Description
One Skillet Spaghetti offers a quick and flavorful weeknight meal where spaghetti pasta cooks right in a single skillet with ground turkey or beef, tomatoes, and fragrant herbs. Finished under the broiler with a cheesy topping, this dish is both comforting and easy to prepare with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Protein and Produce
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 lb ground turkey or beef
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 tsp salt
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 2 cup water
Seasonings and Oils
Liquids and Canned Goods
Pasta
- 8 oz spaghetti (broken into 1-inch pieces)
Dairy
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (divided)
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
Instructions
- Preheat Broiler: Preheat your oven broiler to 500ºF and adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position to prepare for finishing the dish with a crispy, browned cheese topping.
- Cook Aromatics and Meat: In an oven-safe large non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add chopped onions and ground turkey or beef. Break up the meat with a spatula as it cooks, seasoning with dried basil, crushed garlic, and half a teaspoon of salt.
- Add Tomatoes and Liquids: Once the meat is cooked through, stir in the canned diced tomatoes, water, and the remaining half teaspoon of salt. Mix well to combine.
- Add Spaghetti: Stir in the broken spaghetti pieces directly into the skillet mixture.
- Soften Spaghetti: Stir often as the spaghetti starts to soften, cooking for about 7 minutes over medium-high heat to allow the noodles to absorb liquid and cook partially.
- Simmer Covered: Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet with a lid, and let the spaghetti simmer gently for another 7 minutes until fully tender.
- Mix in Cream and Cheese: Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream, and half of the grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella cheeses (1/4 cup each). This will create a creamy, cheesy base throughout the pasta.
- Add Cheese Topping: Sprinkle the remaining grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella evenly on top of the pasta in the skillet.
- Broil to Brown: Place the skillet under the preheated broiler for about 3 minutes, watching carefully until the cheese on top becomes bubbly and browned.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the skillet from the broiler, let the spaghetti cool for 5 minutes to set, then serve directly from the skillet.
Notes
- Use a skillet that is oven-safe to allow broiling directly in the pan.
- Breaking spaghetti into pieces helps it cook more evenly in the skillet liquid.
- You can substitute ground beef for turkey for a richer flavor.
- Adjust the salt according to your taste preferences.
- Keep an eye on the broiler step to prevent burning the cheese topping.
- For a vegetarian option, replace meat with plant-based crumbles or additional vegetables.
