In the realm of comfort food, few dishes rival the allure of pasta covered
in a good meaty sauce. These Spaghettoni Noodles with a savory Ground Beef Sauce are
not an exception. This is a great meal to prepare and enjoy any day of the week.

Spaghettoni with Ground Beef Sauce served on a plate.

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In this post…

What is Spaghettoni?
Ingredients for Spaghettoni with Sauce
How to make Spaghettoni with Sauce
What to serve with Spaghettoni
Recipe Tips
Other Pasta Dishes to Try

What is Spaghettoni? How is it Different from Spaghetti?

Originating from Italy, spaghettoni noodles are a variation of the classic spaghetti, characterized by their thicker and more robust strands. These long, cylindrical noodles are perfect when serving with a meaty sauce.

Ingredients for Spaghettoni Pasta with Sauce

Spaghettoni Pasta – I used the De Cecco pasta brand, as that is what I found around here. Any other brand can be used. As an alternative us this Thick Spaghetti from Barilla or even regular spaghetti. But I do have to say, that spaghettoni was better with this sauce than regular spaghetti.

Ground Beef – I normally use beef in my cooking. Using ground pork or a mix of the two would work as well.

Onion, Carrot, Celery – The classic combination of vegetables generally used in cooking. Also known as the “holy trinity” and Mirepoix, the mixture adds great flavor to just about any dish.

Tomatoes & Ketchup – A good base for the sauce, offering a burst of tangy sweetness that melds seamlessly with the savory elements. Can also use tomato paste instead of Ketchup.

Red Wine & Beef Stock (or Broth) – Make sure to use real dry wine (no cooking wines). Homemade beef stock/broth is best.

Herbs and Seasonings:

Rosemary & Basil – fresh, fragrant herbs, can use dried as an alternative
Salt & Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper – adds some spice to the dish
Oregano – should not miss from an Italian dish (or Italian inspired:)
Ground Cumin – adds warmth and depth of flavor

Optional:

Parmesan Cheese – totally optional, but gives the dish some cheesiness and some extra flavor. I always add a whole bunch. My husband hates it. So this is always optional at our house.
Fresh Basil Leaves – mostly for garnish purposes. Really gives the dish a pop of color when serving.

Spaghettoni with Ground Beef Sauce served on a plate with Parmesan cheese and Fresh basil leaves.

How to Make Spaghettoni with Ground Beef

Start by preparing all the ingredients for the sauce. They need to be added pretty fast one after another once you start cooking. I recommend making the ground beef sauce first as it will need some time to cook and for the flavors to meld together. The spaghettoni can be cooked in the last 20-30 minutes of making the sauce.

Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery. Also chop the fresh herbs, Rosemary, and Basil. Grate the fresh tomatoes. Set everything aside.

Chopped onions on a bamboo cutting board

Measure out the herbs and spices if you want the process to go even faster. Alternatively, you can just add them directly into the pot once required.

Heat up the olive oil in a dutch oven or a large skillet. Add the chopped onions, carrot, and celery. Sauté until softened (about 3 minutes).

Add the ground meat to the chopped vegetables and sauté until no longer pink stirring once in a while (about 7-8 minutes).

Add the herbs and seasonings and stir together.

Add the ketchup and grated tomatoes. Stir until well-combined, then add the red wine and the beef broth. Mix well.

Chopped celery, onion, and carrots sauteing in a dutch oven.

Ground meat added to celery onion and carrots in a dutch oven.

Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer away for 30 minutes (Stir it once in a while). Taste the sauce and add any additional salt if needed.

Cooking Spaghettoni

While the sauce is cooking, bring water to a boil in a medium-large pot. Salt the water generously and cook the Spaghettoni according to package instructions. I cooked them for 13-14 minutes as the package stated and they were perfect.

Drain the pasta.

Serve the pasta topped with the ground beef sauce, some freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional) and some fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional as well). The dish looks just as pretty as it tastes.

Recipe Tips

My biggest two tips for this recipe are:

Add salt at the end (before simmering). The salt level should be adjusted depending on the type of broth you are using and how much salt it has in it. Better to add less at first, and add more at the end.
Allow the sauce to simmer. The sauce really should simmer for a while to allow the flavors to meld together. Let it simmer more rather than less:)

What to Serve with Spaghettoni

The Spaghettoni with Ground Beef Sauce is pretty filling on its own, but a good, juicy salad, like my Creamy Cucumber Tomato Salad or this Two-Ingredient Tomato Salad would take this to a new level.

A crusty, fresh loaf of bread would also go great with this dish.

Other Delicious Pasta Dishes to Try

Looking for other pasta dishes to try? Here are my favorites:

Lastly, if you make this Spaghettoni with Ground Beef Sauce, please take a moment to comment below and leave a rating. It’s such a help for others who might want to try the recipe.

And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram if you make this recipe. I’d love to see the photos of the recipes you have made!

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