Easy Weeknight Spaghetti
My family’s favorite weeknight friendly spaghetti recipe is quick and simple. The super flavorful spaghetti sauce is ready in 45 minutes and you can use your favorite ground meat to make it (beef, turkey, and chicken are all excellent). I love pasta for quick weeknight dinners, and this spaghetti tossed with my easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce fits the bill! You can use any ground meat for this spaghetti recipe. I love ground turkey, but ground beef, pork, and chicken are all excellent. Of all the pasta recipes on Inspired Taste, my family makes this spaghetti the most. If you prefer meatballs over meat sauce, see our Spaghetti and Meatballs. I also love our delicious Baked Spaghetti and this quick Chicken Alfredo is also perfect is you feel like a creamy sauce instead. Key Ingredients Spaghetti: I love spaghetti for this recipe, but you can use any pasta shape you love. To cook spaghetti, check the package directions. The box should have an approximate cooking time listed. Set a timer 1 to 2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time, and check your spaghetti. I often find that pasta is perfectly al dente before the recommended cooking time. Ground Meat: Really any ground meat will work in this recipe. Ground turkey and chicken are usually a bit leaner, while ground beef and pork will have more fat. Use what you have and love. For a vegetable pasta sauce, see this Veggie Spaghetti. Tomatoes and Tomato Paste: These make the base of our spaghetti sauce. I use canned crushed tomatoes to keep things easy, but you can use store-bought tomato sauce, marinara sauce, or my Homemade Red Pasta Sauce (both add more flavor, but in the very best way). Onion, Garlic, and Spices: These add flavor to our sauce. I keep things as simple as possible since this is an easy everyday kind of recipe. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry. For a more intensely flavored sauce, see our Homemade Bolognese. Spaghetti: I love spaghetti for this recipe, but you can use any pasta shape you love. To cook spaghetti, check the package directions. The box should have an approximate cooking time listed. Set a timer 1 to 2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time, and check your spaghetti. I often find that pasta is perfectly al dente before the recommended cooking time. Ground Meat: Really any ground meat will work in this recipe. Ground turkey and chicken are usually a bit leaner, while ground beef and pork will have more fat. Use what you have and love. For a vegetable pasta sauce, see this Veggie Spaghetti. Tomatoes and Tomato Paste: These make the base of our spaghetti sauce. I use canned crushed tomatoes to keep things easy, but you can use store-bought tomato sauce, marinara sauce, or my Homemade Red Pasta Sauce (both add more flavor, but in the very best way). Onion, Garlic, and Spices: These add flavor to our sauce. I keep things as simple as possible since this is an easy everyday kind of recipe. Most of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry. For a more intensely flavored sauce, see our Homemade Bolognese. Find the full recipe with measurements below. How to Make the Best Spaghetti Tip 1: Make my quick meat sauce. It’s easy to do. Brown your meat in a bit of oil, and then stir in onions until they soften. Then add lots of flavor with garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes. To finish the sauce, add a bit of water (or broth) and crushed tomatoes. You only need to simmer the sauce for about 25 minutes, so about 15 minutes before it is ready, you can cook your spaghetti. Tip 2: Cook your spaghetti in salted water. This is my number 1 tip for the best spaghetti (or pasta for that matter). Pasta water should taste salty. Add one tablespoon of salt for every four quarts (16 cups) of water, which is perfect for cooking one pound of pasta. Tip 3: Cook to al dente. If you still have it, check your package instructions. If you’ve tossed the package already, spaghetti takes 8 to 12 minutes. We recommend setting a timer for 8 minutes and then checking your spaghetti to see if it needs longer. Al dente means that your pasta has some texture left and isn’t mushy. Tip 4: Don’t rinse your spaghetti. There’s no need to rinse spaghetti after cooking, especially if you plan to toss it with a sauce. Rinsing removes the starch, which helps the sauce cling to the noodles. My only caveat to this is when I’m making cold pasta dishes, like pasta salad or macaroni salad. Serving Suggestions When your spaghetti is ready, toss it with your delicious homemade meat sauce and serve it with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. A side of Roasted Garlic Bread or this Classic Garlic Bread is a good idea, too. I also love adding a salad on the side. Caesar Salad is classic, but you can toss your favorite salad greens into a bowl and toss with one of our homemade salad dressings. I especially love our Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette. Easy Weeknight Spaghetti PREP 5 mins COOK 40 mins TOTAL 45 mins PREP 5 mins COOK 40 mins TOTAL 45 mins This is our favorite weeknight friendly spaghetti recipe with a meat sauce made completely from scratch. You can use ground beef, turkey, pork, chicken, or lamb to make this simple spaghetti. It’s also great with bulk Italian sausage. If you want to reduce the carbohydrates in your dish, swap half or all of the pasta with zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash. Here’s our recipe for zucchini noodles, which includes a tutorial for turning zucchini into pasta. Here’s our tutorial for how to cook spaghetti squash. 