All At Once Spaghetti

No boiling a separate pot of water. This one-pot spaghetti cooks the dry pasta right in the tomato sauce alongside browned ground beef and onion. Break the spaghetti, sprinkle it into the simmering sauce, cover, and let it absorb the liquid as it cooks. Twenty to thirty minutes later, dinner is done.

The pasta absorbs the tomato sauce and water directly, which means every strand is infused with flavor instead of just coated on the surface. The starch released by the cooking spaghetti also thickens the sauce naturally into something that clings rather than pools.

Add the spaghetti a little at a time, stirring to keep it separated. Dumping it all in at once creates a tangled clump that won’t cook evenly.

Kitchen Tips

• Break the spaghetti into shorter pieces before adding. Full-length strands don’t submerge properly in a skillet and cook unevenly.
• Cover tightly during simmering. The steam is what cooks the pasta, and a loose lid lets it escape.
• Stir toward the end of cooking to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom as the liquid reduces.
• Top with grated cheese right after plating so it melts from the heat.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of Italian seasoning or dried basil to the sauce for more herb flavor.
• Stir in diced bell pepper or sliced mushrooms with the onion for extra vegetables.
• Use ground turkey instead of beef for a lighter version.