Ready the garlic bread? It’s time for one of my favorite Italian dishes: spaghetti recipe with ground beef! There are no bad pasta recipes, but this one is especially tasty because you make the sauce and meat mixture in one big, savory pot. You can add your favorite Italian cheese on top! I love grated fresh parmesan on top of my ground beef spaghetti recipe. Yum!.
This is just one of many spaghetti recipes you’ll be making for dinner! For more reader-favorite pasta recipes, check out our American goulash, chili mac, and crockpot spaghetti!
Spaghetti and meat sauce is a classic, crowd-pleasing dish. When cooking for a group, it can be tricky to figure out exactly how much ground beef you need to prepare the perfect meaty, saucy pasta. You want to make sure you have enough beef so there is plenty for generous portions, but not so much that you end up with a fridge full of leftovers
In this article, I’ll provide a simple ground beef calculator to tell you exactly how many pounds per person you need when making spaghetti for any size gathering. You’ll also find useful tips for preparing and cooking the ground beef for maximum flavor.
Key Factors For Calculating Ground Beef Per Person
Here are some key factors to consider when determining how much ground beef per serving of spaghetti you need
- Adults generally eat larger portions than kids.
- Men often consume more than women.
- Teen boys tend to be extra hungry and take bigger servings.
- Sauce with veggies or mushrooms needs less meat than an all-beef sauce.
- Personal preferences for very meaty or lightly sauced pasta varies.
Taking these things into account, here are some general ground beef usage estimates per adult:
- Meaty sauce: 1⁄2 pound (8 oz)
- Moderate sauce: 1⁄3 pound (5 oz)
- Light sauce: 1⁄4 pound (4 oz)
For kids under 12, reduce the amounts above by half.
Ground Beef Calculator For Spaghetti
Let’s look at a sample calculation for a dinner party of 8 adults and 4 kids:
- Adults (8): 8 * 1⁄2 pound = 4 pounds
- Kids (4): 4 * 1⁄4 pound = 1 pound
- Total: 5 pounds ground beef
Use the simple formula below based on your number of guests:
- Adults: Number of adults x 1⁄2 pound per adult
- Kids: Number of kids x 1⁄4 pound per kid
- Total: Combine the two for the total pounds of ground beef needed
Tips For Cooking Ground Beef For Spaghetti
To get perfect ground beef for pasta every time follow these preparation and cooking tips
- Use 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef for best texture and fat content. Avoid 90/10 or higher as it can dry out.
- Brown the beef in batches over high heat for maximum browning and flavor. Don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Drain excess grease after browning. Leave just a thin layer for some richness.
- Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning as the beef browns.
- Add garlic, onion and spices and saute shortly after browning.
- Simmer 20-30 minutes in sauce to let flavors blend. Stir occasionally.
Browning before simmering is crucial for creating depth of flavor and the quintessential meaty pasta sauce we all crave!
More Tips For Making The Best Spaghetti
Aside from perfectly cooked ground beef, here are some additional pointers:
- Cook 1 pound of pasta for every 2-3 servings. Undercook it slightly to avoid mushiness after finishing in sauce.
- Sauté veggies like mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, etc before adding to sauce for enhanced flavor.
- Use quality ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes for bright, fresh sauce.
- Finish with torn basil leaves and grated parmesan for authentic Italian taste.
Use a blend of spices like oregano, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Simmer low for at least 30 minutes for sauce to fully develop.
Making Leftovers Last
Spaghetti sauce reheats beautifully for easy leftover meals all week long. To properly store and reheat:
- Let pasta and sauce cool completely before storing to prevent condensation buildup.
- Store sauce and pasta separately with sauce on top to prevent pasta from drying out.
- Reheat sauce in a saucepan over medium low, adding pasta during last 5 minutes to rewarm.
Add a splash of water or milk if sauce is too thick. Stir frequently to evenly coat pasta in sauce.
Enjoy Your Perfectly Sauced Spaghetti!
With this handy guide, you can easily determine the right amount of ground beef for your spaghetti dinner, whether for family or a whole feast of friends. Cook the meat thoroughly for maximum richness and flavor. Use high quality ingredients and follow proper storage methods.
The end result is a satisfying plate of pasta, smothered in a savory, meaty sauce that makes everyone beg for more! Mangia!
Spaghetti Recipe with Ground Beef Ingredient
- Beef: This recipe calls for 80/20 ground beef. This means that the meat will be 80% beef and 20% fat. Normaly, I’d say you can switch it out for one with a lower fat content (like 90/10), but the high fat content is important so that you have enough left over in the pan to sear the garlic and vegetables. I promise that adding beef flavor will make a big difference!
- When cooking, a good rule of thumb is to add an ingredient that has been prepared three different ways to get the most complete flavor. This is what sausage meat sauce does. Crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste are used to make this sauce. They will give you the fresh bite of a tomato, the heartiness of a tomato that has been seasoned, and the thick, concentrated flavor of a tomato. Your tastebuds will sing!.
- Where’s the oregano? I know I said that oregano and basil were used to season the ground beef in this spaghetti recipe, but where are they in the list of ingredients? They’re in the Italian seasoning!
- Italian seasoning is like chili spice in that it’s made up of a mix of different herbs. With just a few shakes of Italian Seasoning, you can get rosemary, basil, oregano, and sometimes even marjoram!
- If you forgot to get spaghetti noodles or just don’t want to use that kind, don’t worry! You can use hundreds of different kinds of noodles in this dish, so feel free to switch things up. You could also use zucchini noodles or, my personal favorite, spaghetti squash if you want to avoid gluten.
- Salt & Pepper
- Garlic and Onion
- Bell Pepper
- Sugar
Can I Add Meatballs?
Yes, my recipe for spaghetti and meatballs takes all the great flavors of this recipe for spaghetti with ground beef and turns them into those perfectly fluffy meatballs of goodness. Or you can opt for the faster dish — instant pot spaghetti and meatballs. There’s no wrong way to make it!.
Classic Spaghetti and Meat Sauce | Meat Sauce Recipe | The simple way
FAQ
How much ground meat per person for spaghetti?
How much meat do you need for spaghetti?
How much ground beef to cook per person?
How much spaghetti for 10 people?
How much ground beef per person for spaghetti?
For spaghetti, about 4 ounces of ground beef per person is the right amount. This might not seem like much, but it’s enough when mixed in with other ingredients and the pasta. Consider doubling the ground beef amount per person and batch-cooking spaghetti to freeze the sauce for an easy midweek meal at a later stage.
How much meat do you need for a pound of spaghetti?
Plan on 1/4 to 1/3 pound (four to six ounces) of meat per person if it is included in a larger dish like pasta or curry. This means that if you’re cooking for 20, you’ll need at least 5 pounds of meat and at least 2 1/2 pounds of meat if you’re having 10 people over for dinner. How much beef do I need for a pound of spaghetti?
How much meat do you put in a jar of spaghetti sauce?
But for the best results, use no more than 1-2 pounds of meat for each large jar of sauce. However, if you’ll ask for the precise recommendation, we advise 1 pound per 1 kilogram. 5 pounds of spaghetti sauce. This could be the typical proportion of spaghetti sauce to meat. How much ground beef per person for spaghetti sauce?
How many ounces of ground beef per person?
For a single serving of ground beef with no additional ingredients, roughly 8 ounces per person is required. However, this serving size per person may decrease if other ingredients like vegetables, sauce, pasta, or more are added.