School Cafeteria Spaghetti & Meat Sauce
A simple, hearty spaghetti with a classic tomato-and-herb meat sauce that's easy to make for a crowd.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 lb lean ground beef
- 2 tbsp dried minced onion
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, undrained
- 1 1/2 6-oz cans tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 4 tsp dried basil
- 4 tsp dried oregano
- 2 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 lb spaghetti, cooked
Instructions
- Heat the 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lean ground beef and brown thoroughly, breaking it up with a meat masher or spatula; drain excess fat.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add the dried minced onion, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt to the skillet and stir to combine with the beef.
- Add the whole tomatoes (undrained), tomato paste, and water to the skillet. Break up the whole tomatoes with a spoon or your hands, then stir in the dried basil, oregano, marjoram, and thyme until evenly distributed.
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions; drain in a colander.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the skillet with the sauce and toss gently until the pasta is evenly coated. Serve hot.
Equipment
- 12-inch Non-Stick Skillet
- meat masher or spatula
- large pot (for cooking spaghetti)
- Colander
Notes
- You can substitute ground turkey or Italian sausage for ground beef.
- Use this sauce on any pasta you have on hand.
- If you don’t have marjoram, substitute oregano.
- Break the whole tomatoes with your hands or a spoon before adding if you prefer a chunkier texture.
- To convert fresh herbs to dried, use 1 tablespoon fresh for 1 teaspoon dried.
- One 6-oz can of tomato paste contains about 10 tablespoons, so 1½ cans (9 oz) equals the recipe amount.