The Creamy One-Ingredient Swap Your Baked Spaghetti Needs

Spaghetti baked in an aromatic marinara sauce and topped with oodles of cheese makes for a low-fuss weeknight dinner. However, if you've had your fill of tomato and oregano, there's one creamy ingredient swap your baked pasta recipes need: a dash of dairy, such as heavy cream, milk, or soft cream cheese. 

Marinara-based pasta has a slight twang to it due to the natural acidity present in the tomatoes used to make the sauce. Spaghetti prepared with cream has a more mellow vibe. This is due to the extra fat in dairy products, which imbues the noodles with a thicker and heavier texture. What's more, protein-rich ingredients like cream and milk naturally elevate and thicken the texture of the sauce, lending it a velvety consistency and dreamy quality.

The best way to add cream, milk, or cream cheese to your spaghetti is to combine it into a roux made with butter and flour first. It's the same way you'd prepare a batch of baked mac and cheese. The roux stabilizes the mixture, resulting in a smooth and silky sauce that doesn't split or become grainy as it bubbles away in the oven. You can also add aromatics, like garlic and fresh herbs, to lift the heaviness of richer alternatives to milk and cream, such as ricotta or mascarpone.

Another dairy ingredient that will transform baked pasta dishes is cottage cheese. While this product has a textured, lumpy quality, you can simply whizz it up in a blender and make it smoother before pouring it into the roux. Then, add a melty cheese, such as cheddar or Gruyere. Cottage cheese is naturally high in protein, so the finished dish will keep you full for longer too. Topping the baked spaghetti with a sprinkling of Parmesan, panko, or crushed chips will provide a counterbalance to the smooth, velvety consistency of the creamy sauce. However, feel free to add in some textural extras, like petit pois, chopped ham, or sliced scallions.

Alternatively, if putting together a roux doesn't sound appealing, add a dash of heavy cream or soft cheese into a store-bought jarred marinara sauce to give it a richer consistency and fuller-bodied flavor. This simple trick will result in a lighter finished dish that still has a cozy character. Better yet, start with uncooked spaghetti and bake it in a tomato sauce or broth diluted with water. As the starch from the noodles is released, it will naturally thicken the sauce, giving it a glossy, appetizing, and cling-able sheen. Once cooked, stir through your cream or soft cheese, and enjoy this deliciously creamy meal.