Cora's Cottage

It’s the classic dishes that are fan favorites in my family’s meal rotation. One such classic dish is spaghetti. This simple classic is easy to dress up for a fancy family gathering or dress down for a casual family dinner.

A major reason that spaghetti is such a fan favorite is because it is quick and easy while also  being perfect to make in a large batch for leftovers or for freezer meals.  Spaghetti can easily be dressed up by adding sides such as a vegetable or a roll. My family loves to make homemade garlic toast to go with our spaghetti.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simplicity: This recipe uses basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand, especially if you cook from scratch often.

Quick: Spaghetti is the perfect dish to make after a busy day or to whip up before you go out for an evening activity. This recipe takes approximately 30-40 minutes from start to finish, and much of that does not need your full attention in the kitchen.

Delicious: Past is a fan favorite in almost every crowd, so mixing that with a hearty red meat sauce is the perfect combination.

Tips & Tricks

Additional Nutrients: Just like many other ground beef recipes, add in some ground liver to increase the nutrients without your family even knowing you have added liver. (Check out my blog on how I make frozen liver cubes to toss into any ground beef recipe!)

Spices: While this recipe calls for specific measurements of an assortment of various herbs and spices, a homemade or store bought blend of Italian seasoning will also work well.

Fresh Onion: If you use a lot of onion in your home, or even if you use a little bit, chopping your onion at the beginning of the week can save you lots of time. Just be sure to store chopped onion in a glass storage container in the refrigerator so that the plastic does not take on the smell of onions. (Check out my blog post where I share similar tips on how to save time in the kitchen!)

Tools

• Skillet
• Spatula
• Large Pot
• Strainer
• Cutting Board
• Sharp Knife
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

Ingredients

• Ground Beef
• Liver (optional)
• Onions
• Spaghetti Noodles
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Ground Pepper
• Fennel Seeds
• Rosemary
• Basil
• Thyme
• Oregano
• Cilantro
• Sage
• Parsley
• Pasta Sauce

Substitutions and Optional Ingredients

Ground Beef: This recipe specifically calls for ground beef but any sort of ground meat works well. For example, I have used ground beef, ground pork, and ground wild game. They have all worked the same in this recipe.

Liver: I add liver into this recipe to help get additional nutrients into my family’s diet, but this ingredient can certainly be left out.

Onions: This recipe calls for both onions and onion powder because my family loves onions. The fresh sauteed onions can certainly be left out of this recipe if your family is not as keen on onions as mine.

Spaghetti Noodles: While many would strongly disagree with me, any type of noodle will suffice in this recipe. If you have spaghetti noodles and want to include those that’s great, but Panini, bow tie, or any other type of noodle will taste the same it just might adjust the cooking time for the noodles.

Herbs and Spices: The herbs and spices in this recipe can be altered to fit your family’s taste. If you don’t have one of the herbs or spices listed, don’t stress about it and simply leave it out. Another option is to completely substitute all of the herbs for an Italian blend as mentioned above.

How to Make Simple Spaghetti for Family Dinner

Begin by setting a large pot of water to boil and while that is coming to a boil brown the ground beef, onions, and liver in a large skillet with all of the herbs and spices.

I like to measure out all of the herbs and spices into a bowl ahead of time so that I can dump them in all at once. This step is unnecessary if you wish to save dishes but I find it helpful for getting all of the herbs and spices in to the beef quickly once I’ve started browning it.

When the noodles are cooked to your desired tenderness, drain off the water and return the noodles to the large pot. When the meat is fully browned with no pink remaining and the onions are tender, the meat and onions can be added into the noodles along with the pasta sauce. Mix the noodles, meat, and pasta sauce together well.

If you’re browned meat gets done cooking before your noodles, add the pasta sauce over top of the meat to help warm the pasta sauce. This can help keep the meat from sticking too.

The spaghetti can be garnished with fresh herbs such as parsley and with freshly shredded parmesan cheese before it is served hot.

Simple Homemade Garlic Toast

To make the homemade garlic toast, start with slices of bread. Baste melted butter over the top of each piece of bread until it is well saturated but not dripping. Place the buttered bread onto a cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet.

Each piece of bread should be sprinkled generously with garlic powder before topping with shredded cheese. My family’s favorites are calico cheese, such as a Colby Jack, or mozzarella. Sliced cheese will work but shredded cheese melts much faster.

Place the cookie sheet with the cooling rack and bread into a 350°F oven for approximately 10 minutes. Check the toast at 10 minutes to see if it is to your desired crispiness and the cheese is melted through. If you would like the bread to be more toasted or the cheese needs to melt further, place the bread back in the oven and watch it closely until it reaches your desired level of toast level. 

If you want to time the toast so it done approximately at the same time as the spaghetti, it is best to start it shortly before you will need to drain the pasta and add the meat sauce. Allow the toast to cool for a couple minutes before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will leftover spaghetti store in the refrigerator?

Leftover spaghetti will store in the refrigerator for approximately 7 to 10 days.

How long can leftover spaghetti be stored in the freezer?

Leftover spaghetti can be stored in the freezer for up to three months as long as it is stored in a freezer-safe, airtight container. When thawing the spaghetti from the freezer to eat, it is best to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight or even for a full day. However, if you need the spaghetti sooner it can be thawed on the counter but should be watched closely.

What size jars of pasta sauce should be used?

I use home canned pasta sauce from a quart jar (32 ounces). However the exact amount of sauce is not all that important as long as your jar is approximately that size. Two jars of standard pasta sauce from the store will work as they generally are fuller than my home-canned pasta sauce jars(headspace allowance). As with many of the ingredients, the exact amount of pasta sauce is not important and can be increased or decreased for your family’s preference on how saucy they would like their spaghetti.