Kid-Friendly Spaghetti

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Spaghetti Ingredients and Substitutions

• 1 pound ground beef – We use 80/20 ground beef for the added flavor. Drain the excess oil. Optional: add 1-2 minced garlic cloves. Replace with ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground Italian sausage.
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato pasta
• salt + black pepper – to taste
• 2 cups hot water – or 2 cups beef broth instead of the bouillon and water
• 2 cubes beef bouillon – omit if using beef broth
• 2 teaspoons sugar – balances the acidity in the tomato sauce. Shredded carrots or sautéed mushrooms can also help with the acidity.
• ½ teaspoon dried basil – or ½ tablespoon fresh basil during the last 10 minutes
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano – or add ½ tablespoon fresh oregano during the last 10 minutes
• dash of garlic salt – or fresh, minced garlic and/or red pepper flakes for a little heat
• onions – optional (our kids aren’t fans, but if they like them, you can throw in either finely 1/4 cup finely chopped onions or even 1 tablespoon dried onions.
• 16 ounces spaghetti noodles – or zucchini noodles, rice noodles, or Spaghetti Squash

How to Make Spaghetti

1. GROUND BEEF. Brown 1 pound ground beef in a large pan over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease.
2. SAUCE. Heat 2 cups water with 2 beef bullion cubes in the microwave. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste into the browned meat, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can tomato paste, 2 cups water with the bouillon cubes, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon basil, ½ teaspoon oregano, and a dash of garlic salt. Simmer on low for 40-60 minutes.
3. NOODLES. A few minutes before the hour is up, cook 1 pound spaghetti noodles as directed on the package (al dente). Once the noodles are cooked, add them to the sauce , stir to combine and serve immediately.
4. SERVE. We like to top our spaghetti with grated or shredded Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil.

Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

• We always salt the water pasta generously, which helps with the flavor.
• To help balance the acidity in the sauce add sugar or shredded carrots.
• Before you drain your pasta, scoop out about 1/3 cup of the starchy pasta water to add to your sauce at the end. It coats the noodles perfectly, giving you that smooth, restaurant-quality texture.
• If you’re watching your carbs, we like to cook up Spaghetti Squash and use that instead of noodles.

5 from 365 votes

Kid-Friendly Spaghetti

By: Kristyn Merkley

Our favorite spaghetti is kid-friendly and simple with a delicious homemade sauce making it the perfect family dinner recipe!

Servings: 8

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef, 80 percent lean/20 percent fat
• ▢ 2 cups hot water
• ▢ 2 cubes beef bouillion, or use 2 cups beef broth and omit hot water
• ▢ 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• ▢ 2 teaspoons sugar
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ pinch of garlic powder
• ▢ salt and pepper, to taste
• ▢ 1 (16-ounce) package spaghetti

Instructions 

• Cook ground beef in a large pan over medium heat, breaking into small pieces, until browned, 8-10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
• Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water and add to meat. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.
• A few minutes before the sauce is done, cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions.
• Drain spaghetti and add to the sauce, tossing to coat. Top with Parmesan.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips:

• The longer it simmers, the more the flavors will meld and intensify.
• Add dry herbs at the beginning and fresh herbs toward the end.
• Taste as you go and add any extra seasonings.
• To help balance the acidity in the sauce add sugar or shredded carrots.

Make ahead sauce. Cook sauce according to recipe directions, let cool, put into an airtight freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 6 months. Reheat the sauce and add it to the cooked pasta.

Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days if properly stored in an airtight container(s), or put in a freeze Ziploc and freeze for up to 3 months.

Make it meatless. For a vegetarian version, skip the ground beef, and add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan before adding the other ingredients.  You can also make meatballs on the side if some people want the option to add meat.

Low-carb version.  Try using zucchini noodles, rice noodles or spaghetti squash in lieu of traditional spaghetti noodles.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 2g, Sodium: 959mg, Potassium: 568mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 690IU, Vitamin C: 11.3mg, Calcium: 119mg, Iron: 3.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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This recipe was first shared July 2014.