What do you get when you combine spaghetti, garlic bread, and grilled cheese? A casserole fit for a king! The recipe below combines essential flavors of Italian-American comfort food with a cheesy, strata-like base and a spaghetti marinara filling.
This dish isn't just delicious; it's also a great way to use up leftover spaghetti, which can become unappetizing when simply reheated. The dry heat of the oven keeps cooked spaghetti from becoming too gluey as it bakes. Use the same technique for any other leftover pasta for a delicious dinner that cuts down on food waste.
Spaghetti grilled cheese casserole
6
30 minutes
1 hour
1 hour 30 minutes
4 tablespoons butter
Three cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon flaked sea salt
1 pound spaghetti
2 cups tomato sauce
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, divided
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, divided
12 slices sandwich bread
2 1/2 cups milk
Six eggs
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until they are just fragrant, one to two minutes. Remove from the heat, transfer to a soup plate, add the parsley and sea salt, and set aside.
Break the spaghetti in half, and cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain and combine with the tomato sauce, half of the Parmesan, and half of the mozzarella. Set aside.
Use a pastry brush to brush the sandwich bread slices with the garlic butter on both sides. Arrange the six slices in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with half of the remaining mozzarella. Add the spaghetti, and top with the remaining mozzarella, followed by the remaining bread.
Whisk together the milk and eggs, and pour the mixture over the top. Allow to sit for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese and bake for 40 minutes, or until the custard is set.
