Ingredients:

  • 16 oz dry spaghetti
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup full-fat sour cream
  • 1 cup small curd cottage cheese
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 lb lean ground beef (90/10)
  • 0.5 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 24 oz marinara sauce
  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente.
  2. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. Toss with melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese until evenly coated.
  3. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage with the diced onion until deeply caramelized. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Stir the marinara sauce into the meat mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes, deglazing any browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan.
  5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, cottage cheese, oregano, and garlic powder. Stir until smooth and well-incorporated.
  6. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, layer half of the buttered spaghetti. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the pasta, followed by the remaining spaghetti.
  7. Pour the meat sauce over the top layer of pasta. Sprinkle evenly with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.