Description
Hearty Italian pot spaghetti brings comfort and flavor from Naples to your kitchen. Robust tomato sauce, fresh herbs, and tender pasta create a simple yet satisfying meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 grams) ground beef or Italian sausage
- 8 oz (226 grams) spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (24 oz/680 grams) jar marinara sauce
- 3 cups beef or chicken broth
- ½ small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5 oz/411 grams) can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Sear and Develop: Heat a large pot and brown ground meat, breaking it into delicate fragments until caramelized edges emerge, creating a robust flavor foundation.
- Aromatic Transformation: Introduce finely diced onions and garlic, sautéing until translucent and releasing their intense fragrant profile into the meat base.
- Liquid Infusion: Stream marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, and broth into the pot, blending Italian seasoning, salt, cracked pepper, and red pepper flakes to build a complex, layered taste profile.
- Pasta Integration: Submerge spaghetti strands directly into the simmering liquid, ensuring complete coverage and strategic distribution throughout the sauce.
- Unified Cooking: Cover and allow the mixture to gently bubble, periodically stirring to prevent scorching and guarantee uniform pasta absorption and meat tenderness.
- Textural Refinement: Monitor pasta’s progression, aiming for perfect al dente consistency, typically achieved within 12-15 minutes of controlled simmering.
- Final Enhancement: Remove from heat, fold in freshly grated Parmesan cheese for luxurious creaminess, and perform a final seasoning taste test.
- Elegant Presentation: Garnish with vibrant fresh basil or parsley, transforming the one-pot creation into a visually stunning and immediately servable meal.
Notes
- Optimize Meat Browning: Achieve deep, caramelized flavors by ensuring ground meat is dry and pan is hot before searing, creating rich golden-brown edges that lock in taste and texture.
- Choose Low-Sodium Options: Select low-sodium broth and marinara sauce to control salt content, allowing more precise seasoning and making the dish suitable for heart-healthy diets.
- Prevent Pasta Sticking: Stir frequently during cooking and use a wide pot to distribute heat evenly, preventing spaghetti from clumping or burning at the bottom of the pan.
- Customize Dietary Needs: Swap ground meat with plant-based alternatives like lentils or crumbled tofu for vegetarian versions, and use gluten-free pasta for those with wheat sensitivities.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg