Spaghetti with Two Sauces
I adapted this spaghetti with two sauces recipe I found in The Best of Cooking Light cookbook. It looked creamy, tangy, and delicious. I changed the recipe for the red sauce a bit by roasting the tomatoes and adding extra garlic and seasonings. We all loved this delicious and easy baked spaghetti recipe and thought it paired nicely with a simple Italian salad and some hot, crusty bread.
Spaghetti with Two Sauces
Red Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 (28-oz) can of whole tomatoes
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- ½ tsp of dried oregano (divided)
- 1 tsp of dried basil (divided)
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
White Sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter, divided
- 4 cups of cremini or button mushrooms, sliced (about 12 ounces)
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup of dry white wine
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Other Ingredients:
- 8 cups of hot, cooked spaghetti al dente (about 1 lb.), cooked according to the package instructions
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated, plus more for serving
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped (garnish)
How to Make Spaghetti with Two Sauces:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat it with olive oil cooking spray.
Prepare the red sauce by placing the onion and drained whole tomatoes (reserving the juice) in the center of the baking sheet.
Slide the thinly sliced garlic inside the tomatoes–this protects the garlic from burning and infuses the tomato with the roasted garlic flavor (YUM).
Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of dried basil and ¼ teaspoon of oregano all over the tomatoes, along with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes, onions, and garlic are tender, sweet, and juicy. Side Note: Be careful not to overcook them, or the tomatoes will dry up.
Once they are roasted, remove them from the oven and place them in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
Add the reserved tomato juice, sugar, remaining dried oregano, and dried basil.
Puree the mixture with an immersion blender, then cover and simmer for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the fresh basil and parsley; taste and re-season with sea salt or freshly cracked black pepper if needed.
 Meanwhile, make the white sauce by heating the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Remove the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the same large skillet. Add flour and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes.
Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is thickened (about 3-5 minutes), stirring frequently.
Stir in the Swiss cheese, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, and cook the mixture until the cheese melts (about 1 minute), stirring constantly.
Remove mixture from heat. Stir in the cooked mushrooms and garlic. Taste the sauce, and re-season if needed.
Prepare the spaghetti to al dente in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to the package instructions.
Finish by combining the cooked spaghetti al dente with the white mushroom sauce in a large bowl.
Spoon mixture evenly into a large 9 x 13-inch baking dish coated with butter or cooking spray.
Spread tomato sauce evenly over spaghetti mixture.
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve by sprinkling the top with fresh parsley and with extra Parmesan on the side, if desired. Enjoy.
Equipment
- Large 9x13-Inch Baking Dish
Ingredients
Red Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 (28-oz) can of whole tomatoes
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- ½ tsp of dried oregano divided
- 1 tsp of dried basil divided
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ tbsp fresh parsley chopped
- 3 fresh basil leaves chopped
White Sauce:
- 2 tbsp butter divided
- 4 cups of cremini or button mushrooms sliced (about 12 ounces)
- 2 cloves of garlic sliced thinly
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup of dry white wine
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup Swiss cheese shredded
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Other Ingredients:
- 8 cups of hot cooked spaghetti al dente (about 1 lb.), cooked according to the package instructions
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded or grated, plus more for serving
- Fresh parsley finely chopped (garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat it with olive oil cooking spray.
- Prepare the red sauce by placing the onion and drained whole tomatoes (reserving the juice) in the center of the baking sheet.
- Slide the thinly sliced garlic inside the tomatoes–this protects the garlic from burning and infuses the tomato with the roasted garlic flavor (YUM).
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of dried basil and ¼ teaspoon of oregano all over the tomatoes, along with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Drizzle with olive oil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the tomatoes, onions, and garlic are tender, sweet, and juicy. Side Note: Be careful not to overcook them, or the tomatoes will dry up.
- Once they are roasted, remove them from the oven and place them in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat.
- Add the reserved tomato juices, sugar, remaining dried oregano, and dried basil.
- Puree the mixture with an immersion blender, then cover and simmer for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.
- Add the fresh basil and parsley; taste and re-season with sea salt or freshly cracked black pepper if needed.
- Meanwhile, make the white sauce by heating the 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Remove the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the same large skillet. Add flour and cook, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
- Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is thickened (about 3-5 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Stir in the Swiss cheese, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, and cook the mixture until the cheese melts (about 1 minute), stirring constantly.
- Remove mixture from heat. Stir in the cooked mushrooms and garlic. Taste the sauce, and re-season if needed.
- Prepare the spaghetti to al dente in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to the package instructions.
- Finish by combining the cooked spaghetti al dente with the white mushroom sauce in a large bowl.
- Spoon mixture evenly into a large 9 x 13-inch baking dish coated with butter or cooking spray.
- Spread tomato sauce evenly over spaghetti mixture.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
- Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Serve by sprinkling the top with fresh parsley and with extra Parmesan on the side, if desired. Enjoy.
