One Pot Spaghetti & Meat Sauce With Spinach
Use the best quality jarred sauce you can - it makes a difference. I use Silver Palate brand. I find the best way to stir so the spaghetti doesn't stick together is twisting and turning it with a large fork. Keep the sauce at a low boil at all times - too high and you'll cook off too much liquid. - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 25 ounce jar (2 2/3 cups) good quality Marinara Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 10 ounces spaghetti
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper to taste
Instructions:
- In a large pan or pot on medium-high heat, sauté the onion & garlic for 1 minute.
- Add beef. Cook & stir until pink is gone - about 3 minutes.
- Add the marinara sauce. Use 1 1/2 cups water to rinse out the jar and add water to sauce.
- Break spaghetti in half and scatter over sauce. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook for 13 minutes, stirring well every 2 minutes using a fork to twist and turn the spaghetti. Keep it at a low boil, not to cook off too much liquid.
- While spaghetti cooks, inspect spinach and remove thick stems and bad leaves.
- After 13 minutes quickly pile spinach on top of sauce, cover and cook for 2 more minutes. Spinach will steam on top.
- Stir in spinach, cover and cook 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add Parmesan, salt & pepper. (Leftovers can be reheated in a pot or pan. Just add a little water, cover and reheat on low heat, stirring a few times.)
Want To Make 1/2 Recipe? Just reduce all ingredients by half and use 1 1/3 cups of sauce.
Note: There's more on this recipe in my blog. Click here.
I was very suspect of this recipe. Cooking pasta in a watered down sauce? Breaking the pasta?
I have to say it came out very well. I like one pot meals and this might enter my rotation as cooler temps roll in. A few comments:
– the recipe does not call for oil in the pot before onions and garlic are added nor to drain the ground beef. Because of that I choose to add the onion and garlic after the meat (90/10) started to cook. I also added salt, black and red pepper to the beef.
– recipe calls for 10oz pasta (most boxes are 16oz) so you’ll need to eyeball it. I probably added 12-13oz but it was fine.
– Step 4 “stir and reduce heat” Reduce heat from where? Was I supposed to boil the meat sauce? It doesn’t specify.
– I probably needed to add more salt but other than that it came out surprisingly well. Easy cleanup. Seems like something that could be made while camping.
The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of oil and I don’t drain the beef because it’s lean. But I will clarify step #4 so thank you for that note. I’m glad it turned out for you!
Love this recipe! I’ve made it several times. While stirring every two minutes, I use two forks to separate the spaghetti clumps. I also double the amount of spinach. Yum!
I did not like this recipe! Nice idea, but didn’t work for me. I had to add a lot of extra water and the noodles came out chewy.I’ll stick to cooking my noodles Al dente first then adding to the sauce to finish cooking the rest of the way.
I made this, definitely easy but the dish was greasy, wondering if the beef and onions needed to be drained after frying?
Always drain the meat.
This recipe is so good! I added another SuperFood, sliced fresh mushrooms, to the mix. Thank you, Jenny! I also appreciated all your tips in your blog about this one pot spaghetti. It turned out moist and delicious!
I liked you when you had antslk show, and I like the simplicity of the waybyountesvh andvkeepnus healthy great food and humour?
Craig
I made this last night exactly as written. Very easy, simple and delicious. And a complete meal. I will make it often.
Wow Jenny. I have cooked almost all of your recipes and they never ever fail me. You are the best.
Thank you very much have a blessed day
Hi Jenny!
This time we will spell your name right….LOL!
Great new twist adding ‘raw spaghetti’ to the sauce. That’s a new one for my awesome Italian hubby who cooks up a storm in our kitchen!! I’m Polish and I do my share. Our kitchen is our playground!! Hugs!!
Sounds good, am anxious to try it since I’ve never cooked pasta in it’s meat sauce before. Will let you know how we like it.
Thank you Jenny. Keep these great recipes coming please. ??
I think for health reason you should pour off the grease from the browned beef before adding the red sauce.
With lean ground beef, there is no fat to pour off.
Thanks Jenny for this recipe. We are at camp and I love easy one pot meals.
Great recipe! I will try it in my Instant Pot and also add a rind of Pecorino Reggiano (can buy them at Wegmans or Whole Foods)!
You will have to post how it turns out, I’m thinking of trying this in my instant pot too, 5 minutes w/ QR.
Wow, I love this recipe, I never thought of adding the raw spaghetti directly into the sauce. I can’t wait to try this which will be soon, very soon. I just love your recipes.
I love how easy this recipe is to make and I love spinach!
Clams in can and luguini recipe! Please
I can’t have tomatoes, including sauces. Can I make this another way?
use alfredo sauce?
Brown gravy.
I use a white sauce a lot. I even make it with skim milk. You can make it cheesy easily also. Add spinach too.