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Homemade Spaghetti Recipe is simple, hearty, uses everyday ingredients – once you try it from scratch, it just might become a regular in your kitchen. Spaghetti is a classic Italian-inspired meal and this homemade recipe delivers a rich & savory beef broth seasoned tomato sauce, ground beef, and thin spaghetti noodles.
Do you want more homemade spaghetti sauce recipes? Be sure and also make this Easy Spaghetti Sauce or Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce.
Easy Homemade Spaghetti Recipe With Ground Beef
This homemade spaghetti is easily one of my family’s most favorite, and most requested dinners, ever! No need for store-bought marinara sauce when you have this easy recipe.
This homemade ground beef spaghetti sauce simmers on the stove top for maximum flavor. It’s easy to make with pantry ingredients like beef broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and dried seasonings. Add in some cooked thin spaghetti noodles and dinner is ready.
I share lots of tips for the best results, so let’s learn how to make homemade spaghetti, in your own kitchen with this simple but completely delicious recipe ❤︎
Why You’ll Love This Spaghetti Recipe
- Uses easy, shelf-stable pantry ingredients
- The ultimate kid-friendly dinner
- Simple prep dinner with no chopping
- Family favorite, tried & true, tested with love from a real kitchen
- Easy enough for beginners
Ingredients Needed
- Lean Ground Beef : I use 93/7 ground beef.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper : Seasoning for the ground beef.
- Beef Broth : I use Kettle & Fire brand beef bone broth.
- Tomato Sauce w/ Garlic, Oregano, Basil : This is tomato sauce with Italian herbs already added in. Make sure you are using the Italian herbs version of classic tomato sauce.
- Tomato Paste w/ Italian Herbs : Again, use the tomato paste with Italian herbs already in it.
- Garlic Cloves : Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, use chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste.
- Granulated Sugar : Trust me! Spaghetti sauce needs sugar.
- Italian Seasoning
- Thin Spaghetti Noodles
How To Make Homemade Spaghetti Recipe (Printable Recipe Card)
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef, salt, and black pepper until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the excess grease from the skillet.
Add the beef broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Stir until combined well. Bring to a boil.
One boiling, reduce the heat to low or medium-low, and let simmer for 45 minutes uncovered. The sauce is done once it has thickened and turned a dark red color.
About 15 minutes before the spaghetti sauce is done, boil a large pot of salted water, and cook the thin spaghetti noodles according to the package directions. Cook to al dente or softer depending on preference. When done, drain the spaghetti in a colander but do not rinse it.
Add the cooked noodles into the spaghetti sauce and mix everything together until all the noodles are coated in the sauce.
Serve immediately and garnish with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
How To Store & Reheat Leftover Spaghetti With Meat Sauce
Let leftovers cool to room temperature, and then transfer the spaghetti to an airtight container(s), and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To reheat leftover spaghetti, add the spaghetti to a saucepan or skillet with a splash of water or broth, and heat on medium-low until thoroughly heated. You can also microwave individual portions, with a splash of water or broth, and cover the microwave-safe bowl with a very slightly damp paper towel. Microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each, until thoroughly heated.
Substitutions & Ingredient Notes
- Ground Beef : I prefer a lean ground beef so the spaghetti does not turn out greasy; I use 93/7. But any fat percentage can be used if you have a different preference. Ground turkey is another option.
- Beef Broth : Beef stock, beef bone broth, or the lower-sodium versions can all be substituted. For the best flavor, I recommend using the full salt version of beef broth, stock, or bone broth. I love using the Kettle & Fire brand of beef bone broth.
- Tomato Sauce & Tomato Paste : Make sure you are using the ones that include the Italian herbs in them. Usually labeled as ‘Italian herbs’ or ‘with garlic, oregano, basil’ on the can. They make a roasted garlic tomato sauce (8 ounces) that would be a yummy substitute if wanted.
- Garlic : Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, use chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste. I like using the garlic paste.
- Thin Spaghetti Noodles : This is a spaghetti recipe, so spaghetti noodles are kind of a must! But other options include angel hair spaghetti, regular spaghetti, fettuccine, or another paste shape such as rotini, ziti, or your favorite pasta.
Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen
- My family likes all the spaghetti noodles, but feel free to only use 12 ounces of the noodles if you prefer less pasta in the spaghetti. I cook the spaghetti noodles a little softer, about 2 minutes past the al dente time listed on the package.
- Salt the pasta water! This is so important. I use about 2 teaspoons of kosher salt but I never really measure, just make sure you are adding a good amount of salt to the water.
- They sell a roasted garlic tomato sauce (8 ounces) that is a delicious substitute for the tomato sauce with herbs.
- Use full salted beef broth, beef stock, or beef bone broth for the best rich taste. I love the kettle & fire brand of beef bone broth. The flavor is incredible! If you use low-sodium beef broth then you may want to add some additional salt in with the seasonings. If you are more sensitive to salt or need to restrict for dietary reasons; then the lower-salt broth will work just fine, it just depends on personal preference.
More Pasta Dinner Recipes
- Meatball Marinara
- Ziti Pasta Bake
- Easy Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- Perfect Instant Pot Baked Ziti
- Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells
- Spinach and Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Manicotti
- Ravioli Bake (Easy Frozen Ravioli Bake)
- Easy Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Cream Cheese Alfredo Sauce
- Baked Tortellini Casserole
Homemade Spaghetti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef (I use 93/7)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups beef broth (see notes)
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce w/ garlic, oregano, basil
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste w/ italian herbs
- 3 cloves garlic (minced or pressed)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 box (16 oz) thin spaghetti noodles
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef, salt, and black pepper until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the excess grease from the skillet.1 lb lean ground beef, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Add the beef broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, sugar, and Italian seasoning. Stir until combined well. Bring to a gentle /low boil.2 cups beef broth, 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce w/ garlic, oregano, basil, 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste w/ italian herbs, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- One boiling, reduce the heat to low or medium-low, and let simmer for 45 minutes uncovered. The sauce is done once it has thickened and turned a dark red color.
