Quick spaghetti with fresh tomato meat sauce

If you’re craving spaghetti in summer it doesn’t mean you have to cook the sauce for hours! This quick spaghetti comes together in about 30 mins and uses beautiful, ripe summer tomatoes. The fresh tomato meat sauce is light, sweet, and flavorful.

Ingredients:

Please note that this recipe was developed as a quick summer dinner with fresh tomatoes in mind so it won’t taste like a meat sauce that has been cooked for hours. This is a delicious compromise between flavor and preparation time!

The main star of the sauce are fresh, ripe, sweet summer tomatoes so if you don’t have these on hand it’s better to use crushed tomatoes from the can.

Pasta – you can also use any other pasta instead of spaghetti.

Seasonings: basil is pretty standard but don’t be put off by the cinnamon! it’s works really well with red meat and tomatoes. Cayenne pepper adds a nice spicy kick to the sauce (you can omit it although I’m adding just a tiny bit).

Meat: I added lean ground beef but you can also use beef-pork mixture (if it’s too fatty, drain the fat excess).

If you don’t have Worcestershire sauce on hand you can omit it but I really recommend that you buy it! It’s a great addition to any tomato sauce (like this the best meatless tomato sauce), mushroom sauce (chanterelle mushroom sauce), meat and tomato-based soups (like stuffed cabbage roll soup), buckwheat risotto, goulash or any meat sauce. As a substitute, you can add 2-3 Tbsp of dry white / red wine in its place.

Step-by-step instructions:

These are complete instructions with step by step photos showing how to make this dish. Scroll down for printable recipe card with the ingredient list.

Start with cooking 6oz (170g) spaghetti pasta al dente (it should have a bite to it) according to the package instructions.

STEP 1: Finely chop 1 small onion and 4 large cloves garlic. Peel 2 lb (900g) tomatoes and chop them finely, discard any excess water on the chopping board.

STEP 2: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a big frying pan and add the onions, cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon basil, big pinch of cinnamon, and a pinch of cayenne pepper and cook for 1 more minute.

STEP 3: Move the onions and spices to the side of the pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil, set the heat to high and add 7 oz (200g) meat in an even layer. Let it cook for about 1 minute without stirring, letting the meat to brown, then stir and mix with the onions and spices. Cook, stirring, until the meat is cooked through (no longer pink)

STEP 4: Add 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, cook for 1 minute.

STEP 5: Add the chopped tomatoes. Cook over medium or medium-high heat for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes form a sauce (the sauce will be a little chunky). You can cook the sauce over high heat if your sauce is too watery.

STEP 6: Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the cooked spaghetti pasta. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Storage:

This pasta dish tastes best freshly prepared. If you want to eat it the next day, you can store the sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days (or freeze it for up to 6 months) and serve with freshly cooked pasta.

Quick spaghetti with fresh tomato meat sauce

This quick spaghetti comes together in about 30 mins and uses beautiful, ripe summer tomatoes. The fresh tomato meat sauce is light, sweet, and flavorful.

Pin This Recipe! SAVE THIS RECIPESaved!

Print Recipe

RATE THE RECIPE

(click on the stars)

4.67 from 3 votes

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 2 servings

Calories 789kcal

Author Aleksandra

Ingredients

• ▢ 6 oz (170g) spaghetti pasta
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 small onion
• ▢ 4 large cloves garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon basil
• ▢ a big pinch of cinnamon
• ▢ a pinch of cayenne pepper
• ▢ 7 oz (200g) ground beef
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 lbs (900g) fresh and ripe tomatoes 3 very large or 4-5 medium tomatoes
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ Parmesan cheese to sprinkle

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Cook the pasta al dente (it should have a bite to it) according to the package instructions.
• Finely chop the onions and garlic. Peel the tomatoes and chop them finely, discard any excess water on the chopping board.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a big frying pan and add the onions, cook over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, basil, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper and cook for 1 more minute.
• Move the onions and spices to the side of the pan, add another tablespoon of olive oil, set the heat to high and add the meat in an even layer. Let it cook for about 1 minute without stirring, letting the meat to brown, then stir and mix with the onions and spices. Cook, stirring, until the meat is cooked through (no longer pink).
• Add the Worcestershire sauce, cook for 1 minute.
• Add the chopped tomatoes. Cook over medium or medium-high heat for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes form a sauce (the sauce will be a little chunky). You can cook the sauce over high heat if your sauce is too watery. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss with the cooked spaghetti pasta. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.
• Enjoy!

Notes

• Please note that this recipe was developed as a quick summer dinner with fresh tomatoes in mind so it won’t taste like a meat sauce that has been cooked for hours. This is a delicious compromise between flavor and preparation time!
• Ingredient notes:
  • The point of this recipe is to use ripe and fresh summer tomatoes. If your tomatoes are watery, not very ripe and delicious it’s better to use canned crushed tomatoes.
  • If your tomatoes are not very sweet, add 1/2 ts of sugar to the sauce.
  • Pasta – you can also use any other pasta instead of spaghetti.
  • Meat: I added lean ground beef but you can also use beef-pork mixture (if it’s too fatty, drain the fat excess).
  • Worcestershire sauce can be omitted or you can add 2-3 Tbsp of dry white / red wine in its place.
• Storage notes:
  This pasta dish tastes best freshly prepared. If you want to eat it the next day, you can store the sauce in the fridge for up to 3 days (or freeze it for up to 6 months) and serve with freshly cooked pasta.
• Calories = 1 serving (1/2 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!

Course Main Course

Cuisine international, Italian-inspired

Tried this Recipe? Rate the Recipe and tell us what you think in the Comments!

Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!