One Pot Spaghetti Ready in 30 Minutes

One Pot Spaghetti is the ultimate weeknight dinner hero – savory ground beef, tender pasta, and rich marinara sauce all cooked together in ONE POT! No draining pasta, no extra dishes, just pure comfort food that tastes like it simmered all day.

Love More Dinner Recipes? Try My One Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce or this Easy Taco Spaghetti next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple, hearty, and full of flavor, this One Pot Spaghetti makes dinner a breeze. Everything—pasta, sauce, and seasonings—cooks together in one pot for minimal cleanup and maximum taste. The result is a rich, saucy dish with perfectly tender noodles, making it a quick and comforting meal the whole family will love.

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Ingredient List

For the main dish:

• 1 pound lean ground beef (or substitute half Italian sausage, or use ground turkey)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 cups marinara sauce (24-ounce jar, homemade, or high-quality store-bought)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1–2 teaspoons sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
• 3 cups beef broth (or chicken broth or water)
• 8 ounces spaghetti noodles, broken in half

For serving:

• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh minced parsley
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Why These Ingredients Work

The ground beef breaks down into little crumbles that get coated in sauce and mixed throughout every bite. I use lean beef so we’re not swimming in grease, but you still get that meaty, savory base that makes spaghetti feel like real comfort food.

Three cloves of garlic might seem like a lot, but trust me, it mellows out as it cooks and just makes everything smell incredible. My neighbor always knows when I’m making this because the smell drifts out my kitchen window.

Store-bought marinara is my weeknight secret weapon. I keep three jars in my pantry at all times. Look for one that lists tomatoes as the first ingredient and doesn’t have a bunch of weird stuff you can’t pronounce.

That tablespoon of tomato paste punches up the tomato flavor without adding more liquid. It’s like turning up the volume on the sauce.

Here’s my weird ingredient that nobody expects: balsamic vinegar. Just half a teaspoon adds this subtle sweetness and depth that makes people take a second bite and go “wait, what’s in this?” I started doing this after watching an Italian cooking show, and now I can’t make spaghetti without it.

The dried herbs are pantry staples that bloom in the hot sauce and smell like an Italian restaurant. I always have these three on hand – basil, oregano, and thyme – because they show up in so many of my recipes.

Sugar balances out acidic tomatoes. Some marinara sauces are already sweet enough, but if yours tastes a little sharp or tangy, a teaspoon or two of sugar smooths everything out.

Beef broth is what lets the pasta cook right in the pot. I use Better Than Bouillon because it packs way more flavor than boxed broth, and I can make exactly the amount I need without wasting a whole carton.

Breaking the spaghetti in half makes it easier to fit in the pot and way easier to stir without noodles flying everywhere. Plus, as the noodles cook, they release starch that naturally thickens the sauce into something really gorgeous and clingy.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large pot or Dutch oven (at least 5-quart capacity)
• Wooden spoon or spatula for breaking up meat
• Sharp knife for mincing garlic
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Lid for your pot (important for the pasta cooking step!)

How To Make One Pot Spaghetti

Step 1: Brown the Meat

Put your pot over medium-high heat and crumble in the ground beef. Break it up with your spoon as it cooks so you get small pieces instead of big chunks – this takes about 5 to 7 minutes. When the pink is gone and everything’s browned, toss in your minced garlic and stir it around for a minute or two. Your whole kitchen will smell amazing.

Step 2: Build the Sauce

Tilt your pot and spoon out any excess grease – I usually get about 2 tablespoons out. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Now dump in your marinara, tomato paste, that sneaky half teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, all your herbs, sugar if you’re using it, and the beef broth. Stir everything together and crank the heat up until it starts bubbling, then turn it way down to a gentle simmer.

Step 3: Add the Pasta

Break your spaghetti in half and lay the pieces across the sauce in a criss-cross pattern – this keeps them from turning into one giant clump. Push the noodles down into the liquid with your spoon. They’ll be sticking up at first, but they’ll soften in a minute. Don’t stir yet! Just let them sit there and start soaking up the sauce.

Step 4: Cover and Cook

Put your lid on and let everything cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Set a timer and stir every 5 minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom. The pasta should be tender but still have a little bite, and most of your liquid should be gone. If you’ve got a watery puddle at the end, take the lid off and let it bubble away for a few more minutes. If your pasta’s still crunchy and all the liquid disappeared, splash in some more broth or water.

Step 5: Serve

Give it one last good stir and dish it up right away. Pass around the Parmesan cheese, parsley, and red pepper flakes so everyone can top their own bowl.

You Must Know

Your pasta has to be completely covered with liquid or it won’t cook evenly. If you can see noodles poking up above the sauce, pour in a little more broth before you put the lid on.

That criss-cross thing with the noodles really matters. I learned this the hard way when I just dumped them all in the same direction and ended up with a pasta pancake stuck to the bottom of my pot.

Set a timer for those 5-minute stirs. I get distracted and forget, and then I end up scraping burned spaghetti off the bottom. The timer is your friend.

