Classic Spaghetti with Hearty Meat Sauce Recipe: Cozy Comfort Reimagined

Mastering this classic spaghetti with hearty meat sauce brings pure culinary comfort to your dinner table.

Generations of home cooks have perfected this authentic Italian-inspired dish.

Robust flavors mingle beautifully between tender pasta strands and rich, slow-simmered sauce.

Perfectly seasoned ground beef creates a deep, satisfying foundation for every delicious bite.

Pasta lovers appreciate how simple ingredients can combine into something truly spectacular.

Each forkful promises warmth and nostalgia from a time-honored recipe.

Savor this incredible meal that connects generations through its delectable simplicity.

What Makes Classic Spaghetti with Hearty Meat Sauce So Fulfilling

• Comfort Food Champion: This classic spaghetti with meat sauce delivers pure comfort, bringing warmth and satisfaction with every delicious bite.
• Quick Family Feast: Perfect for busy households, this recipe offers a hearty meal that pleases everyone from kids to adults with minimal cooking complexity.
• Flavor-Packed Performance: Combining rich beef, aromatic garlic, and robust tomato sauce creates a deeply satisfying dish that tastes like it took hours to prepare.
• Budget-Friendly Delight: Uses simple, affordable ingredients that transform into a restaurant-quality meal without breaking the bank, making it an economical dinner solution.

What You’ll Need for Classic Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

• Spaghetti: A classic pasta that serves as the foundation of this hearty meal.
• Ground Beef: The protein-rich base that provides robust flavor and texture to the meat sauce.
• Tomato Juice: A key liquid component that creates the rich and tangy sauce base.

• Garlic, Onion: Aromatic vegetables that build a deep and flavorful foundation for the sauce.
• Salt: Enhances and balances the overall taste of the dish.
• Beef Consommé Cube: Adds depth and intense savory flavor to the meat sauce.

• Powdered Cheese, Tabasco, Parsley, Black Pepper: Complementary toppings that add extra layers of flavor, heat, and visual appeal to the final dish.
• Water: Helps to adjust the consistency and liquid content of the sauce during cooking.
• Olive Oil: Provides a base for sautéing aromatics and adds a subtle richness to the sauce.

How to Make Classic Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Step 1: Sauté Aromatic Base

Warm up a large skillet over medium heat. Toss in finely chopped garlic and diced onions, letting them dance and soften until they become translucent and release their sweet, fragrant aroma.

Step 2: Brown the Beef

Add ground beef to the skillet, breaking it into small crumbles. Cook until the meat transforms into a rich, golden-brown color and develops a delicious caramelized exterior.

Step 3: Create Flavorful Sauce

• Tomato juice
• Water
• Beef consommé cube
• Salt

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then gently reduce the heat. Let the sauce simmer and meld together for 15-20 minutes, allowing the flavors to intensify and develop depth.

Step 4: Prepare Pasta

Cook spaghetti in a pot of boiling water following the package guidelines. Once perfectly al dente, drain the pasta and set it aside, ready to be coated in the luscious meat sauce.

Step 5: Combine Pasta and Sauce

Toss the cooked spaghetti into the simmering meat sauce, ensuring each strand gets thoroughly coated with the rich, savory goodness.

Step 6: Garnish and Serve

• Powdered cheese
• Tabasco sauce
• Fresh parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper

Serve piping hot and enjoy your comforting meal!

Pro Tricks For Classic Spaghetti With Hearty Meat Sauce

• Enhance flavor by using fresh garlic and high-quality ground beef for a richer, more authentic taste.
• Crush the beef consommé cube completely to ensure even seasoning throughout the meat sauce.
• Allow the sauce to simmer longer for deeper, more developed flavors that meld together perfectly.
• Add a splash of red wine during cooking to create more complexity and depth in the meat sauce.
• For a lighter version, substitute ground beef with lean turkey or plant-based meat alternatives to reduce calories and fat content.

Tasty Twists On Classic Spaghetti With Hearty Meat Sauce

• Vegetarian Spaghetti Delight: Replace ground beef with plant-based protein like lentils, mushrooms, or crumbled tofu, maintaining the rich tomato sauce's flavor profile.
• Spicy Arrabiata Fusion: Add red pepper flakes, extra garlic, and swap beef consommé for chili-infused vegetable broth to create a fiery Mediterranean-inspired sauce.
• Seafood Mediterranean Pasta: Substitute ground beef with shrimp or mixed seafood, incorporate white wine, and enhance with fresh herbs like basil and oregano for a coastal twist.
• Creamy Carbonara-Style Meat Sauce: Mix in heavy cream, pancetta, and egg yolks to transform the traditional meat sauce into a luxurious, silky pasta experience.

