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Home » Easy Dinners » Spaghetti

Spaghetti

August 30, 2020

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The best spaghetti recipe starts with an amazing homemade spaghetti sauce.  This one has ground beef, sausage, and the perfect blend of seasonings.

spaghetti with meat sauce in a blue bowl with text overlay

Spaghetti is my 4-year-olds absolute favorite thing to eat.  So I make it all the time.  This has become my go-to recipe.  The sauce is loaded with tons of meaty flavor and there is enough of it to generously coat a full pound of spaghetti pasta.

The leftovers are even better.

How To Make Spaghetti Sauce

*Note:  The full printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.

  • Add ground beef, Italian sausage, chopped onion, and minced garlic to a skillet.
  • Break the meat apart with a wooden spoon.
  • Cook until the meat is browned.
  • Drain off any excess grease.

ground beef and italian sausage cooking in a skillet

  • Add sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, basil, and pepper.  Stir.
  • Add tomato paste.  Stir.
  • Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and water.  Stir.

skillet full of cooked meat with tomato sauce about to be poured in.

  • Cover the skillet and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Add fresh chopped parsley.

spaghetti sauce in a skillet

  • Cook and drain the spaghetti.
  • Pour the meat sauce over the spaghetti.  Stir.
  • Add grated parmesan cheese.  Stir.
  • Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

large pot full of cooked spaghetti coated in spaghetti sauce

Can This Be Made Ahead

Yes!  You can make the spaghetti sauce.  Then, store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.  When you are ready to eat, cook and drain the pasta.  Return the drained pasta to the large pot and add the meat sauce.  Warm it up on the stove top until the meat sauce is warmed through.

Reheating Leftovers

Place the leftovers in a large pot and place it over medium heat on the stovetop.  Heat until it is warmed through, stirring often.  This usually takes about 15 minutes.

Or, place the leftover spaghetti in a large casserole dish and cover it with foil.  Place it in a 325 degree F oven until it is warmed through, around 20 minutes.

Can This Be Frozen

Yes!  You can make the spaghetti sauce.  Let it cool for about 20 minutes.  Then, store it in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months.  Transfer it to the refrigerator the day before you plan to eat it.  When you are ready to eat, cook and drain the pasta.  Return the drained pasta to the large pot and add the meat sauce.  Warm it up on the stove top until the meat sauce is warmed through.

spaghetti in a blue bowl

More Easy Dinner Recipes With Ground Beef

  • Awesome Sloppy Joes
  • Homemade Tacos
  • Frito Pie Casserole from Balancing Motherhood
  • Korean Ground Beef from I Wash You Dry

Watch The Step By Step Recipe Video For Spaghetti Below

spaghetti in a blue bowl

The Best Spaghetti Recipe

The best spaghetti recipe starts with an amazing homemade spaghetti sauce.  This one has ground beef, Italian sausage, and the perfect blend of seasonings.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 435kcal
Author: Amanda Finks
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
5 from 11 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. 80% lean ground beef
  • 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 medium onion -chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves -minced
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
  • 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 Tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 lb. dried spaghetti pasta
  • 2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Make the meat sauce. Add the beef and sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until meat is browned, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the fat from the meat.
  • Add the sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, basil, and black pepper to the skillet with the cooked meat. Stir well.
  • Add the tomato paste. Stir until no large clumps of tomato paste remain.
  • Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and water. Stir until well combined. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the minced parsley.
  • As the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta al dente according to its package directions. Drain the pasta well, and return it to the large pot used for boiling.
  • Pour the meat sauce over the pasta. Stir well. Add the parmesan cheese to the pasta. Stir well. Let the spaghetti rest in the meat sauce for 5 minutes before serving to let the pasta absorb some of the sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/10th of the recipe | Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 1229mg | Potassium: 920mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 913IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 4mg
Course Dinner, Entree
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword homemade meat sauce recipe, how to make spaghetti, how to make spaghetti sauce
Pin This Recipe

Try all of my great ground beef recipes.

2 image collage with text overlay of spaghetti
« The Best Classic Sloppy Joes
Skillet Teriyaki Chicken Thighs »

Comments

  1. Sydnie says

    September 1, 2020 at 8:43 PM

    5 stars
    What a delicious classic recipe! I love love love this!

    Reply
  2. Samantha Danw says

    September 1, 2020 at 9:08 PM

    5 stars
    The addition of Italian Sausage is not to be missed in this yummy spaghetti recipe!

    Reply
  3. Karens says

    October 4, 2020 at 10:15 PM

    5 stars
    Now we can cook really spaghetti at home. I also need to prepare the spaghetti and ready serve. But I worry that after 3 months frozen can it still keep the quality?

    Reply
  4. Amy D Osborne says

    November 18, 2020 at 8:47 PM

    5 stars
    Really Good.. I will definitely make again. Much better than the average jar of spaghetti sauce. Easy, Quick Recipe. Thanks!!!

    Reply
  5. Dustin says

    January 5, 2021 at 10:37 PM

    5 stars
    Yummy recipe, i am going to make this soon. thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.

    Reply
  6. Hannah says

    February 25, 2021 at 10:31 AM

    5 stars
    I made this last night. And while I felt like it was missing something it was still really good! Would 100% make it again.

    Reply
  7. Kevin says

    March 9, 2021 at 4:13 PM

    5 stars
    Outstanding spaghetti sauce…perfectly doubles for teens and leftovers. Very simple and easy to make and so much better tasting than store bought. I purposely keep extra cans of tomato paste in the pantry because of this recipe. Kudos

    Reply
  8. Noah says

    April 5, 2021 at 2:48 PM

    5 stars
    That was bussin

    Reply
  9. Jimmel says

    September 9, 2021 at 7:21 PM

    5 stars
    Family loved. Thanks

    Reply
  10. Suzanne says

    November 9, 2021 at 1:33 PM

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! Always go to. Thank you

    Reply
  11. Evan says

    January 10, 2022 at 12:03 PM

    5 stars
    noice

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Amanda Finks –

Amanda Finks, RDN Profile Picture for The Wholesome DishI’m a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Zionsville, IN. I’m an avid cook, travel nerd, & lover of good food! I’m trained in Food Science & recipe development.  It’s my mission to bring you the BEST recipes your whole family will love!  See More.

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