Old-School Spaghetti with Just Ground Beef

A simple, comforting old-school spaghetti with ground beef—the kind of hearty, no-fuss dinner that brings back memories of family meals. It uses basic pantry ingredients, comes together easily, and delivers plenty of savory beef flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 12 oz (340 g) spaghetti
• 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar, optional
• 1 tbsp olive oil, if needed
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

1. Cook the spaghetti:
   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until tender. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. Brown the beef:
   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned. Drain excess grease if necessary.
3. Add the onion and garlic:
   Add the chopped onion and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
4. Make the sauce:
   Stir in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Add the sugar if the tomatoes taste particularly acidic.
5. Simmer:
   Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If it becomes too thick, add a little reserved pasta water.
6. Combine:
   Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet and toss until thoroughly coated with the beef sauce.
7. Serve:
   Spoon onto plates and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Old-School Tips

• Don’t overcomplicate it. The charm of this recipe is its simple, hearty flavor.
• Letting the sauce simmer gives the beef and tomatoes time to blend together.
• For a richer sauce, add a small knob of butter at the end.
• A little Parmesan on top makes it extra comforting.
• Leftovers often taste even better the next day.

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 4–6