This Easy Spaghetti Recipe is ready in just 15 minutes and is a hearty, comforting meal during cooler months. Pair with a side salad or steamed veggies for a full meal and enjoy!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barilla®. The recipe, images, text, and opinions expressed are my own.
Super Easy Spaghetti Recipe
Fast, easy, ready in 15 minutes, and my family loves it — that’s my idea of the perfect weeknight dinner. This easy spaghetti recipe checks off all those boxes and it’s comforting, hearty, and great for chilly winter nights.
It’s as easy as browning ground beef, adding your favorite pasta sauce, and tossing with spaghetti. But here’s where the time-saving ingredient comes into play.
I used Barilla® Half-Cut Spaghetti from their Pronto line. Pronto is an innovative pasta line that helps make mealtime more convenient because it’s ready in about 10 minutes with no waiting for the water to boil or draining required.
Simply place Pronto in the pan, cover with cold water, and cook over high heat until the water is absorbed. I love that it cooks to al dente perfection and I don’t have to wait for water to boil or even bother draining it.
Little things add up to big time savings on busy nights when I’m trying to get dinner on the table quickly. Plus cleanup is fast and easy!
I also used Barilla® Tomato and Basil Sauce because I’m a tomato and basil fiend, but you can use your favorite sauce. I garnished this simple spaghetti with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor. Because cheese, yes, obviously.
Simple Spaghetti Ingredients
For this easy spaghetti recipe, you’ll need a box of Barilla Pronto Half-Cut Spaghetti, ground beef or sirloin, a jar of your favorite tomato sauce, fresh basil for garnishing, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
If you have extra time on your hands, feel free to sauté a little onion, garlic, or diced bell pepper with the ground beef. I like the flavor these extra ingredients add, but they’re not necessary to make a really great, simple spaghetti.
How to Cook Spaghetti
To make this spaghetti recipe with ground beef, first cook the pasta according to package instructions. Then brown the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks.
After beef has cooked through, add the pasta sauce and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the meat sauce is completely heated through.
After the pasta has finished cooking, plate the pasta and add sauce to each individual plate as desired. I garnished my homemade spaghetti with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, but feel free to omit if you don’t have either on hand.
How Long to Cook Spaghetti?
The Barilla Pronto Half-Cut Spaghetti needs about 10 minutes to cook, and there’s no draining involved. If you’re using Barilla’s regular spaghetti to make this recipe, you’ll likely need to boil the pasta for 7 to 8 minutes to achieve al dente perfection (double check the box’s instructions to be sure!).
And note that if you’re using a spaghetti that isn’t from the Pronto line, you’ll need to drain it immediately after cooking to prevent the pasta from becoming soggy.
How to Reheat Spaghetti
If you have leftover spaghetti, store it in the fridge in an airtight container. When you’re ready to enjoy the leftovers, reheat the pasta and sauce in a saucepan with a tablespoon or two of water. You’ll need to reheat the spaghetti over medium-low heat with the lid on, otherwise you might dry out in the spaghetti.
Tips for the Best Spaghetti
You’ll want to cook the spaghetti just until it’s al dente. If you cook the pasta any longer than that, it’ll lose its bite and might break apart when you go to twirl it on your fork.
The great thing about this easy spaghetti recipe is that you can make the sauce and prep the garnishes while the pasta cooks. Don’t be afraid of multitasking when you’re in the kitchen! The half-cut spaghetti doesn’t need any babysitting, so you can easily brown the ground beef while you wait for the pasta to cook.
And to make your life even easier in the future, you can double the amount of spaghetti sauce and freeze the extra portion for future meals. I recommend freezing the sauce in individual containers so it’s easy to portion and thaw later on.
More Quick Pasta Recipes:
- Honey Lemon Chicken Pasta — This is a fast, easy recipe that the whole family will love and it’s ready in 20 minutes. I used angel hair pasta because it cooks quickly, and the bite-sized chicken does too.
- Italian Chicken Pasta Salad – Easy, ready in 20 minutes, and healthy! Bursting with fresh flavors from juicy tomatoes, cucumber, basil, parmesan, and tender chicken tossed in a tangy lemon vinaigrette!
- 20-Minute Lighter Fettucine Alfredo – The creamy and cheesy taste you crave minus the extra fat and calories! A fast and easy recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights that everyone loves!
- Easy 30-Minute One-Skillet Lasagna — Everything cooks in one skillet and you don’t even need to boil the noodles separately! Full of classic lasagna flavor but so much faster and easier! Now you can make lasagna on busy weeknights!
- Extra Cheesy Tortellini Bake – Three-cheese tortellini baked with pasta sauce AND 3 more cheeses! Cheese lovers will adore this easy comfort food that’s ready in 30 minutes!
- Three Cheese Baked Ziti – Mozzarella, fontina, and parmesan melted together are divine!! An easy, make-ahead meal that’s also freezer-friendly and so tasty! The whole family will love it!
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Easy Spaghetti
Ingredients
- one 12-ounce box Barilla® Pronto® Half-Cut Spaghetti
- pinch salt, optional to taste
- 1 pound ground beef or ground sirloin, I used and recommend 90% lean so you don’t have to drain it
- one 24-ounce jar Barilla® Tomato and Basil Sauce or your favorite sauce
- finely chopped fresh basil for garnishing, optional
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- To a large pan, add the pasta, cover with 3 cups cold water, optional salt to taste, and boil over high heat until water has absorbed, about 10 minutes, but watch your pasta and cook as needed until al dente. While pasta boils, brown the ground beef.
- To a large skillet, add the ground beef and cook over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a spatula as it cooks to ensure even cooking.
- After beef has cooked through, add the pasta sauce, stir to combine, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through.
- After pasta has cooked for about 10 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed, add the sauce over the pasta and toss to combine in the skillet or alternatively plate the pasta and add sauce to each individual plate as desired.
- Optionally garnish with basil and Parmesan to taste and serve immediately. Pasta and sauce are best warm and fresh but extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Even More Easy Italian Recipes:
Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Chicken — A healthier twist on chicken parmesan because there’s no breaded chicken! Easy, ready in 20 minutes, and loaded with flavor! A guaranteed hit that’ll be in your regular dinner rotation!
Easy Chicken Manicotti – Pasta shells stuffed with chicken, coated in red sauce, and smothered with loads of melted cheese! Pure comfort food that’s packed with flavor that the whole family will love!
Smoky Chicken, Peppers, and Spinach Pasta Salad – Juicy chicken, crisp bell peppers and pasta with smoked paprika! Fast, easy, healthy and a hit with everyone! Great for picnics, potlucks, or easy weeknight dinners!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barilla. The opinions and text are all mine.
I never thought of it that way!
great
hey girl this looks oh so good!
How have I never heard of this pasta? That’s about as convenient as it gets. Also, bring on the 15 minute dinner recipes, because that is exactly my speed these days!
You and me both…by the time dinner rolls around, the faster/easier, the better!
I love easy dinners! Especially when they’re done so fast.
Yes to fast + easy = mom is happy!
I have never seen this kind of spaghetti in the store. Interesting!!
That spaghetti looks amazing and 15 minutes makes it even better! :-)
Thank you for sharing, I love this!! Pasta is my go-to meal for my daughter on soccer nights and this looks SO easy to make! I’ll definitely have to give it a try!
Pasta is Skylar’s go to favorite post sports practice dinner too :)
I use Barilla sauce but I haven’t tried that nifty sounding pasta. I will definitely look for it. Thanks for featuring it in your post–I love trying new products!
Glad it’s something new-to-you, it was to me as well! Hope you had a great Christmas!