Description
This One Pot Spaghetti recipe is the ultimate weeknight dinner solution! Ground beef, garlic, marinara sauce, and spaghetti noodles cook together in one pot, creating incredibly flavorful pasta with minimal cleanup. The pasta absorbs the sauce as it cooks, resulting in deep, rich flavor in every bite. Ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish, this easy dinner recipe is perfect for busy families.
Ingredients
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)
Instructions
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Notes
- Boost the umami: Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce or even a tiny bit of fish sauce (trust me!) for incredible depth. Nobody will know what it is, but they’ll know it tastes AMAZING.
- Prevent watery sauce: If you know your marinara is on the thin side, reduce the broth by about 1/2 cup. You can always add more liquid if needed.
- Use the jar trick: When you empty your marinara jar, pour some of the beef broth into it, swirl it around, and add it to the pot. You capture every last drop of tomato goodness!
- Don’t over-stir initially: In that first minute after adding pasta, resist the urge to stir constantly. Let the noodles soften and relax into the sauce first.
- Common mistake to avoid: Using pre-shredded Parmesan. I know it’s convenient, but freshly grated Parm melts into the pasta SO much better and tastes a million times more delicious. It’s worth the extra two minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: Italian-American