Fast, EASY and Delicious! You'll be cooking dinner like a pro in no time flat with this recipe for a complete spaghetti dinner. You only need to know how to make spaghetti with ground beef and Ragu sauce. What could be easier?
How to Make Store Bought Pasta Sauce Better
If you have ever just opened a jar of pasta sauce and added it to pasta, you've probably thought, "wow, this could be a little better".
No problem, we will hook you right up AND show you how to make a whole spaghetti dinner complete with spaghetti sauce, noodles, garlic toast and some ideas for leftovers!
You might have been a little hesitant to make sauce from scratch, but this is an easy way to have homemade taste without going the full mile!
What Can I Add to Spaghetti Sauce to Make More
If you simply need to know how to make MORE sauce, there are a few options.
- Add another jar of sauce
- 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and a 4 oz can of tomato paste.
- Add 4 oz of tomato paste and some water.
Things to Add to Spaghetti Sauce
You can add a lot of things to spaghetti sauce to give it more flavor. Simply have an idea of the flavors you enjoy the most.
Here are some of my personal favorites...
- Sausage
- Ground Beef
- Italian Sausages
- Basil
- Chunky tomatoes
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Garlic
- Cayenne Pepper
- Roasted peppers
- Ground turkey
- Italian Seasoning
- Spinach
- Parmesan
What Goes With a Spaghetti Dinner?
You'll want to consider the classic elements if you are a beginning cook.
We always enjoy some Texas Toast, a sprinkle of parmesan and a good salad.
Dessert always works best with something chocolatey like this mousse!
What Can I Do with Spaghetti Leftovers?
Oh, this is a great question! Of course, you can always just serve it again on a different day.
But a baked spaghetti is a great thing as well!
What Ingredients Do I Need for How to Make Spaghetti with Ground Beef and Ragu Sauce?
At a minimum, you'll need the following...
For Spaghetti and Sauce
- Ground Beef
- Spaghetti Noodles
- Salt & Pepper
- Garlic Powder/Onion Powder
- Water
- Ragu Sauce
For Garlic Toast
- Bread
- Butter
- Garlic Powder
- Salt
Here's How You Do It
For the Spaghetti with Ragu Sauce
- Boil Your Water with Salt In It
- Brown the ground beef and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and add the Ragu Sauce.
- Boil the spaghetti for 9-10 minutes.
- Drain the noodles.
For the Garlic Toast
- Preheat the broiler on high.
- Butter the bread slices, add garlic powder and salt.
- Broil for 2-3 minutes.
Do I Need Special Equipment to Make Spaghetti with Ground Beef and Ragu Sauce?
No, you really don't. As long as you have a larger stock pot (4-6 quarts) and a skillet or sauce pan and a stove, you will do just fine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
It will keep for about 5 days covered in the fridge.
Yes, you can freeze the sauce, the noodles or the noodles with the sauce already on top
To reheat, either microwave on high in 1 minute intervals OR mix together and heat in an oven safe dish at 350 for 20 minutes.
Tips and Tricks
- You'll want to check out my tips on how to boil pasta perfectly for the best pasta results.
- Browning the ground beef perfectly is something else you'll want to master. Here's some great tips.
- Always add 1 Tbs of salt to your pasta water. This gives the pasta a lot of flavor.
- If the sauce is thicker than you like, add water ¼ cup at the time. (Use some of your pasta cooking water).
- Is the sauce thinner than you like? Just allow it to simmer longer and the water will cook out of it and make it thicker.
- Do you like a creamier sauce? Add a bit of parmesan and cream a few minutes before you are going to serve it.
- Many people suggest adding some of the pasta cooking water to your sauce. Only do this if it is thicker than you prefer.
- Want to know what goes into a Ragu sauce?
Watch Me Make It
Can You Help Me Out?
