For this spaghetti, we turn to our favorite quick meat sauce recipe. It is made using one-pot, is ultra flavorful, and can be made in under 45 minutes. The spaghetti sauce is also perfect for making ahead. It can be refrigerated for up to three days and stored in your freezer for about three months.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground meat like beef, turkey, chicken or lamb
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tsp)
2 TBSP tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup water, broth or dry red wine
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup granulated sugar (cuts down on acidity)
Handful fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
12 ounces dried spaghetti or favorite pasta shape
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat (we use a Dutch oven). Add the onions, green pepper, mushrooms and the meat and cook until the meat is browned, about 8 minutes. As the meat cooks, use a wooden spoon to break it up into smaller crumbles.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously for about 1 minute.
Pour in the water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of meat or vegetables stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper. Bring the sauce to a low simmer. Cook, uncovered, at a low simmer for 25 minutes. As it cooks, stir and taste the sauce a few times so you can adjust the seasoning accordingly (see notes for suggestions).
Cook Spaghetti
About 15 minutes before the sauce finishes cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, and then cook pasta according to package directions, but check for doneness a minute or two before the suggested cooking time.
To Finish
Take the sauce off of the heat, and then stir in the basil. Toss in the cooked pasta, and then leave for a minute so that the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Toss again, and then serve with parmesan sprinkled on top.
