One Pot Spaghetti

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Looking for the perfect busy weeknight meal? You have it here with my One Pot Spaghetti Recipe! This hearty spaghetti and meat sauce all comes together in one pot to make cleanup a cinch, and it's so easy, it practically cooks itself!

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Spaghetti in One Pot
Why make my one pan spaghetti?
Spaghetti and Sauce Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Spaghetti in One Pot
Cooking Spaghetti in Sauce Tips
Storing Leftover Spaghetti
One Pot Spaghetti Recipes FAQ
Meatballs for Spaghetti
Spaghetti with Pasta Sauce Recipe
One Pot Spaghetti
Reviews

Spaghetti in One Pot

When you've got four kids all involved in extra-curricular activities, life gets hectic. Trust me, I know. My kids may be grown up now, but when they were still in school, I became the master of one-pot meals! From taco soup and hamburger helper to chicken casserole, dinner had to be simple, fast, easy, and hearty.

Of course, when you have kids, they want spaghetti. And you don't want to do a million dishes after dinner! In comes my number one weeknight hero: one pan spaghetti and meat sauce. Pasta, sauce, and tender meat all cooked up in one pot! That's what makes this simple spaghetti recipe easy. You barely even need to clean up!

Why make my one pan spaghetti?

It practically makes itself

Brown the meat, stir everything together, let it simmer, eat. That's all it takes to make a satisfying and delicious spaghetti dinner- and it's such a big recipe, it makes plenty for leftovers, too! And let me tell you, it only gets better reheated. Take the pressure off of busy weeknights with this easy dinner idea!

Hardly any cleanup

Typically while making spaghetti, there's a lot to clean up after. The pasta pot, the sauce pot, the baking sheet for meatballs... That's at least three big, dishwasher-cluttering pans that I don't want to clean on a busy night! That's the magic of one pot pasta recipes: cleanup takes no time at all.

You can make it your own

Any add-ins you desire will work perfectly in this dish! I like adding fresh basil, thin-sliced zucchini, chopped broccoli, frozen peas, fresh or frozen spinach, and even a dash of red wine for deglazing when I'm making the meat sauce.

a pot of one pot spaghetti with herb garnish

Spaghetti and Sauce Recipe Ingredients

Ground beef: I like the flavor and richness of ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey or chicken. For the best treat around, try ground venison!
Pork sausage: Pork sausage, especially Italian sausage, is what really makes a simple meat sauce shine! I highly recommend using some alongside the ground beef. Alternatively, you can use ground beef and add Italian seasoning, but it won't be as flavorful.
Red onion: Any onion will do, but I like the zesty bite of red onion for spaghetti.
Garlic: Fresh garlic is an absolute must in spaghetti. It adds so much dimension to the marinara sauce.
Salt and pepper: I find that spaghetti sauce needs a little salt, and it helps the pasta cook correctly!
Chicken stock: Because the pasta will cook in the sauce, you'll need extra liquid. Chicken stock works best for this as it doesn't water down the flavors.
Spaghetti sauce: Use your favorite jarred sauce, or blend up canned whole tomatoes for a super simple and delicious tomato sauce!
Spaghetti: I recommend standard spaghetti, not thick or angel hair, so you can best keep track of the cook time.
Red pepper flakes: Optional, but they add a great bit of heat.

all the ingredients for one pot spaghetti

How to Make Spaghetti in One Pot

Chop the red onion and garlic, then add it into a pot with the ground beef, sausage, salt, and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes over medium high heat until browned and crumbly, mixing often to break up the meat and keep the onion from burning.
Add in the chicken stock, spaghetti sauce, spaghetti, and red pepper flakes to the ground meat mixture, immersing the spaghetti slowly so it doesn't break. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently to keep the spaghetti from sticking.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring regularly. It will become quite thick as the spaghetti cooks.
Remove the pot from the burner, top with your favorite garnish (I like parmesan cheese and basil!), and serve!

Cooking Spaghetti in Sauce Tips

Chicken broth or stock is ideal in one pan spaghetti, as it adds a great depth of flavor and doesn't water down the sauce. However, beef broth and vegetable broth work great too!
For added veggies, try adding mushrooms, sliced bell peppers, peas, sliced zucchini, or spinach. Add them halfway through browning the meat so they have time to get sauteed before adding the sauce.
If you're not a fan of spaghetti noodles, this recipe works great with other shapes of pasta! Just make sure to check the doneness of the pasta as it may cook more slowly than spaghetti.
A splash of red wine in the sauce will add tons of flavor. Give it a try! You can also swap the jarred sauce out for a blended can of tomatoes or even blended fresh tomatoes.
Liven up the sauce by adding fresh herbs such as oregano, basil, and thyme.

My Secret: Add Carrots for Sweetness

Add natural sweetness to the sauce by peeling a whole carrot and adding it to the pot as it's simmering. The sugars from the carrot will infuse the sauce with a wonderful flavor. This is especially helpful if you're making your sauce with pure blended tomatoes instead of jarred sauce.

Storing Leftover Spaghetti

Refrigerator: Once cooled, leftovers should be moved to an airtight container in the fridge, where they will last for up to 4 days.
Freezer: You can absolutely freeze this dish, as the spaghetti is immersed in sauce that helps it freeze well! Freeze in serving-size containers for easy thawing. Frozen spaghetti lasts for up to 3 months.
Thawing: I recommend thawing frozen spaghetti in sauce in the refrigerator overnight. Cooking from frozen can result in the outer layer drying out while the inside is still cold.
Reheating: Spaghetti reheats well in the microwave. I recommend adding a little extra broth, sauce, or water to the bowl, as the pasta will continue soaking up liquid over time. This makes it extra delicious, but needs help to not become dry.

One Pot Spaghetti Recipes FAQ

Can you cook raw spaghetti in sauce?

You can absolutely cook raw spaghetti in sauce, but you need to add more liquid! I like adding chicken broth when I'm cooking spaghetti in the sauce, as it helps intensify the flavor while still adding enough liquid to fully cook the noodles.

Is one jar of sauce enough for a box of spaghetti?

Typically, yes! One jar of sauce is usually portioned out to be the right amount for a package of spaghetti. This recipe uses a little more, as it needs enough sauce to help the spaghetti cook and also coat the meat!

Should you cook pasta in the sauce?

Cooking pasta in the sauce is an easy way to add tons of flavor to the pasta, and make the sauce extra creamy! Because the pasta releases starches as it cooks, it naturally thickens the sauce. And because the liquid is flavored, the pasta will soak up flavorful sauce and become extra delicious.

Can one pot spaghetti be made with gluten free pasta?

I don't recommend making one-pot spaghetti with gluten free noodles. Gluten free pasta releases much more starch in the water and is generally more fragile, making the sauce starchy and the noodles likely to turn mushy or break apart entirely while cooking.

Meatballs for Spaghetti

Spaghetti with Pasta Sauce Recipe

I love classic spaghetti, but I've never been a fan of the cleanup. It can be a hassle! That's what makes my one pot spaghetti with pasta sauce recipe so great. Not only does it taste delicious, but the cleanup is so easy. You're going to love it, and so will your family!

Spaghetti in One Pot