Baked Spaghetti with Ground Beef & Béchamel 🍝🥩🧀✨

Inspired by a friend in Italy: tender spaghetti layered with savory beef ragù and a creamy béchamel, baked to a golden, irresistible finish.

Ingredients

Pasta

• 400 g (14 oz) spaghetti
• 2 tsp salt (for boiling water)

Beef-tomato sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 500 g (1 lb) ground beef
• 400 g (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried basil
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• ¾ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper (to taste)

Béchamel (white sauce)

• 60 g (4 tbsp) butter
• 60 g (½ cup) all-purpose flour
• 750 ml (3 cups) milk, warmed
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp white or black pepper
• 40 g (½ cup) grated Parmesan

For topping & assembly

• 150 g (1½ cups) shredded mozzarella
• 30 g (¼ cup) grated Parmesan
• Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook pasta: Boil spaghetti in salted water until just al dente (1 minute shy of package time). Drain and toss with a drizzle of olive oil.
2. Make beef sauce: Heat olive oil; sauté onion 5 minutes. Add garlic 30 seconds. Brown beef, breaking up, 5–6 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10–15 minutes until thick and flavorful.
3. Béchamel: Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour; cook 1–2 minutes (no browning). Gradually whisk in warm milk until smooth. Simmer 3–5 minutes to thicken. Season with nutmeg, salt, pepper; whisk in Parmesan.
4. Assemble: Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). In a greased 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) dish, spread half the beef sauce, layer half the spaghetti, then the rest of the beef sauce, then remaining spaghetti. Pour béchamel over the top to cover. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan.
5. Bake: Bake 20–25 minutes until bubbly and golden on top. Broil 1–2 minutes for extra color if desired.
6. Serve: Rest 10 minutes, garnish with parsley, slice, and enjoy.

Tips

• Silky béchamel: Warm milk prevents lumps; whisk constantly for a smooth sauce.
• Layer love: Keep béchamel as the final layer for that classic golden crust.
• Cheese swap: Provolone or fontina add lovely melt; Pecorino for a sharper bite.
• Make-ahead: Assemble, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours; bake +10 minutes.

Caption & engagement

Caption: “Italian Baked Spaghetti—rich beef sauce, silky béchamel, and a golden top you can’t resist 🍝✨”

• Comment prompt: “Team mozzarella or provolone on top?”
• Rotating closers: “Save for Sunday dinner.” • “Tag a pasta lover.” • “Layers of comfort, baked to perfection.”