- About 15 minutes before the spaghetti sauce is done, boil a large pot of salted water, and cook the thin spaghetti noodles according to the package directions. Cook to al dente or softer depending on preference. When done, drain the spaghetti in a colander but do not rinse it.1 box (16 oz) thin spaghetti noodles
- Add the cooked noodles into the spaghetti sauce and mix everything together until all the noodles are coated in the sauce.
- Serve immediately and garnish with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- Ground Beef : I prefer a lean ground beef so the spaghetti does not turn out greasy; I use 93/7. But any fat percentage can be used if you have a different preference. Ground turkey is another option.
- Beef Broth : Beef stock, beef bone broth, or the lower-sodium versions can all be substituted. For the best flavor, I recommend using the full salt version of beef broth, stock, or bone broth. I love using the Kettle & Fire brand of beef bone broth.
- Tomato Sauce & Tomato Paste : Make sure you are using the ones that include the Italian herbs in them. Usually labeled as ‘Italian herbs’ or ‘with garlic, oregano, basil’ on the can. They make a roasted garlic tomato sauce (8 ounces) that would be a yummy substitute if wanted.
- Garlic : Use fresh garlic cloves that have been minced or pressed, use chopped garlic from a jar, or garlic paste. I like using the garlic paste.
- Thin Spaghetti Noodles : This is a spaghetti recipe, so spaghetti noodles are kind of a must! But other options include angel hair spaghetti, regular spaghetti, fettuccine, or another paste shape such as rotini, ziti, or your favorite pasta.
- Tips : I add about 2 teaspoons of kosher salt to the pasta water. You need to add something to help flavor the bland pasta. I don’t really measure, but rather just sprinkle a good amount in there. Also, if you prefer a more saucey spaghetti then don’t use the entire box of noodles. My family loves a drier, more pasta spaghetti so I use the 16 ounce box. You could use anywhere from 8 ounces to 16 ounces of the box; depending on preference.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!
This was awesome! Nice, rich flavor! I made no changes and served with chopped Italian salad and crusty French rolls. Thank you!
This was very good
Sad to say that this recipe wasn’t a hit with my family we felt that it was missing something..I think the beef broth threw the flavor off but glad you shared the recipe with us thank you..
It was okay. I wanted to try something more from scratch with a spaghetti sauce. We always have sauce from jar – Prego to be exact. My husband is very picky. He ate it but was upset with me that I just did not use Prego. I def not care too much for it either. It was way to salty for me too, so I would cut down if I were you. We ate about 2/3 of it. We tried, but will go back to our Prego.
Hello, I made this recipe a few times now, only I add green pepper and onions to it. My husband absolutely loves it. He usually gets heartburn from spaghetti, but not with this recipe. Sugar added to the recipe helps cut the acid. I like this recipe better than the way I made spaghetti – LOL. No more spaghetti sauce from a jar and doctoring it up for us anymore.
Thank you for a great recipe!!!
r. Very easy to make
Mine tasted salty. Not sure why.
Followed recipe exactly.
Our new family favorite!!!! My kids asked to take it for lunch at school the next week! Thank you!!!
My kids are my greatest critic 😆 so I’m happy to hear the recipe was liked by your kids!
I made it using ground venison. Delightful! We also like to use Prego subing for some of the tomato. A fresh tomato is good too.
My dad would always try to sneak venison into a meal growing up! I’ll let him know this is a good recipe for that! Thank you for your comment!
Loved this recipe! I didn’t have beef broth so I substituted chicken broth. I eyeballed the salt & pepper. I used hamburger meat and Italian sausage meat. If you follow the directions on the package of spaghetti and use salt while boiling the pasta, you have to rinse the noodles or it will be too salty (I’ve made that mistake before.
Thank you so much for sharing your tips! So glad you liked it!
hmmmmmm this is a good recipe i think i would cook that some time.
Thank you! If you make it, please let me know how you like it.
One of the best spaghetti sauce recipe ever yum!
Thank you so much! 😊
Absolutely love this recipe! I no longer use jarred spaghetti sauce! I love it and my boyfriend loves it ! Five stars for sure! Thank you so much
I love using this recipe instead of jarred sauce! Thank you for your kind comment and review.
This is a GREAT spaghetti recipe… I have made it several times and my husband LOVES it! I love the beef broth in it
Thank you! I love it when a recipe hits ‘repeat’ status.
This is the best spaghetti recipe. So simple, quick, and delicious! Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful recipes within this community.
GREAT dish!!! Came out delicious!
I have been making this quite a bit lately. But recently, my grandchildren visited and they said this was the best tasting spaghetti they have ever had. But, I do add a bit more seasoning to mine. Celery Salt, Chili Power (Mexene), Rosemary and Thyme (not much). I also add a green pepper and an onion. I use beef stock instead of beef broth. But I do love using the tomato sauce and tomato paste. I don’t like jar spaghetti sauce. I have always added sugar to my spaghetti, but still had heartburn, but with this recipe, I have none. Thank you! II am so glad I found this recipe. It’s a keeper.
Absolutely amazing! Everyone loved it!