Perfect Pairings For Classic Spaghetti With Hearty Meat Sauce

• Pair with Robust Red Wine: Select a full-bodied Italian red wine like Chianti or Sangiovese to complement the rich meat sauce, enhancing the deep flavors and cutting through the dish's hearty texture.
• Balance with Fresh Caesar Salad: Create a crisp side salad with romaine lettuce, parmesan shavings, and garlic croutons to provide a light contrast to the heavy spaghetti and cleanse the palate between bites.
• Serve with Garlic Bread Companions: Prepare crusty garlic bread slices brushed with olive oil and herbs to soak up the extra meat sauce and add a delightful crunchy texture to the meal.

How To Keep Classic Spaghetti With Hearty Meat Sauce Fresh

• Refrigerate: Store leftover spaghetti in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days, ensuring the sauce and pasta are completely cooled before sealing.
• Freezing: Transfer spaghetti to a freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag. Freeze for maximum 2 months. Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the pasta surface to prevent freezer burn.
• Microwave Reheating: Place spaghetti in a microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle a few drops of water to prevent dryness. Cover with a microwave-safe lid or damp paper towel. Heat on medium power for 1-2 minutes, stirring midway to ensure even warming.

Common Questions About Classic Spaghetti With Hearty Meat Sauce

• Is this spaghetti recipe authentic Italian?

The recipe is a classic American-style spaghetti with meat sauce, which differs from traditional Italian preparations by using beef consommé and a simpler sauce base.

• Can I use a different type of meat?

Yes, you can substitute ground beef with ground turkey, ground pork, or a blend of meats for variety in flavor and nutrition.

• How can I make the sauce more flavorful?

Add dried herbs like oregano or basil, use fresh garlic instead of powdered, or include a splash of red wine during cooking to enhance the sauce’s depth.

• What cheese works best for topping?

Parmesan or pecorino romano are traditional choices, but you can use any grated hard cheese that melts well and complements the meat sauce.

Classic Spaghetti with Hearty Meat Sauce Recipe

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4.8 from 24 reviews

• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Comforting classic spaghetti with hearty meat sauce brings Italian home cooking straight to your dinner table. Rich tomato-based sauce simmered with ground beef creates a satisfying meal that connects generations of hungry families with simple, delicious ingredients.

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Ingredients

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Proteins:

• 250 grams (8.8 ounces) ground beef
• 1 beef consommé cube

Pasta and Base Ingredients:

• 180 grams (6.3 ounces) spaghetti
• 200 milliliters (6.8 fluid ounces) salted tomato juice
• 500 milliliters (16.9 fluid ounces) water

Vegetables and Seasonings:

• 100 grams (3.5 ounces) onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2.5 grams (0.09 ounces) salt
• 20 milliliters (0.68 fluid ounces) olive oil
• Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
• Parsley, chopped, to taste

Toppings:

• Powdered cheese, to taste
• Tabasco sauce, to taste

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Instructions

1. Warm olive oil in a spacious skillet over medium flame, introducing minced garlic and diced onions until they become translucent and fragrant.
2. Incorporate ground beef into the skillet, breaking it down and cooking thoroughly until the meat achieves a rich, golden-brown color.
3. Pour in tomato juice, water, and crumble the beef consommé cube directly into the mixture, seasoning with salt to enhance the flavor profile.
4. Allow the sauce to reach a vigorous boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify.
5. Simultaneously, prepare spaghetti in a separate pot of salted boiling water, following package guidelines for optimal texture and doneness.
6. Drain the cooked pasta thoroughly, then delicately fold the spaghetti into the simmering meat sauce, ensuring each strand is luxuriously coated.
7. Transfer the sauced spaghetti to serving plates, creating an appetizing presentation.
8. Garnish generously with powdered cheese, add a dash of Tabasco for heat, sprinkle fresh parsley, and finish with a crack of black pepper.

Notes

• Use high-quality ground beef with moderate fat content for richer, more flavorful sauce.
• Enhance sauce depth by adding a splash of red wine during simmering for complex taste profile.
• For gluten-free option, substitute regular spaghetti with zucchini noodles or gluten-free pasta alternatives.
• Reduce sodium by using low-sodium beef consommé cube and controlling additional salt amounts.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Category: Dinner, Lunch
• Method: Sautéing
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 480
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 600mg
• Fat: 20g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 12g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 50g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 25g
• Cholesterol: 70mg