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How to Make Spaghetti with Ground Beef and Ragu Sauce
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground beef (low fat content)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 24 oz Ragu Sauce prepared jar sauce
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Noodles
- 6 qrts water
- 1 tbs kosher salt
- 1 lb pasta noodles
For the Garlic Bread
- 4 slices bread
- 4 pats butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Before starting the sauce
- Before starting the sauce, pour 4 quarts of water into your 6 quart stock pot. Add 1 Tbs of salt to the water. Place the lid over the top and heat on high while preparing the sauce. When the water is boiling well, it is ready for the noodles.
- Preheat the oven to broil.
For the Sauce
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tbs of vegetable oil over medium heat. Remove the ground beef from the package and tear into small pieces scattering them into the hot pan. Add the salt
- Heat over medium to medium high heat until the meat is just past pink. Use your spoon to break the meat up into smaller pieces and stir meat and flip over frequently. When just past pink, add the jarred Ragu sauce all at once.
- Stir well and add the garlic and onion powder. Add the black pepper and stir well. Reduce heat to low and continue to heat and stir while cooking the noodles.
For the Garlic Bread
- Lay the pieces of bread onto a baking sheet and cover with pats of butter.
- Sprinkle each piece of bread with garlic powder and salt. Set aside until the noodles are within 3 minutes of being done.
- When the noodles are within 3 minutes of being complete, put the garlic bread into the broiler. Watch them carefully and remove when toasty and butter melted.
For the Noodles
- When the water has reached a rolling boil, add the spaghetti noodles. Use a wooden spoon to gently press the noodles down into the water until completely covered.
- Replace the lid onto the saucepan but allow a gap between the lid and the pot so that steam can escape and so that the pan doesn't boil over. If it seems that the pan will boil over, cut the temperature down. Stir the noodles frequently while heating. When you add the noodles to the water, the boil will stop for a short period and then return. When the boil returns, cut the heat down to about medium. Continue to stir frequently.
- Set a timer for 9-10 minutes (or according to the cooking time on the noodle package). After 9-10 minutes, check the noodles for doneness. They should be slightly chewy but no longer crunchy at all. Pour the noodles into a strainer and then pour back into the stock pot.
- Serve plates with noodles, sauce and your crusty garlic toast!
Notes
- You'll want to check out my tips on how to boil pasta perfectly for the best pasta results.
- Browning the ground beef perfectly is something else you'll want to master. Here's some great tips.
- Always add 1 Tbs of salt to your pasta water. This gives the pasta a lot of flavor.
- If the sauce is thicker than you like, add water ¼ cup at the time. (Use some of your pasta cooking water).
- Is the sauce thinner than you like? Just allow it to simmer longer and the water will cook out of it and make it thicker.
- Do you like a creamier sauce? Add a bit of parmesan and cream a few minutes before you are going to serve it.
- Many people suggest adding some of the pasta cooking water to your sauce. Only do this if it is thicker than you prefer.
- Want to know what goes into a Ragu sauce?
Nutrition
This is one that I struggle with. Do you? It's easy to be nice to nice people. What about people who have done you wrong? People who have abused you, used you and took advantage of your kind and easy ways? God calls us to be forgiving of them too (probably asking us to be forgiving of them the most).
It's hard. It's what we are supposed to do.
No one said this would be easy.
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
How to Make Spaghetti with Ground Beef and Ragu Sauce
Sara says
Ingredients for the garlic bread and the noodles are a little mixed up. You use noodles for bread and bread for noodles?
Wendi Spraker says
Thanks, the headings got drug into the wrong place. I fixed it. Thank you!
Ivy says
This is the recipe I use every time!
Wendi Spraker says
Great! I'm glad you love it!
J Schoolcraft says
I made the spaghetti sauce with the ragu sauce and it was so peppery and salty and garlicy my mouth was on fire and I wasted all my ingredients as I can't eat it.
Wendi Spraker says
Sorry it wasn't for you.
Marilyn says
I love your videos ….
The butter shrimp and cocktail sauce looks delicious 😎Hello from Iowa 🌽
Wendi Spraker says
Thank you!
Wendi J Spraker says
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