Spasagna
Alright, I never claimed that I knew about every pasta dish that the world has to offer, so when I found out about this hybrid of spaghetti and American lasagna made popular by Cheddar’s, I had to give it a try.
The concept of Spasagna seems quite simple, it’s spaghetti that is tossed with a ricotta cheese mixture and baked, it is then topped with a simple meat ragu. To be fair, it seems like a lot of Italian dishes popular in America involve various combinations of pasta, red sauce, and cheese.
To me, the dish seems very similar to a classic Greek pastitsio that involves tubes of pasta baked with meat sauce and cheese sauce layered on top, but of course America has to create it’s own version of just about everything. Anyway, I’m going to show you a very easy homestyle version of the Cheddar’s classic that can easily be made in advance and baked off when it’s closer to dinnertime.
I can see this kind of dish being served at a party, at a family get together, or just as a way to wow your family with a hearty, cheesy, comforting weekend dinner.
Serves 8
For the Spaghetti Mixture:
1 1/2 pounds (24oz) dried spaghetti
four 8oz blocks of low moisture mozzarella cheese (yes, two pounds of mozzarella!), shredded
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups half n half (or 3/4 cup milk plus 1/2 cup heavy cream)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp minced fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil, for greasing the pan
For the Meat Sauce:
5 mild or hot Italian sausage links, casings removed
Olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 bulb of fennel, quartered, cored, and finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti and cook according to the package directions for al dente, or 8-10 minutes.
While the pasta cooks, combine the shredded mozzarella in a large bowl with the ricotta, sour cream, half n half, Parm, garlic, oregano, basil, and season with salt and pepper. When the pasta is done, drain and toss with the cheese mixture.
Spread the spaghetti mixture evenly into an oiled 9x13 baking dish. Cover with foil and then bake for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow the spaghetti to cool for about 15 minutes after baking.
While the spaghetti bakes, make the meat sauce by first browning the Italian sausage in some oil in a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the meat is browned and no longer pink in the middle.
Add the onion and fennel to the pot, and cook another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to soften. Add the garlic and oregano, then cook another minute until fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with the red wine, making sure to scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan, then add the tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer away for 30 minutes, stirring now and then, or until thick. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Once the spaghetti has cooled a bit, you’re ready to serve, just divide the spaghetti among plates, top with a generous spoonful of the meat sauce and some grated Parmigiano.
