One Pot Spaghetti
One Pot spaghetti features all of the classic flavors you love in the traditional dish, but cooked in a single pot in under 30 minutes. The noodles soak up every ounce of flavor, making it one of our favorite go to easy dinners on busy weeknights.
Is it just me, or do there all to often seem to be not enough hours in the day?
A busy work day followed by helping with homework, housework, rushing kids to and from events- then you’re finally home and you still have to fix dinner. Often times it’s past time to be seated at the table and digging in. Frankly it can be overwhelming.
Thankfully for nights like that I keep a list of our favorite quick, easy one pot meals that use ingredients I always keep on hand.
This one pot spaghetti, with it’s special secret ingredient, is at the top of my list. It’s easy to throw together, and has a to die for taste that will impress even the most traditional spaghetti lovers- plus the cleanup is minimal!
The sons lovingly refer to this as lunch lady spaghetti, and when I think back on my own elementary school lunches- they aren’t wrong.
Ingredients Needed
To make this easy one pot spaghetti you’ll need a handful of easy to source ingredients, many of which you probably already have stocked in your pantry.
You’ll need:
- Ground Beef – A pound of lean ground beef is what we recommend, but if sausage in your sauce is more to your liking you can absolutely substitute the same equivalent of ground sausage or ground pork.
- Aromatics – A peeled and diced yellow onion combined with some minced garlic infuse the dish with flavor.
- Broth – Chicken broth is recommended for this recipe, but you can substitute beef or even vegetable broth to fit your preferences.
- Sauce – Spaghetti sauce, and not a chunky variety. Use your favorite brand since the flavor will shine through.
- Water
- Pasta – Spaghetti noodles specifically
- Cheese – Grated Parmesan, but since it gets stirred into the sauce you could also use shredded.
Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients you’re ready to get started making this easy dinner.
How To Make
Luckily with a short ingredient list, this easy one pot spaghetti isn’t hard to make.
Begin by adding the meat and onion to a dutch oven, or other sturdy pot, set over medium heat. Cook, crumbling the meat as you do, until it’s cooked through.
Stir in the garlic and let it cook for 60 seconds, just until fragrant.
Add the liquids to the pot- the broth, sauce, and water. Whisk together until evenly combined. Let the mixture come to a full boil.
Add the pasta to the pot, stirring to incorporate, and pressing down as needed under the broth.
Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 17-20 minutes stirring occasionally until the noodles are al dente.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted, then serve and enjoy!
How To Store One Pot Spaghetti
Untouched leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Storing longer than 2 days will result in soggy pasta.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Don’t care for ground beef? Substitute the same amount of ground turkey or ground sausage in its place.
- You can add the pasta to the pot whole, but that will require more babysitting and stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick together. Instead break the noodles in half before adding them to the pot.
- To make it a meal serve with a side salad and homemade garlic knots or focaccia rolls.
Other Spaghetti Recipes You’ll Also Enjoy:
You’ll never want to cook spaghetti the old way again after experiencing this One Pot Spaghetti. It’s incredibly tasty, and one pot makes clean up a breeze.
It’s not in a can, but it’s homemade in a synch- this is the meal of busy parents’ dreams!
Looking for other spaghetti recipes to enjoy?
Try these:
- Nonna’s Italian Spaghetti & Broccoli
- Slow Cooker Spaghetti & Meatballs Soup
- Baked Spaghetti Pie with Pepperoni
- Cheesy Mexican Chicken Spaghetti
- Spaghetti & Meatballs Garlic Bread Subs
If you’ve tried this ONE POT SPAGHETTI, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
One Pot Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef or sausage
- 1 onion diced
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 1 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 8 oz spaghetti whole or broken into pieces
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- In a Dutch Oven, or a large pot, brown the meat with the onion. Drain.1 lb ground beef, 1 onion
- Add garlic and let cook until fragrant, about one minute.2 tbsp garlic
- Add broth, spaghetti sauce, and water. Bring to a boil.1 3/4 cup chicken broth, 3 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup water
- Add spaghetti and reduce heat.8 oz spaghetti
- Cook covered 17-20 minutes, or until the noodles are al dente, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed.
- Stir in parmesan cheese.1/4 cup grated parmesan
Notes
- Don't care for ground beef? Substitute the same amount of ground turkey or ground sausage in its place.
- You can add the pasta to the pot whole, but that will require more babysitting and stirring to make sure it doesn't stick together. Instead break the noodles in half before adding them to the pot.
- To make it a meal serve with a side salad and homemade garlic knots or focaccia rolls.
Nutrition
I’ve been making this one pot spaghetti for over a year. my family loves it! The only thing that I found makes it better is using a 4 or 5 cheese pasta sauce. I found that out by accident the 2nd time I made it. Everyone loved it even more!
I would like to know what the secret ingredient is. It was never mentioned in thr recipe.
That’s what I was going to ask !!! I was hoping I’d find it in the comments! Maybe the Chicken Broth?!? IDK.
Yes, it’s the chicken broth.
I love this recipe I pinned it once and then couldn’t find it so I pinned it again
Thank you for this recipe! It is so good.
I’ve got to tell you, while I was making it, my husband came in and said” what’s wrong with our original recipe?” Told him I wanted to try this for a change.
We sat down and finally i had the nerve to ask…”wellll… what do you think? He said “I like it…keep the recipe”.. And HE is a picky eater. NO onions…no garlic… I put both in and he just picked out the onions and enjoyed! Great food!
can you use different pastas like penned? love this recipe by the way.
Thank you, and you should be able to but may need to adjust the liquids a bit.
Love this, has anyone ever doubled it?
Is this only good in the frig for 2 days?
Made for dinner last night! Super easy to make! It was good! I should have added more of spaghetti sauce to the pot! I will do on the leftovers! Cannot wait for lunch today! Had leftover garlic toast too !