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Our favorite spaghetti is kid-friendly and made with a delicious homemade sauce making it the perfect family dinner recipe!
How To Make Spaghetti
It seems like everyone I have ever met has “a spaghetti recipe” they know and love, and each one is different! Today’s recipe is one my mom has made her whole life and one my own family loves now for dinner!
Why We Love It!
- No Fail! This recipe is so simple that even your kids can make it.
- Loved by all. There are no crazy ingredients in this recipe, which means even the pickiest of eaters love it.
- The perfect dinner. Add some cheesy garlic bread or garlic knots and a salad, and this is the perfect Sunday dinner.
- PREP TIME: 5 MINS
- COOK TIME: 45 MINS
INGREDIENTS
- 1 Pound Ground Beef – I like to use 80/20 ground beef because it is so flavorful. Since it produces so much excess oil, I will drain it before adding the meat to the sauce.
- Use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground Italian sausage in place of ground beef. For added flavor, mince 1-2 garlic cloves and add them to the ground beef. Brown in a large skillet.
- 1 – 8 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
- 1 – 6 Ounce Can Tomato Pasta
- Salt + Black Pepper, to taste
- 2 cups Hot Water
- 2 Cubes Beef Bouillon – You can also use beef broth instead of the bouillon and water
- 2 teaspoons Sugar – helps balance the acidity in the tomato sauce. Sautéed onion or mushrooms can also help with the acidity as well.
- Spices – 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, dash of garlic. You can also add red pepper flakes for a little heat.
- Fresh herbs. One teaspoon of dried herbs equals one tablespoon of fresh herbs. Dried herbs are added at the beginning of the cooking time, while fresh herbs are added toward the end.
- 16 Ounces Spaghetti Noodles – For substitutes, try using zucchini noodles, rice noodles, or Spaghetti Squash in lieu of traditional spaghetti noodles.
STEP BY STEP: In PHOTOS
- GROUND BEEF. Brown the hamburger in a large pan. Drain the fat if desired.
- SAUCE. Throw in salt, pepper, tomato sauce and paste, water (with the bouillon cubes in it or beef broth in the can), sugar, basil, oregano, and garlic. Simmer on low for 40-60 minutes.
- NOODLES. A few minutes before the hour is up, cook the box of spaghetti noodles as directed on the package. Once the noodles are cooked, add them to the sauce and serve immediately.
We like to top our spaghetti with grated (or even shredded) Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil if desired. It truly is so delicious!
MEATLESS OPTION. If you would like a meatless version, cook the sauce without the hamburger, and just put a tablespoon of olive oil in the pan before adding any other ingredients. You can make Meatballs on the side if some people want the option to add meat!
COMPLETE THE MEAL
- APPETIZERS: Easy Bruschetta, Mozzarella Sticks, Fried Zucchini
- SIDES: Garlic Knots, Cheesy Garlic Bread, Olive Garden Breadsticks, Focaccia
- SALADS: Tomato Mozzarella Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad, Pesto Salad
- DESSERTS: Panna Cotta, Italian Cookies, Easy Chocolate Cake
Other Spaghetti Recipes: Chicken Spaghetti, Crock Pot Spaghetti, Spaghetti Pie, Baked Spaghetti, Spaghetti Casserole
More Collections: Sunday Dinner Ideas, Dinner Ideas for Kids, Italian Dinner Recipes
Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 cubes beef bouillion
- 2 cups hot water
- 2 teaspoons sugar, white or brown
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- dash of garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
- 16 ounces spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, brown the ground beef, breaking up and making sure there is no pink (drain excess fat).
- Once cooked, add salt, pepper, tomato sauce and paste, water (with the bouillon cubes in it), sugar, basil, oregano, and garlic. Simmer on low for an 40-60 minutes.
- A few minutes before the hour is done, cook box of spaghetti noodles as directed on package.
- Once the noodles are cooked, drain and add to spaghetti sauce. Toss together and top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
RECIPE FAQ
Can You Make Spaghetti in the Crock Pot?
- BEEF. Brown the ground beef and add to a crock pot.
- SAUCE. Add all of the other sauce ingredients. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
How to Store Spaghetti?
Leftover homemade spaghetti can last in the fridge for 3-5 days if properly stored in an airtight container. To reheat quickly, microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until hot.
How to Freeze Spaghetti?
- Freeze only the sauce. Cook sauce according to recipe directions, let cool, put into an airtight freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 6 months.
- To use: thaw in the fridge, place sauce into a saucepan on the stovetop, and heat. Cook pasta according to directions.
- Freeze both sauce and pasta. Make the sauce according to the recipe directions and cook the noodles al dente. Combine the two, cool, and place into an airtight freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.
- To use: thaw in the fridge. Place into a baking dish, cover with foil, and put in the oven preheated to 350°F. Bake for about 30 minutes or until hot.
I’ve been making this recipe at least ten times now but i STILL don’t know exactly what measurements you are using for the tomato sauce or the tomato paste ! what exactly is the size of a small can of tomato sauce and a small can of tomato paste ?
Personally, I don’t remember the ounces but it’s the “SMALLEST” cans available for the sauce and the paste. I hope this helps.
Yes, the tomato sauce is 8 ounces & I can’t think of the paste, but it’s the small, tiny can 🙂
I’d like to try this recipe. Do you use a pound of pasta? The amount isn’t specified in the recipe.
Thanks!
Do you drain the fat from the hamburger? and what mix should I use 70/30 or something leaner?
Yes, you could drain the meat or you don’t have to. I have done both and they work out the same..it just depends on what you like and as far as the meat, you could use whatever meat you like. I use whatever I have on hand, usually 80/20, but any of it, will be just fine in this recipe. Hope you enjoy, as much as we do…it’s the best!
I found this recipe via Recipe Girl and the weekly meal plans. This reminds me of the spaghetti I ate when growing up — except that there was onion in it.
I did make one major change to the preparation of the recipe. I recently read the article at Food52 about the origins of Martha Stewart’s One Pan Pasta Recipe along with some variations. I decided to try and make this with that method. Instead of adding 2 cups of water, I added 4 1/2 cups and the spaghetti and let it boil for 9 minutes. Perfect! And only one pan to wash.
Oh, perfect! I’m so glad you liked it and will have to try it one pan next time I make it. Thanks for the tip! 😀
My kids and husband are extremely picker eaters and hate jar sauce, so this was a good find. They love it. The only thing I found is that a whole box of noodles (at least the barilla multigrain kind I use) is too much for the amount of sauce. So I only use 3/4 of a box of noodles and we have plenty leftover with our family of 5.
This was so good. Tried it lastnight. Not only did my husband and I both like it, but my picky little eater loved it too! And she usually wants spaghetti with no sauce. Lastnight she asked for “a little more sauce”. So kudos to you, I’ll definitely be sifting through your other website and goodies on your site.
Your comment made my day, Michele! I LOVE hearing that. This Spaghetti recipe is definitely our fav! Our kids are picky too but they’ll eat this no problem at all!! 😀
Yum, Yum, Yummmmmmy! This looks lip smackin’ good!!! I can’t wait to try this recipe!!!! 🙂
Let me know if you do try it. It’s our FAVORITE!! 😀
My family loooves spaghetti. Josh usually makes it on Sunday with a “secret ingredient” for everyone to guess. 😉 We’ll have to try this one. Pinned!
That’s so fun!! Definitely have Josh give this recipe a try… it’s so easy and delish!! XO
Can’t go wrong with spaghetti! This recipe look delish!
Definitely not – especially in our fam! We have it at least once a month! 😉