Tik Tok Million Dollar Spaghetti

Behind This Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe

I finally decided to put my own spin on the TikTok-famous Million Dollar Spaghetti! This is a lusciously creamy, tomatoey baked spaghetti recipe with a toasted, cheesy top. In this sense, Million Dollar Spaghetti definitely lives up to its name: A casserole so rich, decadent, and creamy that it tastes like a million bucks!

I love using spicy Italian sausage in combination with ground beef in the marinara sauce in this recipe. It really adds so much flavor. But it’s the from-scratch alfredo sauce that steals the show.

You could use your favorite store-bought alfredo sauce, but the freshness of the ingredients shines through in this homemade version. I also use it in my Olive Garden-inspired chicken alfredo and sausage alfredo bake, too.

You taste the grated Parmesan, freshly minced garlic, and Italian herbs blended with a splash of heavy cream. No fillers, no preservatives. It makes all the difference!

Tips From My Kitchen

• Don’t overcook the spaghetti. Boil the pasta just until al dente (tender, with a bit of chew still in the middle). Since you’ll bake the spaghetti afterward, overcooking risks the pasta becoming mushy in the finished dish.
• Avoid spillover. Just like when making lasagna, the sauce can bubble over and spill on the bottom of the oven. To prevent this, I layer a baking sheet with foil and place it on the rack underneath the baking dish.
• Use one pan. This is easily a one-pan pasta dish if you reuse the pan you prepare your alfredo sauce in. Just clean it out between sauces!

Ingredients You’ll Need & Why

My take on this viral pasta bake recipe keeps the ingredients simple, with a focus on building up the flavors. Here’s what you’ll need.

Angel Hair Pasta: You can also use regular spaghetti, linguini, tagliatelle, or fettuccine. This recipe also works as more of a pasta bake with short pasta shapes, like ziti, penne, or rigatoni.

Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite store-bought sauce; I love Michael’s of Brooklyn.

Cheese: Freshly grate Parmesan for the alfredo sauce, and shred a combination of mozzarella, fontina, and provolone cheeses for the topping.

Ground Beef: I use lean ground beef in combination with ground Italian sausage. You can make this spaghetti recipe with ground chicken, pork, or turkey, too.

Italian Sausage: Ground hot Italian sausage (or use mild if preferred). If you buy sausage links, remove the casings.

Heavy Cream: For a lighter option, use half-and-half.

Cream Cheese: Adds extra richness and creaminess to the alfredo sauce. Use cream cheese that comes in bricks, not tubs.

Garlic: Freshly minced garlic is best!

Butter: The base for the sauce in traditional alfredo recipes. I recommend unsalted butter. If you’re using salted, consider reducing the added salt when seasoning your spaghetti dish.

Onions + Green Bell Pepper: Fresh aromatics and extra veggies. Shallot works nicely in place of yellow onion if needed. You can use any color bell pepper you’d like.

Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, freshly cracked pepper, and red pepper flakes. Omit the chilli flakes if you’re sensitive to spice. In place of Italian seasoning, you can use individual dried herbs, like oregano, thyme, and basil.

How to Make Million Dollar Spaghetti

After falling in love with viral recipes like French onion pasta and chicken alfredo garlic bread, I had a feeling I would be a fan of this baked million dollar spaghetti. It turns out, I was right! The steps are super easy, and everything comes together in one pan.

Make the Alfredo Sauce

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil while preparing the alfredo sauce. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat, then add in the garlic. Stir for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Then, pour in the cream and bring it to a low boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. The cream should thicken slightly.

Next, stir in Parmesan cheese and cream cheese, whisking until melted. The alfredo sauce will continue to thicken as it cools. Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Cook the pasta al dente in the boiling water. Strain and return the cooked pasta to the pot, pour over the alfredo sauce, and toss to coat. Afterward, rinse and wipe out the pan you used to make the alfredo. You’ll reuse this for browning the meat.

Cook the Meat

Drizzle olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Then, add in the ground beef and sausage, breaking it up as it cooks and browns. After about 2 minutes, add the diced bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Sauté while the meat cooks.

Lastly, pour in the marinara sauce, sprinkle in the Italian seasonings, plus salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together until you have a rich, uniform meat sauce.

Layer & Bake

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Into a greased cast iron skillet (or 9×13 casserole dish), spread the alfredo-smothered spaghetti in an even layer. Pour the marinara meat sauce on top and smooth it out with a spatula. For the final layer, scatter shredded cheese on top.

Bake this million dollar spaghetti casserole at 400ºF for 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce bubbles at the edges. Optionally, broil the top for an additional 5 minutes to toast the cheese.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerate any leftover baked million dollar spaghetti in a covered container for up to 4 days.

This cozy pasta bake can be reheated using the best practices I use for reheating most pasta dishes. Add a few splashes of broth (whatever you have on hand, such as chicken, beef, or veggie). This helps loosen up the pasta.

Heat for 2-3 minutes in the microwave, stirring the pasta every 40 seconds or so. If you don’t have broth, use water or even dry white or red wine.

What to Serve With Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million dollar spaghetti is perfect for a Sunday dinner, and very easy enough to make any night of the week. I like to serve it with a big green salad and homemade garlic bread, or an easy appetizer, like crostini and garlic cheese dip.

Looking for More Pasta Recipes?

I love easy pasta recipes, and I have one for every night of the week! This marry me chicken pasta is a family favorite, as is this spicy, creamy Buffalo chicken alfredo. For another delicious one-pan dinner, try my zesty lemon Parmesan pasta.

I hope you enjoyed my take on the viral TikTok Million Dollar Spaghetti. If so, I’d love to hear what you thought! Leave a comment below with your questions or feedback. Your reviews help other readers in the Bad Batch Baking community decide what to make next.

Be sure to tag me @BadBatchBaking on social media using #badbatchbaking so I can see what you’re cooking!