One Pot Spaghetti

This easy one pot spaghetti cooks pasta right in a rich meat sauce for incredible flavor and minimal cleanup. A simple 30-minute dinner the whole family loves.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword easy dinner recipes, one pot recipes, one pot spaghetti

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 884kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 can (28 ounce) diced tomatoes
12 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot, heat oil (2 tablespoons) over medium-high heat. Stir in onions (1), garlic (3 cloves), thyme (3 sprigs), carrots (2), celery (2 stalks), and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and saute until onions are translucent. Stir in tomato paste (2 tablespoons), stirring to coat the vegetables, and cook for 1 minute.
Add the sausage (1 pound), 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Brown the sausage, breaking it up into large chunks with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Pour the canned tomatoes (1 can) and 3 cups of water over the sausage mixture. Add dry spaghetti (12 ounces) and salt stirring to ensure the spaghetti is submerged.
Bring to a boil, stirring often, until the spaghetti is cooked to al dente, about 10-12 minutes. Add parmesan (1/4 cup) and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with parsley (1/4 cup) and serve.

Notes

Stir the pasta as it cooks. Because the spaghetti cooks directly in the sauce, stirring every couple of minutes helps prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Add broth if needed. If the sauce thickens before the pasta is tender, simply add a splash of broth or water to keep everything cooking smoothly.
Use freshly grated Parmesan. Fresh Parmesan melts beautifully into the sauce and adds a deeper, richer flavor than pre-grated cheese.
Let the spaghetti rest for a few minutes. The sauce thickens slightly as it sits, creating a rich texture that coats every strand of pasta.
Keep the pasta submerged. Once you add the spaghetti, make sure the noodles stay tucked down into the liquid as they soften. Give everything a stir every few minutes so the pasta cooks evenly and doesn’t clump together.
Add the Parmesan a little at a time. Sprinkle in the Parmesan gradually and stir gently between additions. That helps it melt smoothly into the sauce instead of clumping.
Finish it your way. A little chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil, or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes can brighten up the finished dish and add a little extra personality.

Nutrition