet. Sigh  . . . so far its not looking good.
 
HOW TO MAKE EASY BAKED SPAGHETTI AND MEAT SAUCE
I love recipes like this which require very little effort. No fuss, no muss deliciousness!  Easy peasy lemon squeezy!


Preheat the oven to 475*F/250*C. Spray a 7 by 11 inch, deep casserole with low fat cooking spray. Set aside.


 
Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the beef or veggie ground round, along with the onion and garlic. Scramble fry until no longer pink. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in the pesto. Set aside.


Break your spaghetti strands in half. Put them into the baking dish. Pour the spaghetti sauce over top. Add the water and the cooked meat mixture. Give everything a good stir together. Cover tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil.

 
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and stir. Scatter the cheese over top of the dish. Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 to 8 minutes until the spaghetti is tender and the cheese has melted.


Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before spooning out to serve. Garlic toast goes very well.

 
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty this really was. I am not sure what I was expecting with vegan ground round, but the texture was very similar to regular ground beef and I suspect it is one of those things that takes on the flavors of everything it is cooked with so it worked well. It was delicious.
I can well imagine that if you make this with ground beef and real grated cheese, it will also be quite delicious!  My jury is out on the Vegan cheese.  So far that has been a huge disappointment.  There is not a lot available where I live.

If, like me, you are also cooking for the smaller family, you might also enjoy the following delicious smaller sized main dishes!

CLASSIC POT ROAST FOR TWO - There is nothing much more satisfying than a fall-apart tender meaty pot roast to feed the soul and tummy. This scaled down version of an old family favorite delivers on all levels! Its comfort food pure and simple.  Tender and delicious and provided just enough leftovers for two people in an amount that you won't get tired of!

SHEET PAN ROASTED SEA BASS DINNER - No fuss, no muss, and little to no clean up involved. It is also perfectly sized for just two people, but of course you can increase the amounts to serve more if you wish. Perfectly cooked fish, potatoes, grilled tomatoes and onions, with a toasted almond garnish on the fish.

Yield: 2 - 3Author: Marie Rayner

Baked Spaghetti

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 38 MinTotal time: 58 MinThis is pretty much a hands-off recipe where everything cooks in one pan in the oven! Simply delicious! This is a small batch recipe. Simply double the ingredients to serve more.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces (170g) uncooked spaghetti noodles
  • 1 (12 ounce/340g) jar of marinara sauce
  • 1 jar of hot water (as above)
  • 1/2 TBS oil
  • 1/2 pound (227g) of lean ground beef or veggie ground round
  • 1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 TBS prepared pesto
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • grated mozzarella cheese (or Vegan mozzarella shreds)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 475*F/250*C. Spray a 7 by 11 inch, deep casserole with low fat cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the beef or veggie ground round, along with the onion and garlic. Scramble fry until no longer pink. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in the pesto. Set aside.
  3. Break your spaghetti strands in half. Put them into the baking dish. Pour the spaghetti sauce over top. Add the water and the cooked meat mixture. Give everything a good stir together. Cover tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and stir. Scatter the cheese over top of the dish. Return to the oven and bake for a further 5 to 8 minutes until the spaghetti is tender and the cheese has melted.
  5. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before spooning out to serve. Garlic toast goes very well.
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