Zia Hatch Green Chile Baked Spaghetti

Looking for an easy way to feed a crowd? Our recipe for Hatch Green Chile Baked Spaghetti is a great way to upgrade the everyday pasta dish. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 - full jar Zia Hatch Green Chile, strained
• 1 lb Spaghetti pasta
• 1 32oz jar Marinara Sauce of choice
• 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
• 1 lb Ground Beef (we recommend no more than 15% fat)
• 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
• 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 1 large Egg
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
• 4-5 cloves Garlic, finely diced
• 1/2 cup Basil Leaves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp dried Oregano
• 1 tsp dried Thyme or Rosemary
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• Butter for greasing the pan
• Olive oil for cooking the meat
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until translucent. Add garlic, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, a couple teaspoons of salt and a few shakes / grinds of black pepper and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant but make sure the garlic does not burn. 
2. Add the beef and break up / stir constantly until browned, about 5 more minutes. Once cooked, turn off the heat, add the marinara sauce and Zia Hatch Green Chile and stir until combined. 
3. Set aside and boil a pot of salted water and pre heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once boiling, cook pasta until 1 minute less than al dente. Drain and add to the marinara / meat sauce and mix. Toss well.  
4. While water is boiling, crack an egg into a bowl and add ricotta, 1/2 of the parmesan cheese and mix / whisk until smooth. 
5. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with butter. Transfer about half of the pasta into the baking dish and smooth into an even layer. Use a large spoon to drip the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over the layer, and then sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella as well. Add the rest of the pasta and smooth out again. 
6. Cover baking dish with tin foil and cook in the oven for about 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove the tin foil, evenly sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake for another 5-10 minutes or so until the cheese has melted. If you want to brown the mozzarella cheese a bit, turn on the broiler for a minute or two toward the end, watching closely to make sure it does not burn. 
7. Top with basil, cut into squares and serve warm. 

Want more delicious Hatch Chile Recipes? View more here!