Spaghetti

There are recipes that feed a crowd and then there are recipes that feel like a warm hug on a busy weeknight. This Spaghetti is both: simple, deeply flavorful, and made with pantry-friendly ingredients. It’s the kind of dish you can lean on when you want comfort without fuss. Think of it as a classic tomato-and-beef sauce wrapped around perfectly cooked long pasta, finished with bright basil and freshly grated Parmesan.

I love dishes that build flavor layer by layer, and this version does just that. Softened vegetables create a savory base, garlic adds aroma, and the combination of crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste gives the sauce body and richness. Beef broth stretches the sauce and keeps it saucy enough to cling to every strand of pasta. Italian seasoning and bay leaves bring an herby backbone, while crushed red pepper adds a faint warming note — adjust that last part to suit your household.

This recipe is intentionally flexible without compromising texture or taste. You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, or make it a mix of ground beef and ground Italian sausage as noted in the ingredient list. The quantities and ingredient names below match the recipe I cooked and reworked into clearer, step-by-step directions so you can recreate it exactly.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb ground beef, can use ground turkey, chicken, or half ground beef/half Italian sausage
• 1 cup beef broth
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• Crushed red pepper, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 16 oz spaghetti
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, for garnish

Equipment

• Large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven
• Large pot for cooking pasta
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Chef’s knife and cutting board
• Colander

Step-by-step directions

Follow these rewritten steps to make the sauce and cook the pasta. They preserve the ingredient amounts and order while clarifying technique and timing.

1. Heat the oil: Place a large heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat and pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Allow the oil to warm until it shimmers but is not smoking.
2. Sauté the aromatics: Add 1 medium diced onion, 1 peeled and diced carrot, and 1 diced celery stalk to the hot oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion becomes translucent, about 6–8 minutes. This builds the flavor foundation for the sauce.
3. Add the garlic: Stir in 5 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant. Watch closely so it doesn’t brown.
4. Brown the meat: Increase the heat slightly to medium-high and add 1 lb ground beef (or your chosen substitute: ground turkey, ground chicken, or a half-and-half mix of ground beef and ground Italian sausage). Break the meat into pieces as it cooks and continue until it’s fully browned and no longer pink, about 6–8 minutes. Season lightly with kosher salt and black pepper as it browns.
5. Deglaze and add broth: Pour in 1 cup beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with your spoon. Let the broth simmer for 1–2 minutes to concentrate the flavor slightly.
6. Add tomatoes and tomato products: Stir in 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 8 oz tomato sauce, and 6 oz tomato paste. Mix thoroughly so the paste dissolves into the liquids and the sauce is uniform.
7. Season the sauce: Add 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper to taste, and 2 bay leaves. Give everything a good stir and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
8. Simmer to develop flavor: Reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and let the sauce simmer for 20–30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Taste midway and adjust the seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper as needed. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a splash of water or more broth to reach your desired consistency.
9. Cook the spaghetti: While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add 16 oz spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
10. Finish the sauce and combine: Remove the bay leaves from the sauce. If the sauce needs more body or silkiness, stir in a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water until the texture is right. Taste and correct seasoning once more. Add the drained spaghetti directly to the sauce and toss to coat, or serve the sauce spooned over plated spaghetti—either way, make sure every strand is well coated.
11. Garnish and serve: Serve hot topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and torn or sliced fresh basil leaves. Offer extra crushed red pepper, Parmesan, and basil at the table for people to customize their bowls.

Tips for success

• Make the soffritto: The trio of onion, carrot, and celery is classic for reason. Cook them slowly until tender for the best depth of flavor.
• Use the right salt: Salt the pasta water generously so the spaghetti is seasoned from the inside out. This matters because most of the sauce is tomato-forward and benefits from well-seasoned pasta.
• Reserve pasta water: The starchy pasta water helps the sauce cling to the spaghetti and smooths out the texture if it tightens while reducing.
• Adjust heat with crushed red pepper: Start small and add more if you like a real kick. A little goes a long way.
• Let it rest: If you have a few minutes, let the sauce sit off the heat for 5–10 minutes before tossing with pasta; the flavors meld and the sauce feels even more cohesive.
• Substitutions: Ground turkey or chicken can be used in place of ground beef. If using a pre-seasoned Italian-style ground meat, reduce added salt until you taste the sauce.

Make-ahead and storage

This sauce stores beautifully. Cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. It also freezes well for up to 3 months—thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. To reheat, warm gently in a skillet with a splash of water or broth, then toss with freshly cooked spaghetti for best texture.

Serving suggestions

Serve this Spaghetti with a crisp green salad and crusty bread to soak up any extra sauce. A simple Caesar-style salad, roasted vegetables, or a bright fennel-and-citrus salad work nicely. For a cozy family dinner, add a bowl of slow-roasted garlic mushrooms on the side.

Final notes

This is a reliably satisfying version of a timeless pasta dish. It’s built on straightforward techniques: soften the aromatics, brown the meat, add layered tomato elements, and simmer until the flavors marry. The result is a comforting plate of Spaghetti that’s perfect for weeknights, casual weekend dinners, or when you need to feed a crowd without fuss. Garnish with lots of grated Parmesan and fresh basil, and you’ll have plates cleared and appetites satisfied.