6 Servings (5 cups of sauce) Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 1 pound dried spaghetti noodles (450g) 1 pound lean ground meat like ground beef, ground turkey, or bulk Italian sausage (450g) 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup chopped onion (130g) 3 garlic cloves, minced, 1 tablespoon 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ teaspoon dried oregano Pinch crushed red pepper flakes 1 cup water, broth, or dry red wine (236ml) 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes Salt and fresh ground black pepper Handful of fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving Parmesan cheese, for serving Directions 1Brown the meat: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat (we use a Dutch oven). Add the meat and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller crumbles as the meat cooks. 2Build the sauce: Add the onions and cook, stirring every once in a while, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously for about 1 minute. 3Add liquid and tomatoes: Pour in the water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of meat or onion stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper. 4Simmer: Bring the sauce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes. As it cooks, stir and taste the sauce a few times so you can adjust the seasoning accordingly (see notes for seasoning suggestions). 5Cook spaghetti: About 15 minutes before the spaghetti sauce finishes cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Then, cook the pasta according to the package directions, but check for doneness a minute or two before the suggested cooking time. Drain. 6To serve: Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the basil. Toss in the cooked pasta and leave for a minute so that it absorbs some of the sauce. Toss again, and then serve with grated parmesan cheese on top. 1Brown the meat: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat (we use a Dutch oven). Add the meat and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller crumbles as the meat cooks. 2Build the sauce: Add the onions and cook, stirring every once in a while, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously for about 1 minute. 3Add liquid and tomatoes: Pour in the water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of meat or onion stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper. 4Simmer: Bring the sauce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes. As it cooks, stir and taste the sauce a few times so you can adjust the seasoning accordingly (see notes for seasoning suggestions). 5Cook spaghetti: About 15 minutes before the spaghetti sauce finishes cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Then, cook the pasta according to the package directions, but check for doneness a minute or two before the suggested cooking time. Drain. 6To serve: Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the basil. Toss in the cooked pasta and leave for a minute so that it absorbs some of the sauce. Toss again, and then serve with grated parmesan cheese on top. Adam and Joanne's Tips Storing/Make-ahead: Leftover spaghetti and meat sauce last in the fridge for 3 days. You can also make the meat sauce in advance and store it in your refrigerator for up to 3 days or in your freezer for about three months. If the flavor of the sauce doesn’t pop, you probably need a bit more salt. If the sauce still lacks flavor, consider adding a few dashes of fish sauce, mushroom powder, minced anchovies, or anchovy paste (both add a rich, savory flavor). Adding a leftover rind of a parmesan wedge to the sauce while adding the tomatoes adds richness and extra flavor. It won’t melt all the way, just remove what’s left before serving. If the sauce is too acidic, add a pinch of sugar. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Storing/Make-ahead: Leftover spaghetti and meat sauce last in the fridge for 3 days. You can also make the meat sauce in advance and store it in your refrigerator for up to 3 days or in your freezer for about three months. If the flavor of the sauce doesn’t pop, you probably need a bit more salt. If the sauce still lacks flavor, consider adding a few dashes of fish sauce, mushroom powder, minced anchovies, or anchovy paste (both add a rich, savory flavor). Adding a leftover rind of a parmesan wedge to the sauce while adding the tomatoes adds richness and extra flavor. It won’t melt all the way, just remove what’s left before serving. If the sauce is too acidic, add a pinch of sugar. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/6 of the recipe / Calories 486 / Total Fat 16.7g / Saturated Fat 4g / Cholesterol 58.1mg / Sodium 977.4mg / Carbohydrate 58.2g / Dietary Fiber 4.7g / Total Sugars 10.3g / Protein 27.3g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us