Baking
spaghetti in layers—like lasagna—adds extra cheesiness to a simple pasta dish
with a few fresh vegetables and ground chicken. I used thigh meat, but ground
chicken breast works too. You could also use ground beef, but be sure most of
the oil cooks out of the pan (or drain it) before adding it to the baking dish.
You want the finished pasta to be a little firm, not soggy.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 6 oz thin
spaghetti
- 2 tbsp
olive oil
- 2 garlic
cloves, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup
chopped onion
- 1/3 cup
chopped green bell pepper
- 3/4 lb
ground chicken
- 8 oz button
mushrooms, sliced
- sea salt
- freshly
ground black pepper
- 1-1/2 cups
canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp
chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving
- 1/2 tsp
dried oregano
- 1 cup
shredded mozzarella cheese
Preparation
- Preheat the
oven to 350° F.
- Cook the
spaghetti in boiling, salted water until al dente, 6-7 minutes. Drain.
- Heat a large
skillet or pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic, onion,
and bell pepper and cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the
ground chicken and mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up
the chicken, until just cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, 10
minutes.
- Add the
crushed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons parsley, and oregano and re-season lightly with salt and
pepper. Cook until the mixture has thickened slightly, 5 minutes. Remove from
the heat and cool 10 minutes.
|
Garlic, Onion, and Bell Pepper |
|
Chicken and Mushrooms Added |
|
Cooked Chicken Mixture |
|
Tomato Mixture Added |
- Spread 1/3
of the sauce in the bottom of an 11 X 7-inch baking dish. Top with 1/2 of the
spaghetti, spreading to an even layer. Sprinkle the pasta with 1/3 of the
mozzarella.
- Top with
1/3 of the sauce and the remaining pasta. Sprinkle the pasta with another 1/3
of the mozzarella and spread the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle the remaining
mozzarella on top of the sauce.
- Bake,
uncovered, until the cheese is bubbly and lightly browned, 20-25 minutes.
Remove and let rest 5 minutes.
|
1st Sauce Layer |
|
1st Spaghetti Layer |
|
1st Cheese Layer |
|
Ready to Bake |
|
Baked Pasta |
Garnish with parsley, cut into fourths, and
serve.
|
Baked Spaghetti with Chicken and Mushrooms |
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