Spaghetti Casserole With Ground Beef and Cheese

1. Lightly grease a 2 1/2-quart shallow casserole dish or spray it with nonstick cooking spray. 
2. Heat the oven to 350F.
3. In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium low heat, sauté the onion in olive oil until onion is tender. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute longer.  Add the ground beef, stirring to break up. Cook until meat is no longer pink; drain off excess fat. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley and sugar, if using, along with the crushed pepper and oregano. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. Continue simmering the sauce for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

1. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water as directed on package; drain well in a colander and then stir it into the meat mixture.
2. Place half of the spaghetti and meat mixture in a 2-quart casserole; sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat with remaining spaghetti mixture and cheeses.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and the cheese has melted.

Variations and Tips

Add 1/2 cup of chopped green bell pepper to the skillet with the onions.

To make ahead, cook the meat sauce and let it cool. Put it in a container, cover, and refrigerate. The next day, heat the sauce, cook the spaghetti and assemble the casserole in the greased baking dish. Bake as directed above.

Replace the tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley, sugar, crushed red pepper and oregano with a purchased seasoned spaghetti sauce. Pour over the ground beef, add salt and pepper, as needed, and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.