Make family dinners a breeze with this easy one-pot spaghetti!
A garlicky beef marinara sauce smothers pasta in hearty goodness. It’s an affordable and satisfying meal you can make with minimal effort and cleanup. Hurray!
Easy One-Pot Spaghetti
Why cook your sauce and pasta separately? Thanks to this easy spaghetti recipe, you can make it all in one pot!
Seriously, Italian food doesn’t get any easier. You simply spruce up a jar of store-bought marinara with ground beef, aromatics, and herbs. Then, toss in the spaghetti.
It’s completely fuss-free, and so is the cleanup. Better yet, kids absolutely love this dish!
So do yourself a favor and whip up this one-pot spaghetti. It’s a game-changer that makes putting a hot meal on the table easy.
Ingredients
You can make this one-pot spaghetti recipe with just 10 ingredients. Most of them are pantry staples, too!
Here’s what you need:
- Ground Beef – Use a whole pound to make the sauce extra hearty. For a lower fat pasta, use lean ground beef.
- Onion – Yellow onions will have the best flavor.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic gives the sauce a more homemade flavor.
- Marinara Sauce – Any store-bought brand will do. You can also use homemade if you prefer.
- Chicken Broth – For cooking the pasta and adding more flavor.
- Dried Basil, Oregano, Salt, and Pepper – To enhance the marinara sauce and make it extra delicious.
- Spaghetti – Spaghetti is what I use. But you can try other types of pasta noodles like capellini or linguine.
- Parmesan Cheese (Optional) – For the topping! It’s optional, but I recommend it for a more classic Italian taste. I prefer fresh, but shelf-stable parmesan works, too.
How to Make One-Pot Spaghetti
The best part about this kid-friendly pasta is you make it in one pot! So it’s super easy and doesn’t require messing up the entire kitchen.
Here’s how to make it:
1. Cook the ground beef. Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain the excess fat.
2. Add the onion and garlic. Continue to cook until the onions are soft and the garlic is aromatic. It should take about 5 minutes.
3. Add the marinara and other ingredients. Add the marinara, chicken broth, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring it to a boil.
4. Add the spaghetti. Add the spaghetti to the sauce. Cover the pot and simmer until the spaghetti is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Garnish and serve. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the spaghetti if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Tips and Variations
This one-pot pasta is so simple to make, and there’s nothing to it! But for a dish that would make Nonna proud, follow these tips:
- Customize your sauce. If the sauce is too thin, let it simmer uncovered to let some liquid evaporate. If it’s too thick, add more chicken broth.
- Let it sit. Allow the pasta to sit for a few minutes after cooking. Doing so will thicken the dish while letting the flavors meld together.
- Switch up the meat. Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken are all great substitutes.
- Use beef broth. For more depth, swap out the chicken broth for beef broth. It makes the pasta extra savory and delicious.
- Give it a lean twist. Use lean ground beef to reduce the fat content. Also, avoid draining too much after browning.
- Go meat-free. Make it a vegetarian meal by using vegetable broth instead of chicken. Also, skip the ground beef. Instead, try veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, or spinach.
- Dial down the acidity. Is your marinara sauce too acidic? Add a little bit of sugar. It will help reduce the acidity and balance out the sauce.
What to Serve with One-Pot Spaghetti
Want to turn your one-pot spaghetti into a big Italian feast? No problem!
There are so many yummy dishes that taste great with this pasta. Here are a few of my favorites to make the family happy:
- Salad – I love making a refreshing salad with this cozy dinner. Olive Garden’s salad is my favorite. But a classic Caesar, mixed green, or antipasto salad are all delicious, too.
- Bread – You can’t have spaghetti without the garlic bread! It’s a classic pairing that always hits the spot. Freshly baked dinner rolls are also great for sopping up the sauce.
- Soup – For a super hearty dinner, serve this one-pot spaghetti with soup. Old-fashioned vegetable beef, minestrone, or Zuppa Toscana soup are a few scrumptious ideas.
How to Store
I love it when I have leftover spaghetti. It means lunch for tomorrow is already done!
If there’s a lot, I’ll also freeze a portion. That way, I have a backup plan for when I’m too tired to cook.
To Store: Transfer the spaghetti to an air-tight container. Refrigerate it for up to 3 to 5 days.
To Freeze: Portion the spaghetti into air-tight containers, label, and freeze them. Frozen spaghetti will keep for up to 3 months.
Easy One-Pot Spaghetti
6
servings10
minutes25
minutes719
kcalDinner is a breeze with this one-pot spaghetti! Tender pasta is coated in a savory meat sauce and topped with parmesan cheese. It’s to die for!
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces uncooked spaghetti
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Break it apart with a spoon as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
- Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the marinara, chicken broth, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the spaghetti. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the spaghetti is tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Garnish the spaghetti with parmesan, if desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
What would you recommend as a substitute for marinara sauce (for those with allergies)?
HI Veronica!
What allergies are of concern?
Because I would suggest any red sauce if you can’t find marinara. But if you’re allergic to tomatoes, that won’t work š
Other, tomato-free, options include:
Nomato Sauce – made with peppers
Pesto
Creamy/Cheese sauce
Vegetable sauces – made with pureed veggies, like squash or pumpkin
I love Nomato sauce as it gives similar flavors and color without tomatoes!
Delicious! Easy! Family both adults and kiddos loved it! Iām taking this to make at camp. One pot to make and wash! Thank you for the recipe!
I made this according to the recipe but used beef broth. My spaghetti was thin whole wheat. The taste was good, but the texture of the spaghetti was odd, starchy and sticky. Doubt I will make this again.
Hi Peggy!
Sorry to hear this one didn’t work out for you.
Whole wheat spaghetti tends to release more starch than regular pasta, which can exacerbate the stickiness, so it’s likely the dish needed a bit more liquid.
Also, whole wheat needs to be stirred a lot more so it doesn’t stick.
If you want to try it again, I recommend cooking the whole wheat spaghetti separately then mixing it with the sauce instead. Reduce the stock to 1 cup and the rest can stay the same š
Hi, can this be made in a crock pot?
Hi, Marie!
I’ve never made this particular recipe in a Crockpot before. But I don’t see why not! Here’s what I’d do:
1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain excess fat. Then, add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until soft.
2. Spray the base of a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
3. Pour one jar of marinara sauce into the bottom of the crockpot.
4. Add the browned beef and onion mixture. Then, pour the remaining marinara sauce and chicken broth over the meat.
5. Add the dried basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
6. Break the spaghetti noodles in half and place them on top of the sauce. Gently press the noodles down to ensure they are covered by liquid.
7. Cook on LOW for 4 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours.
8. Stir the pasta gently halfway through cooking to prevent clumping.
I won’t swear 100% that it will work, but I’m pretty confident. š