This easy spaghetti recipe with meat sauce is a family favorite for a weeknight dinner. With a few simple ingredients, this hearty classic is always a hit with kids!
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We Love This Easy Weeknight Spaghetti Recipe
This is the spaghetti recipe my family comes back to over and over again. It uses jarred marinara sauce dressed up with ground beef, onions, garlic, and a few simple seasonings so it tastes homemade without the effort. It’s ready in 30 minutes and my kids ask for it every single week.
We serve it with a chopped salad recipe and garlic bread for an amazing, yet classic weeknight spaghetti dinner. If you want to take it a step further, try my homemade spaghetti sauce or our favorite million dollar spaghetti.
Recipe Ingredients
With almost all of the ingredients already in your pantry, this easy spaghetti recipe comes together in a hurry.
- Onions and garlic: These aromatics add wonderful flavor! Sauté them in oil first before adding the meat.
- Meat: I like to use ground beef, but Italian sausage works really well, too.
- Spices: Italian seasoning, Kosher or table salt, black pepper and oregano add so much flavor and work really well with the marinara sauce.
- Tomato sauce: This easy spaghetti recipe calls for 1 jar of marinara or spaghetti sauce (I love Prego spaghetti sauce), but you can make your own homemade marinara sauce if you prefer.
- Diced tomatoes: I like the texture diced tomatoes add to the sauce, making it a bit heartier, but this is totally optional.
- Spaghetti: This long noodle is ideal for soaking up the sauce, but you can use any noodle shape you like.
How to Make Spaghetti
Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook 1 more minute. Next add in meat and seasonings and cook until beef has browned.
Stir in marinara sauce and tomatoes and simmer uncovered.
While sauce is simmering, cook the spaghetti noodles according to package.
Serve meat sauce over cooked pasta and top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, if desired.
Variations
- For a thinner sauce, add in 1/2 cup of the pasta water before simmering.
- Veggies. Add in vegetables when sauteing the onion, such as mushrooms, carrots, or bell peppers.
- Meat. Swap out the ground beef to make Italian sausage pasta or make pasta sauce with ground turkey or use both like I do in this meaty spaghetti bolognese sauce.
- Cheese. Try topping it with fresh mozzarella for a real treat.
- Herbs. Fresh basil or oregano add a pop of fresh flavor to the spaghetti recipe.
Have Leftovers? Try Making:
- Spaghetti boats. My family absolutely LOVES spaghetti boats! Simply top sliced garlic bread with leftover spaghetti and mozzarella, then bake for 5-10 minutes until bubbly.
- Leftover spaghetti casserole. Spaghetti casserole is such a fun and delicious way to use leftover spaghetti! It’s basically an easy combo of baked spaghetti and lasagna. Super family-friendly!
- Italian sloppy joes. This is such an easy and delicious dinner! Make sloppy joes by topping a hamburger bun or piece of Texas toast with the spaghetti meat sauce. Dig in and enjoy!
Freezer Meal
One of my favorite things about this easy spaghetti recipe with meat sauce is that it makes a perfect freezer meal! Double the recipe and freeze half in an airtight container for up to 3 months. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight and makes dinner a breeze!
More Easy Pasta Recipes
Easy Spaghetti Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ½ Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion , minced
- 2-4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 pound ground beef , or Italian sausage
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt , more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper , or red pepper flakes
- 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 1 (14-ounce) can can petite diced tomatoes , drained (optional)
- 1 (16-ounce) box spaghetti noodles
Option toppings: Fresh basil and Grated parmesan
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in ground beef, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Cook until meat is browned. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir in spaghetti sauce and diced tomatoes. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes. Season to taste.
- Boil spaghetti according to package instructions while sauce is simmering. Drain, reserving 1 cup to add to the sauce if too thick.
- Spoon sauce over noodles while hot and top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese, if desired, to serve.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Kathy Lewis
Great spaghetti recipe
Heather
My kids devoured this!!
Naomi Burke
Thank you for this recipe! My tastebuds have gone blind to jarred pasta sauce and it just tastes so plain to me now. I needed a recipe that was easy to spice up since I’m too lazy to actually make from scratch sauce. This was perfect! It has that homemade taste to it, and it’s so full of flavor and so simple to make! I’ll definitely be making this again.
Jamielyn Nye
I’m the same way! So glad you enjoyed this sauce!
Toni
I seriously loved this! Such a perfect meal for busy nights!
Paula
Total family favorite!
Valerie
You just can’t beat a thick and tasty homemade red sauce! This recipe sounds super tasty.
Jamielyn Nye
Hope you enjoy! :)
Misty
Made this tonight and it turned out perfect! So good and easy. Definitely a keeper.
Veronica
To make spegatti dinner extra special or date night or Sunday dinner add sausage and Italian sausage. Add garden salad , garlic bread and cinnamon rolls for dessert. Use candles or to give table new look at hurraine lamp and oil and light for dinner or go dollar store get candles and add it. Dress up for dinner. Especially if gave kids and can’t go out. Do romantic candle night dinner once kids go bed.
Jamielyn
Great ideas Veronica! Thanks for sharing! :)
Veronica Greene
I was at home on Saturday morning I realized that ground beef say to use or freeze be 9/20/17. It was 9/30/17 so I decided to cook it. I put in water defrost for 1 or more using cold water method you change water every 30 minutes per pound. I decided I want spegatti. So I like muller spegatti add water and kosher salt like it cook fi 40 minutes. I was looking for recipe I thought it was I heart recipes with Rosie which is souful recipes. It wasn’t until I click I realize I was on wrong website. I love trying recipes so I gave yours try. I use three caps full of great value olive oil from Walmart. I add 2.25 ground beef let cook for 40 minutes. I Add regular spoon full McCormicks black pepper,spoonful kosher salt from McCormick, great value Walnart minced onions, McCormick minced garlic , 5th season Walmart brand for eighty -eight cents garlic power, onion power,Italian seasoning and parlsey flakes. I drain fat at twenty minutes. Then after 40 minutes. I drain all fat. I put in sauce pan. I add jar pregu traditional sauce. I add one cup eater using jar then add seasonings again stir for minute. I lost cook for hour. It usually takes me 2 hours cook it but it be so good and worthy the time.
Jamielyn
Glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for stopping by. :)
Diane
Love how simple this is! I also enjoy your original photos – they give me hope :)
I Heart Naptime
:D
Jamie
This is so close to how we make ours! It’s always a favorite!
Paige
This spaghetti recipe is so good! There is nothing better than good classic meals!
Myrna
It’s kids most favorite, and it’s sauce is what we had to consider prior serving it for it is the one who makes it palatable. But my mom use to tell me that it is the pasta that makes it perfect. I doubt it, just try to figure it out a spaghetti without it’s sauce? It’s probably the most unwanted food isn’t it? So, sauce is important.:)
Jen
Amazing! I love spaghetti!
Its A Blog Party
Looks amazing! I love spaghetti!
Thanks for linking up!
~Liz
shopannies
this sounds delicious a few kids of mine do not like spaghetti the way I fix it I will try it your way and see what they think
Jacque
Looks great! We are having spaghetti tonight… and mine will be pretty much like your recipe except I add fresh mushrooms and zucchini! Yummy! Came over from Creative Therapy.
Have a great day!
Laurie
Hi Jamielyn! Thanks for the yummy recipe for spaghetti! sooo good!