Spaghetti Dinner with Homemade Sauce

This healthier take on the classic spaghetti dinner features a simple, and simply divine, homemade sauce, for a comforting meal the whole family will enjoy.

 

Spaghetti night. Oh, how I love thee. You are guaranteed to make my belly happy and my face smeared with red. Sometimes my shirt even joins the celebration. I’m not shy when it comes to this family favorite.

I’m like my toddler that way.

I love that I can whip up this meal in about 30 minutes, but it can easily hang out for longer if you’re in the middle of something or need to step away to handle a 3-year-old’s meltdown about her favorite pjs being dirty.

Sometimes these types of major life crises come up and dinner just has to wait.

This dinner is happy to oblige. And when you’re ready, it will be waiting and warm and oh so satisfying.

(You can also make Instant Pot spaghetti if you want an all-in-one spaghetti dinner that's even more hands off.)

Here’s my recipe for simple homemade spaghetti sauce.

I promise, it’s easy and fast - you can have it ready in as little as 20 minutes if you’re trying to get dinner on the table or it can hang out and simmer for an hour.

I like it when my food is low-maintenance like that. Makes going homemade so much easier.

OK, let's get cooking so you can enjoy this too!

Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make spaghetti dinner. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Ingredient Notes:

• Turkey: I use lean ground turkey (the 7% fat kind) for spaghetti, but you can definitely sub in ground beef or a mix of ground meats if you prefer.
• Pasta: Whole grain or whole wheat pasta is my go-to but regular spaghetti noodles are fine too. You can use thin spaghetti if you like, just be sure to adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions.
• Sauce: The homemade sauce here is really easy to make, and I have lots of ways you can vary the flavor, but of course, it's fine to substitute a jar of store-bought marinara. I definitely do that too sometimes.
• Toppings: You certainly don't need to add a thing to this dish, but grated Parmesan cheese or some fresh chopped herbs can be good finishers.

As for serving, I almost always make this dinner with my simple spinach salad. Spaghetti and salad just go together in my book. A store-bought bagged salad mix - like a Caesar salad - is another good option.

Unless I’m eating my summer spaghetti, which is overflowing with veggies and takes up the whole plate.

Last thing, a couple of FAQs on prepping this ahead and handling leftovers.

Recipe FAQs

Spaghetti is on the menu for dinner, with your own homemade sauce. Prepare to swoon.

And if you need a way to add more spaghetti nights to your dinner rotation, like I do, check out this chicken and veggie spaghetti pie. Or baked chicken spaghetti.

And if you're more a meatball type, I've got you covered with my easy baked meatballs!

Feel free to tag me on Instagram and show off your spaghetti night - I love seeing your creations!

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

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Spaghetti Dinner with Homemade Sauce

A healthier spaghetti dinner with ground turkey, whole wheat noodles and a simple, and simply divine, homemade sauce.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time25 minutes mins

Yield: 4 servings

1x2x3x

Cook Mode

Ingredients

• 12 oz. whole wheat spaghetti (see notes)
• 1 to 1.25 lbs. lean ground turkey (see notes)
• 2-3 cups of spaghetti sauce

Optional toppings:

• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley or basil

Instructions

• Make the spaghetti sauce if you're planning to do a homemade version. Full instructions here.
• Bring your water to a boil, salt it very generously and add your spaghetti noodles. Check your package for cooking time (usually about 7-9 minutes). Cook until al dente then drain.
• Meanwhile, brown your ground turkey in a large pan over medium heat. I don’t use olive oil - I find I don’t even need it with the fat that's in the turkey.
• Once the turkey is cooked through, add enough spaghetti sauce to your liking, starting with 2 cups and up to 3 if you like it saucy - and stir well to combine and heat through for several minutes.
• Serve the turkey and sauce over the spaghetti noodles. Add any desired toppings. Dive in!

Notes

Pasta: Whole grain or whole wheat pasta is my go-to but regular spaghetti noodles are fine too. You can use thin spaghetti if you like, just be sure to adjust the cooking time according to the package instructions.

Turkey: I use lean ground turkey (the 7% fat kind) for spaghetti, but you can definitely sub in ground beef or a mix of ground meats if you prefer. You might just need to drain any excess grease before adding the sauce.

Sauce: This homemade spaghetti sauce is really easy to make, and I have lots of ways you can vary the flavor, but of course, it's fine to substitute a jar of store-bought marinara. I definitely do that too sometimes.

Make ahead: You can certainly make the spaghetti sauce ahead of time and can even cook the turkey ahead until browned and cooked through. Then just warm the meat and sauce mixture up in a pan while you cook the spaghetti noodles.

Leftovers: Leftover spaghetti noodles and meat sauce can be stored, once cooled, in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.

Freezing: You can freeze leftover spaghetti as well. Let the noodles and meat sauce cool and then transfer to a freezer-safe ziplock bag or container and freeze for up to 4-5 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Tip: It helps if your noodles are cooked just until al dente so they don't get mushy when reheating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 1836mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 20g

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