One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese
Ground beef, diced vegetables and broken spaghetti cooked together in a tomato sauce in one pan. The pasta finishes in the sauce and thickens it.
One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese
Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes35
minutesGround beef, diced vegetables and broken spaghetti cooked together in a tomato sauce in one pan. The pasta finishes in the sauce and thickens it.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb 80/20 ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 oz spaghetti, broken in half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Fresh basil, torn
Directions
- Brown the beef in a large pot over medium-high heat for 7 minutes, breaking it up. Spoon off the extra grease.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook 5 minutes, until softened. The small dice helps them disappear into the sauce.
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute, until the paste turns brick red.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, water, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper. Scrape the bottom of the pot.
- Bring to a boil, then lay the broken spaghetti across the top and push it under the liquid.
- Reduce to a lively simmer, cover and cook 8 minutes. Stir every 2 minutes so the strands do not stick.
- Uncover and cook 4 to 6 minutes more, until the spaghetti is tender and the sauce is thick.
- Slide a probe into the beef in the middle of the pot. It should read at least 160°F.
- Stir in half the Parmesan and let the pot rest for 3 minutes so the sauce settles.
- Serve with the remaining Parmesan and torn basil.
Notes
- Break the spaghetti so it fits under the liquid; whole strands stay hard on top. If the sauce gets too thick, stir in 1/4 cup hot water. Add a splash of red wine in place of some of the water if you like. Leftovers keep 3 days, and the sauce freezes well without the pasta for up to 3 months.
Why one pan is enough
The spaghetti cooks right in the sauce, so the starch it releases thickens the tomatoes and clings to the beef. Finely diced onion, carrot and celery melt into the sauce and give it the slow-simmered taste of a classic bolognese in half an hour.
Breaking the noodles is not laziness, it keeps them under the liquid.
Swaps and one to skip
Ground turkey or Italian sausage is fine in place of the beef. Penne or rotini can replace spaghetti, though the liquid may need a little longer to absorb. Do not use fresh pasta, which turns to paste in this much heat.
What to serve
Garlic bread and a bitter green salad are the easy match. A shaving of extra cheese at the table does the rest.
Make ahead and freeze
Freeze the sauce without the pasta, because noodles go soft after thawing. Cook fresh pasta in a separate pot when you reheat it. Cooked pasta leftovers keep well in the fridge for the stated 3 days.
Stir often, especially in the first few minutes of the pasta cooking, or the strands stick to the bottom of the pan. Taste for salt at the end, since the broth varies.
One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese at a glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cooking time: 35 minutes
- Servings: 6 servings
- Ingredients: 16, led by 80/20 ground beef, yellow onion, carrots, celery stalks
Tips for One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese
Break the spaghetti so it fits under the liquid; whole strands stay hard on top. If the sauce gets too thick, stir in 1/4 cup hot water. Add a splash of red wine in place of some of the water if you like. Leftovers keep 3 days, and the sauce freezes well without the pasta for up to 3 months.
One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese FAQ
How long does One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese take?
One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese takes 35 minutes of cooking after 15 minutes of prep.
How many people does One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese serve?
This recipe makes 6 servings.
What do I need to make One-Pot Spaghetti Bolognese?
16 ingredients, led by 80/20 ground beef, yellow onion, carrots, celery stalks. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
Part of: 6 Ground Beef Comfort Food Recipes That Don’t All Taste the Same