Personal Secret: Better Than Bouillon is my secret ingredient for making this taste like it cooked all day. I use a heaping teaspoon per cup of water, and the beefy, concentrated flavor makes such a difference. I keep a jar in my fridge at all times. Also, I always swirl some broth around in the empty marinara jar to get every last bit of sauce out.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

A tiny splash of Worcestershire sauce takes this to another level. I’m talking maybe a teaspoon. It adds this savory, umami thing that makes people ask what you did differently.

If your marinara looks thin and watery when you open the jar, use only 2 and a half cups of broth instead of 3. You can always add more liquid, but you can’t take it away.

Empty marinara jars still have tons of sauce clinging to the sides. Pour some broth in there, put the lid back on, shake it up, and dump that into your pot. My Italian mother-in-law taught me this.

The first minute after adding pasta is hands-off time. Let those noodles soften and settle into the sauce. If you immediately start poking at them, they’ll break and stick.

Please don’t use the pre-shredded Parmesan in the green can. Grate a real chunk of Parm right before serving. It melts into the hot pasta and tastes a thousand times better.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Sauté diced onions, mushrooms, or bell peppers before you add the beef. I use about a cup of whatever vegetables I have, cook them for 5 minutes in a little oil, then add the meat. My kids don’t even notice the vegetables because they’re hiding in the sauce.

Half ground beef and half Italian sausage makes this taste like restaurant spaghetti. The sausage has fennel and spices that give everything more personality. I go back and forth between hot and sweet sausage depending on my mood.

Ground turkey or chicken works if you want something leaner. The flavor’s a bit milder, but the sauce is so good that it still tastes great.

Two tablespoons of heavy cream stirred in right before you add the pasta makes this ridiculously rich and velvety. It’s like vodka sauce and spaghetti had a baby.

No time to dig through your spice drawer? Two teaspoons of Italian seasoning replaces all the individual herbs. I do this more often than I’d like to admit.

You can use other pasta shapes – penne, rigatoni, shells. They might need a different amount of time or liquid, so just keep checking them and adjust as you go.

Make-Ahead Options

The sauce part can be made the day before. Cook it through step 2, let it cool, and stick it in the fridge. The next night, heat the sauce back up, add your broth and pasta, and you’ve got dinner in 20 minutes.

I don’t recommend cooking the pasta ahead because it keeps soaking up sauce and turns mushy. If you’re meal prepping, make the sauce separately and cook fresh pasta each time you want to eat it.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Breaking the spaghetti makes everything easier, but if you’re married to long noodles, you can carefully push them into the pot as they soften. Just takes a minute of patience.

Beef broth makes a huge difference in flavor, but water works in a pinch. You’ll just want to taste and maybe add a bit more salt at the end.

If you live at high altitude, add a few extra minutes to your cooking time and maybe a quarter cup more liquid. I learned this when I visited my sister in Denver and wondered why nothing was cooking right.

Whole wheat or gluten-free pasta soaks up liquid differently. Check the package directions and start checking for doneness a few minutes before you think it’s ready. You might need to add more broth.

Serving Suggestions

Garlic bread is basically mandatory with spaghetti at my house. I keep frozen garlic bread in the freezer for emergencies. A simple Caesar salad on the side cuts through all that richness and makes it feel like a complete meal. Sometimes I’ll roast whatever vegetables are about to go bad in my fridge – zucchini, bell peppers, broccoli – and serve them alongside.

I put out grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and fresh basil so everyone can doctor their own bowl. Makes Tuesday night feel a little fancy without any extra work from me.

How to Store Your One Pot Spaghetti

Don’t leave this sitting out for more than 2 hours. Get those leftovers into the fridge while you’re cleaning up dinner.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days in a sealed container. The pasta will keep soaking up sauce, so it’ll be thicker the next day. Just add a splash of broth or water when you reheat it.

Reheat on the stove over medium-low with a few tablespoons of liquid to loosen everything up, or microwave individual portions with a tiny bit of water. Stir halfway through microwaving so it heats evenly.

The sauce freezes great for up to 3 months – just don’t add the pasta first. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, heat it up, then cook fresh pasta in it. Frozen and reheated pasta turns to mush, so this method gives you way better results.

Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy (Parmesan cheese for serving), gluten (pasta)

Dairy-free: Skip the Parmesan or use a dairy-free version. The main dish has no dairy in it.

Gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta and watch it closely because it cooks differently. You might need more liquid and more time.

Vegetarian: Leave out the beef and load up on vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, and bell peppers instead. Use vegetable broth. Add white beans for protein if you want.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use a different type of pasta?

Yes! Penne, rigatoni, or shells all work. Just check them earlier than you would spaghetti because they might cook faster. When I use penne, it’s usually done in about 12 minutes instead of 15.

My sauce is too watery – what happened?

You probably used thin marinara or too much broth. Next time, cut back on the broth by half a cup. Or just take the lid off at the end and let it bubble for 5 minutes to cook off the extra liquid. It’ll also thicken up if you let it sit for a few minutes before serving.

Do I really need the balsamic vinegar?

You can skip it, but it really does make a difference. If you don’t have balsamic, try a splash of red wine vinegar or just use an extra teaspoon of sugar to balance the tomato acidity.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Did you add vegetables? Try the sausage version?