SKILLET-BAKED SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE

This delicious and easy one-skillet spaghetti recipe was found in Cook's Country magazine. It's extra good in summer when fresh basil is available from the garden, but dried basil works well, too.

Tip: You'll need an oven-safe skillet for this recipe. Plastic-handled Teflon pans aren't going to work.

Ingredients

12 ounces ground beef

4 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

4 garlic cloves

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

8 ounces spaghetti, broken into rough 2-inch pieces

2 cups water

1 ½ teaspoons salt

¼ cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil (dried works, too)

1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

Directions

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler. Cook beef and sausage in large oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink. Drain meat and pour off fat from skillet. Return meat to skillet and add garlic, pepper flakes and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in tomatoes, spaghetti, water and salt. Cover and cook, stirring often until spaghetti begins to soften, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, covered, until spaghetti is al dente, about 7 minutes.

Stir in cream, basil and 1/3cup cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and broil until surface is spotty brown, about 3 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve.