This low-carb Cheesy Baked Spaghetti is an easy family-friendly meal that combines ground beef, flavorful marinara, and mozzarella cheese with some delicious low-carb spaghetti noodles.

It comes together quickly, making it an easy choice for any weeknight meal.

What Is The Best Low Carb Pasta Alternative?

I have always been a fan of pasta, and I’ve passed the love of noodles on to my son, so I’m always on a mission to find ways to make our old favorites more low-carb and gluten-free.

Cheesy Baked Spaghetti is one of those classic comfort foods that are delicious, quick, easy,  and is a great family-friendly dish.

I just love it and I’ve so thankful I can still enjoy it without all the added carbs. 

Baked Spaghetti or maybe you know it as “spaghetti casserole” is basically pasta tossed in a tomato and meat sauce and then baked with or without cheese on top.

I like to take mine a step higher and add a middle layer of cheesy ricotta. 

In order to recreate a baked spaghetti that is low carb, one of the main components, the wheat-based pasta, needs to be swapped out for a lower carb option.

Low-carb pasta alternatives have come a long way over the last ten years or so but they are not all created equal.

I’ve tried many that I have enjoyed in recipes, but there have also been a couple that I wish I could wipe out of my taste bud”s memory. 

Many low carbers, like my husband for one,  like to use the konjac noodles or miracle noodles where others may not like their extra chewy texture.

The Trim Healthy Mama authors used to have a wonderful product of their own that was a type of miracle noodle that I did enjoy, but sadly they have taken it out of their store, so I’m no longer able to purchase it. 

There are some of my readers that go for products that will ease them into the low-carb diet or give them a treat now and then, so they opt for a more “dirty keto’ or processed pasta like Dreamfields. 

I however can’t eat the Dreamfield noodles and still lose weight, and since the texture of the konjac noodles is a turn-off for me, I was still on the hunt for a good pasta option for myself.

Thankfully, I’m glad to say that I have fallen in love with using the Palmini brand of pasta that is made of hearts of palm.

We are lucky enough to have them in our local Walmarts, but if you don’t they can be found on amazing or Palmini’s website store. 

To me, they are one of the best low-carb pasta alternatives on the market. They are a great option for those of you like me that need gluten-free and low-carb options that will help you continue to lose weight.

They are also low in calories and fat. 

I can eat these noodles on my daily diet and still lose which is a big plus for me. Which is a big deciding factor for me when I am looking for a good product to use in recipes. 

I’ve been using them for about six months or so now and love how they hold up to many dishes.

I’ve even used them in my slow cooker with my Slow Cooker Sausage Alfredo and they held the perfect text and tasted amazing with the alfredo sauce. 

By just swapping the wheat noodles out with Palmin and by choosing a low-sugar pasta sauce you’ll be able to enjoy this delicious baked pasta dish without all the guilt or the threat of extra pounds sneaking up on you. 

What is the Best Low Carb Pasta Sauce?

Marinara, aka spaghetti sauce, is one of the sauces that we need to be careful about when we are picking out which brand we buy if we are getting jarred sauce. Unfortunately,  a lot of companies add additional sugar to their tomato to balance the acidity. 

Since tomatoes already have about four or five grams of sugar per serving, the added sugars that the brands add can really add up and make some sauces something we need to avoid. 

When you shop for a pasta sauce to use in this recipe there are a few things you can keep in mind that will help you choose the lowest carb option in your store. Always start with the back label on the jar.

Try to find sauces that do not have sugar listed in the ingredient list and no more than 5 grams of natural sugar if possible.

The key will try to find the sauces that have the least amount of ingredients. Less is more in this case. 

My top recommendation would be Rao’s Homemade Marinara. It tastes so good and can be found next to all the other pasta sauces.

This brand only has 3 grams of natural sugars, so no added sugars, and only 4 carbs per serving. 

It is more expensive than other options, but the lowest I’ve found so far. For a more affordable option, you can look for Prego or Ragu jars that state “no sugar added”.

These tend to have around 6 grams of sugar, so a little higher than I like, but if budget is a factor in your choice, then these will work fine. 

What Are Some Other Ingredients That Will Taste Amazing In The Recipe?

1. Diced onions and green bell peppers: Adding these nonstarchy veggies would add another element of flavor. I would cook these with your ground beef so that they are nice and tender when you mix them into the noodles.
2. Chili Powder and Cumin Spice: These two spices are not typically spices found in spaghetti, but if you swap them out for the Italian seasoning in this recipe it will have all the nice flavor of a Chili Mac.  Just add these spices where the recipes call for garlic and Italian seasoning.
3. Chicken or Turkey: With beef prices skyrocketing right now you can swap the ground beef for chicken or ground turkey if you find that on sale. I’ve made this recipe with ground turkey that was 93 % lean and it was just as delicious.
4. Mushrooms: I think some sliced mushrooms would be absolutely delicious in this dish, since my husband and son are not huge fans of fungi I couldn’t add them to this batch, but if you like mushrooms toss some in with your ground beef as it cooks. This is also a great savory way to stretch your ground beef if you need to.
5. Parmesan Pork Rind Topping: If you would like a breadcrumb type of topping on this baked pasta dish you can add a half cup of crushed pork rinds with a fourth of a cup of parmesan cheese and a tablespoon or two of melted bet. Mix these until the “bread crumbs” are moist and sprinkle on the top of the pasta right before you bake it. 

What Can I Serve With Cheesy Baked Spaghetti?

You may be wondering what type of side dishes you could serve with this baked pasta dish, and I’ll give you a few of my favorite suggestions also though if you wanted to you could just serve this dish alone since it has the protein from the ground beef and a good veggie since the noodles are made out of the hearts of palm.

So it could be a stand-alone meal if you think you will feel satisfied with your potion. But if not here are a few delicious ideas you could make with your baked spaghetti the night you serve it. 

Sides Dishes to Pair With Baked Spaghetti: 

• A fresh garden salad or a low carb Ceasar salad
• Some warm batch of low-carb garlic knots.
• Fresh steamed or roasted veggies like broccoli, green beans, or asparagus.
• A cup of your favorite low-carb soup as a start to the meal

Yield: 4 Servings

Easy Baked Spaghetti, Low Carb

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

A delicious baked spaghetti using a low-carb noodle alternative. A filling casserole that the whole family will enjoy.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups of Rao's Pizza Sauce
• 1 pound of cooked ground beef
• 1 pouch of Palmini Angelhair Noodles
• 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 /2 teaspoon of onion powder

Instructions

1. Bring the Palmini Noodles to a rolling boil and cook for 15 to 20minutes, then drain well and set aside. My family likes thems often so I go about 18 minutes at least.
2. Cook the ground beef and drain any fat from the meat that may have been cooked out.
3. Mix the cooked ground beef and the low-carb pasta sauce together in one bowl with one teaspoon of the Italian seasoning.
4. Stir in the Palmini pasta until all the noodles are coated in meat sauce.
5. In another bowl mix the ricotta cheese, large egg, the other teaspoon of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder, and stir well to combine.
6. Add half of the spaghetti mixture into a baking dish and spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the top. Then add half of the mozzarella.
7. Next, add the remaining spaghetti on top of the ricotta and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top of the casserole.
8. Place the dish of spaghetti into a preheated 350 degree (Fahrenheit) oven and bake for 35 minutes.
9. When it is fully baked carefully remove it from the oven and serve.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1 cup
Amount Per ServingCalories 507Total Fat 32gCholesterol 176mgSodium 642mgCarbohydrates 11gNet Carbohydrates 8.7gFiber 2.3gSugar 4.3gProtein 41.8g

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Keri Bucci

I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!