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This One Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce recipe cooks in a large pot or Dutch oven for an easy meal the whole family loves. This one pot pasta is ready in just 30 minutes with easy clean-up too!
Easy One Pot Spaghetti Recipe
One pot pasta recipes are perfect for a quick dinner on busy weeknights because they’re quick, easy, kid friendly, and you only have one pan to wash, so fewer dishes to do. I love one pot meals!
I came up with this easy recipe for one-pot spaghetti after a few of you wrote in asking for a stove top version of my Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce. Once you see how easy it is to cook spaghetti directly in the sauce, you’ll never want to cook it any other way! You cook the spaghetti in the sauce, not boiling water.
Spaghetti snobs (I used to be one) may disagree, but believe me, this one-pot meal is a great recipe that saves you a few steps, and it works! It’s similar to the old school spaghetti many of us were served in the school cafeteria — but better! I make it a few times a month, and it turns out perfect every time. Sometimes, we just need easy comfort food. All you need to make this easy spaghetti dinner is one large pot or large Dutch oven — and a stove or heat source. This is also a great Dutch oven recipe for camping!
Serve spaghetti and meat sauce with a green salad and crusty bread or garlic bread, for a complete meal in minutes!
Table of Contents
Dutch Oven Spaghetti Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients for this Dutch oven spaghetti recipe. You can find them in your grocery store. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.
- Yellow onion — or white onion, chopped
- Olive oil — to cook the onion
- Lean ground beef — no draining needed!
- Spaghetti — 16 ounces. Break spaghetti noodles in half so they cook evenly
- Spaghetti sauce — I love Rao’s marinara sauce, but any brand works
- Diced tomatoes — adds texture and additional liquid without watering down the sauce
- Water or beef broth — to help cook the pasta
- Seasonings — Italian seasoning, sea salt, garlic powder, ground black pepper and optional red pepper flakes
How to Make One Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
First, you cook the onions in some olive oil over medium heat until they’re slightly soft, and then, you brown your ground beef. There’s no need to cook the ground meat all the way because it will finish cooking with the pasta.
If there’s a lot of grease, you can drain it. I use lean ground beef, so I usually skip this step. Next, season the meat, and you’re ready for the pasta.
You’ll need to break the uncooked spaghetti in half so that it cooks evenly and doesn’t clump together.
Then, add your uncooked spaghetti to the pot, and pour in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes and water. Cook over medium-high heat until sauce starts to boil. Then, reduce heat to medium while the pasta cooks.
If you want even more flavor for your spaghetti, you can use beef broth or chicken broth instead of water. Or, you can add a little red wine to really take this spaghetti dinner to the next level!
You do need to keep an eye on the pasta and stir frequently so that the spaghetti doesn’t clump together or stick to the bottom of the pot.
Cook pasta until al dente, which is about 12 to 15 minutes. Total cooking time for this recipe is about 30 minutes, including time to cook the ground meat. As soon as the pasta is cooked al dente or to your liking, you’re done!
I like to sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley over the top before serving. Doesn’t this look gorgeous?!
I use kitchen tongs to lift the spaghetti out of the pot directly to people’s plates. Honestly, you guys, this one pot spaghetti is a lifesaver on busy days! My kids absolutely love this flavorful spaghetti with meat sauce. It has amazing flavor, and it works so well for feeding them before they head off to football or soccer or dance.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Store leftover spaghetti in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for 3 to 4 days. Reheat cold spaghetti in the microwave or on the stove until hot and steaming. You may need to add a little more pasta sauce when reheating. The leftovers heat up well, and you can freeze larger amounts for later. Just place pasta in freezer safe containers or zip top bags, and use within 3 months for best taste.
Substitutions and Variations
Use Italian sausage in place of ground beef or use half sausage half beef. You can use your favorite pasta shape in place of spaghetti noodles. Gluten free pasta works here.
Use homemade sauce (try my homemade spaghetti sauce)or your favorite brand of jar sauce and your favorite spices. Fresh herbs like basil add wonderful flavor. You can also add more marinara sauce or tomato sauce and omit the diced tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste if you feel the need to thicken the sauce. Just remember, the pasta will absorb any excess liquid as it cools down.
Sub 1/2 cup red wine for 1/2 cup water or broth for extra flavor. Add fresh veggies like fresh spinach, bell pepper, kale, zucchini or broccoli. This is a great way to sneak more veggies into your kids’ meals.
For a low fat option, use ground turkey. You can also leave the meat out for vegetarian pasta.
Recipe Tips
Note — This spaghetti recipe calls for 16 ounces of spaghetti — a regular package, as opposed to 8 ounces. It makes a lot of pasta, but it’s perfect for leftovers, and it freezes well for later — easy meal prep!
Break spaghetti noodles in half so they don’t clump together. If you are using an extra wide pot, you may not need to do this. Also, stir the pasta frequently as it cooks.
This recipe works best with 24-26 oz jar of spaghetti sauce. If you are using a larger jar of sauce, you may want to skip the can of tomatoes.
More Easy One Pot Pasta Recipes
I love one pot recipes and Dutch oven recipes! Try One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta, or One Pot Creamy Shells and Beef or One Pot Creamy Kielbasa Tortellini. plus even more easy dinners your family will love.
One Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1½ pounds lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 1 16-ounce package spaghetti uncooked and broken in half
- 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 3 cups water or beef broth
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottom bot, heat olive oil over medium heat, add the onion, and cook until slightly soft
- Add the ground beef, and cook until no longer pink. Drain beef if necessary, then add Italian seasoning blend, sea salt, garlic powder, black pepper, red pepper flakes (optional), and stir
- Add the spaghetti noodles, marinara sauce, diced tomatoes and water, and stir well, pushing the noodles under the liquid and separating them so they don't stick
- Cover, and bring to low boil over medium high heat, then remove cover, and stir frequently to make sure pasta doesn't stick and noodles aren't clumping together. Reduce heat to medium, if necessary
- When pasta is al dente or done to your liking, remove from heat, add some grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, if desired, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I hope you enjoy our family’s favorite spaghetti recipe as much as we do. My kids say this delicious dinner is the best one pot spaghetti recipe ever! If you love this delicious recipe as much as we do, please leave a star rating and comment.
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An easy for dad to make dinner! The kids could eat this every night. Love the flavors.
This is so easy to make! The kids love this rendition! Leftovers heat up well too!
I made this tonight and used thin spaghetti. Next time I will cut the noodles in half. They soaked up way too much sauce for my liking.
You can always add more sauce if needed.
I am planning this recipe for camping, and am wondering what size your dutch oven is. I want to double the recipe but not sure if it will fit. Thank you
I have a 5 1/2 quart Le Creuset Dutch oven. I can easily cook 1 pound pasta and sauce in it.
This was a very simple but satisfying meal. I loved it. For some reason, I can get the print version to come up when I click the print recipe. It takes me back to the top of the page. I’ve tried my pc and my phone with all the same results. Is there a way to simplify the page for printing? Thanks.
Hmm. I am able to print the recipe without any problems, but I will look into it and see if I can find out why this is happening. So sorry. 🙂