You guessed it—this Spaghetti with Meat Sauce recipe only uses one pot and THREE INGREDIENTS! The dried spaghetti cooks right in a mixture of ground beef, jarred sauce, and water, making for an almost ridiculously easy dinner that only needs one pot to clean up. Plus, all the starch from the pasta stays in the sauce, making it luxuriously thick so that every piece of spaghetti sticks to it. No watery spaghetti here!
One pot pasta recipes are some of my favorite things to make on busy weeknights. Of course, there is the bonus of only having one pot to clean. It’s also easier to cook pasta because you don’t have to strain it or save water to stir into the sauce. You can just sit back and relax.
I’ve already written about some one-pot pasta dishes here, including taco pasta, sausage and spinach pasta, and sausage and broccolini orecchiette. I am excited to add this one-pot spaghetti with meat sauce to the list because it is so easy to make and only needs THREE things!
Spaghetti with meat sauce is a classic satisfying meal. When you’re short on time using ground beef and ready-made Prego sauce can make it super fast and easy. With just a few ingredients and basic techniques, you can whip up a weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Follow these simple steps for foolproof spaghetti and meat sauce using pantry staples.
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti noodles
- 1 lb ground beef (80% lean)
- 1 jar Prego Traditional Italian Sauce (24 oz)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
Cook the Spaghetti
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook per package directions until al dente.
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Drain in a colander and set aside.
Brown the Ground Beef
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In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
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Cook until no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Drain excess grease if needed.
Sauté the Onion and Garlic
- Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the browned beef. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened.
Add Sauce and Simmer
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Stir in the entire jar of Prego sauce and the Italian seasoning. Add 1/4 cup water and stir to combine.
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Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes to meld the flavors Season with salt and pepper
Mix with Spaghetti
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Add the cooked drained spaghetti to the sauce. Gently toss to coat, adding more pasta water if needed for creaminess.
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Serve topped with grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Variations
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Sauté mushrooms, peppers or other veggies to add to the sauce.
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Use ground turkey or a beef/turkey blend instead of just beef.
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For extra flavor, simmer sauce with dried herbs like oregano, basil or parsley.
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Mix in crushed red pepper flakes for some heat.
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Top with shredded mozzarella and bake briefly to make cheesy baked spaghetti.
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Stir in chopped spinach at the end for extra nutrients.
With a simple sauce made from pantry essentials, you can quickly prepare spaghetti for a fast family dinner. Customize it to your taste by tweaking the proteins and veggies or experimenting with different seasonings. Let us know your favorite way to jazz up this classic!
Can I use another kind of pasta besides spaghetti?
Sure! I’ve found that some pastas tend to absorb more or less depending on shape, but not to a degree where it matters a ton. This can happen due to pasta shape but also with different brands. The general ratio rule for one pot pastas is a ratio of 1:2 for pasta to liquid. This recipe calls for 16 oz. dry spaghetti and 32 oz. of water. So you should be good following this recipe for using other pasta shapes as well. Just keep in mind you may need to add a little extra water if it seems a bit dry toward the end – easy fix!
How to make One Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
First, brown the ground beef in some olive oil, breaking it apart until its crumbled and fully cooked. Add a jar of marinara sauce, salt, some water, and dried spaghetti. Since it fits better in the pot if you cut the spaghetti in half, that’s the easiest way to do it. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick. When it’s almost done, cover and let it sit with the heat turned off to finish cooking. That’s it!.
- You can add more water if the pasta seems dry near the end of cooking. I’ve found that it doesn’t matter much how much water you use in this recipe; you should be able to get a good idea of it by eye. The exact amount may also depend on the type of pasta you use.
- Do make sure you let the pasta finish cooking off-heat. One pot pasta tends to stick, but if you turn off the heat and cover the pot to let the pasta finish, it won’t stick at the end!
How To Make The Best Spaghetti With Prego Meat Sauce & Ground Beef!
FAQ
Do you cook ground beef before putting it in sauce?
When to add prego sauce?
Is Prego Italian sauce good for spaghetti?