Easy Beef Spaghetti with Parmesan and Herbs
This Easy Beef Spaghetti with Parmesan and Herbs is one of our go-to dinners when we are in a hurry or simply want something comforting without a lot of work. Made with seasoned ground beef, onions, Italian herbs and a jar of tomato pasta sauce, it delivers rich, homemade flavour in about 35 minutes.
It is an easy weeknight dinner the whole family can enjoy—hearty, satisfying and finished with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan. Serve it with garlic bread or a simple green salad for a fast and delicious meal.
Short Description of the Recipe
This Easy Beef Spaghetti with Parmesan and Herbs is a quick and comforting pasta dinner made with browned ground beef, sautéed onions, Italian herbs and a jar of tomato pasta sauce. The beef sauce is spooned over tender spaghetti and finished with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan. It is simple, hearty and ready in about 35 minutes.
Why It’s Good
This is one of those reliable easy ground beef dinner recipes that tastes like you spent much longer making it. Browning the beef well gives the sauce a deeper flavour, while the onions soften and add a little natural sweetness. Using jarred pasta sauce keeps things fast, but the herbs, Parmesan and splash of pasta water make it taste more homemade.
It is also easy to adjust. Add more garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes or whatever Italian herbs you have in the cupboard. Nothing complicated. Just a warm, satisfying beef spaghetti dinner that everyone enjoys.
When to Serve It
Serve this quick beef spaghetti recipe on busy weeknights, after a long day or anytime you need an easy family dinner without much preparation. It is especially useful on those evenings when you are hungry and do not feel like following a long recipe.
Pair it with garlic bread, a Caesar salad or a simple green salad. It also makes a good casual weekend meal, and the leftover beef pasta sauce reheats nicely for lunch the next day.
Making the Beef Spaghetti Sauce
The ground beef is browned with chopped onions before the tomato pasta sauce and Italian herbs are stirred into the skillet. Letting the easy beef spaghetti sauce simmer for a few minutes helps the flavours come together and gives the onions time to soften. The sauce may look a little loose at first, but it thickens as it cooks and clings nicely to the spaghetti. It is a simple, hearty ground beef pasta sauce with plenty of homemade flavour, even though it starts with a jar of sauce.
Cooking the Spaghetti
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until it is al dente, so the noodles stay tender with a slight bite and do not become mushy under the hearty beef sauce. Give the pasta a good stir during the first minute to keep the strands from sticking together. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water—it is useful for loosening the ground beef spaghetti sauce and helping it cling evenly to every strand.
Tips and Tricks
Brown the ground beef well. Let it sit in the hot skillet for a minute before breaking it apart. Those browned bits add much more flavour to an easy beef spaghetti sauce.
Cook the onions until softened. We usually add them once the beef is mostly browned and let them cook for a few minutes. They should look soft and slightly golden, not crunchy.
Season the meat before adding the sauce. Italian seasoning, garlic, black pepper and a little dried oregano help jarred pasta sauce taste more homemade.
Let the sauce simmer uncovered. Even 10 minutes makes a difference. The sauce thickens slightly, the onions become tender and the flavour settles into the ground beef.
Save some pasta water. Add a small splash if the beef tomato sauce becomes too thick. The starchy water also helps the sauce cling to the spaghetti.
Cook the spaghetti just until al dente. Check it a minute before the package time is up. Slightly firm pasta holds up better beneath the hearty ground beef sauce.
Add Parmesan at the end. Stir a little into the sauce for richness, then add more on top. Freshly grated Parmesan melts better and has a stronger flavour than the pre-shredded kind.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: Lean ground beef works well because it gives the sauce plenty of flavour without leaving too much grease in the skillet. Regular ground beef can also be used; simply drain off the excess fat after browning.
Spaghetti: Classic spaghetti is our usual choice, but linguine, penne, rigatoni or another pasta shape will work. Use whatever is already in the cupboard. This is meant to be an easy dinner.
Jarred pasta sauce: Choose a tomato basil, marinara, roasted garlic or traditional pasta sauce that you already enjoy. Since the sauce is the base of the recipe, a good-quality jar makes this quick beef spaghetti taste even better.
Onion: Yellow or sweet onion adds flavour and a little natural sweetness to the beef tomato sauce. Chop it fairly small so it softens quickly and mixes evenly with the ground beef.
Garlic: Fresh minced garlic gives the best flavour, but garlic powder is perfectly fine on a busy night. Use about ½ teaspoon if substituting.
Italian herbs: Italian seasoning keeps the recipe simple. Extra oregano, basil or parsley can be added depending on what you have on hand.
Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated or shaved Parmesan adds a salty, savoury finish to the spaghetti. Pecorino Romano can also be used for a sharper flavour.
Red pepper flakes: These are optional, but a small pinch gives the easy ground beef pasta sauce a gentle warmth without making it overly spicy.
Easy Beef Spaghetti with Parmesan and Herbs
Equipment
- Large pot (for cooking spaghetti)
- Large skillet or sauté pan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Colander
- Cutting board
- Sharp kitchen knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cheese grater
- Pasta tongs or serving spoon
Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti 340 g
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb beef ground - also consider pork, turkey or chicken
- 1 onion medium and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 650 mL tomato sauce
- ½ cup reserved pasta water as needed
- 1 tablespoon butter optional
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated, plus more for serving
- Fresh basil oregano or parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the spaghetti: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente according to the package directions. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Brown the meat: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until nicely browned. Drain excess grease if necessary.
- Add the onion and seasonings: Add the diced onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 30 seconds.
- Simmer the sauce: Pour in the jarred pasta sauce. Add a splash of reserved pasta water and stir well, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
- Finish the sauce: Stir in the butter and Parmesan. Add a little more pasta water if the sauce seems too thick. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
- Serve: Spoon the rich ground meat sauce over the spaghetti, or toss everything together in the skillet. Finish with plenty of shaved or grated Parmesan and fresh herbs.
Notes
- Use lean ground beef for a rich and hearty beef spaghetti without too much excess grease. Drain the skillet after browning if needed.
- Brown the ground beef well before adding the sauce. Those caramelized bits add deeper flavour to this easy ground beef spaghetti recipe.
- A good-quality jarred marinara or tomato basil sauce keeps this quick beef pasta dinner simple while still giving it plenty of flavour.
- Let the beef and tomato sauce simmer for at least 10 minutes. Even a short simmer helps the onions soften and the Italian herbs blend into the sauce.
- Reserve some pasta water before draining the spaghetti. A small splash helps loosen the sauce and makes it cling better to the noodles.
- Cook the spaghetti until al dente so it stays firm and does not become too soft under the hearty ground beef sauce.
- Freshly grated Parmesan gives the best flavour and melts smoothly into the hot spaghetti. Add extra Parmesan just before serving.
- Italian seasoning, oregano, basil or parsley can all be used in this easy weeknight pasta recipe. Use what you already have.
- Add red pepper flakes for a little heat, or leave them out for a mild and family-friendly beef spaghetti dinner.
- Leftover beef spaghetti can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheats well for lunch or another quick dinner.
Nutrition
Ellen Britt
Hi, I’m Ellen — a passionate home cook dedicated to creating easy, flavorful recipes inspired by real-life cooking and shared family traditions. Every recipe on this site is a true collaboration, developed and tested together in our kitchen to ensure it’s reliable, simple to follow, and absolutely delicious.