How do I break dry spaghetti in half without it going all over my kitchen?

I love this trick! Put your spaghetti in the middle of a clean dishtowel. Roll it up, and then grasp the towel with both hands and break the spaghetti inside the towel. Voila! Perfectly broken in half pasta.

Can I use a different kind of pasta?

You sure can! Use the directions on the box to adjust the cooking time - different pastas will need different amounts of time to get to al dente perfection. Denser pastas might also need to you add a little hot water towards the end of the cooking time if things are not looking saucy enough.

What is the best tomato sauce to use for this recipe?

If I am in a rush, I grab the handy jar of Wegman's marinara sauce that I always have in my pantry for Pasta Emergencies. But if I have time, I make my favorite homemade kind, which I modestly call The Best Tomato Sauce In The World . If you try this (and please try it!) you want to puree it so it is nice and liquidly.

What are panko bread crumbs? Can I use regular bread crumbs?

Panko crumbs are bread crumbs that have been dried and flaked, and they tend to give a lighter texture to your meatballs than fresh breadcrumbs. But if you have regular dried bread crumbs, those work too!

Have a question that I didn't cover?

Leave it for me in the comments below, and I promise to answer pronto!

One Pot Spaghetti

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5 from 1 review

This easy recipe for one pot spaghetti and meatballs cooks all together in one skillet. More flavor and less clean-up – how’s that for a suppertime winner?

Author: Kate Morgan Jackson
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Scale

½ cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
1 egg
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
2 cups water
8 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
Chopped fresh basil for garnish

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Instructions

Put the bread crumbs, milk, beef, Parmesan, egg and oregano in a mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix it all up until just combined.
Form into meatballs, using about 2 tablespoons of meat mixture per meatball (a cookie scoop works wonderfully for this.
Heat oil in a large deep skillet over high heat. Sear meatballs on one side for one minute until they are nicely browned on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Turn meatballs over to cook very briefly on the other side and transfer to a plate lined with paper towel.
Add the sauce and the water to that same skillet, add pasta and turn heat to medium high. Cover and cook for 8 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes..
Now nestle the meatballs into spaghetti, browned side up. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover up the skillet and cook for 4 more minutes, stirring from time to time.
Uncover and cook for 4 more minutes or until spaghetti is done, stirring gently from time to time.
Divide among bowls and sprinkle with basil and more Parmesan cheese. Realize there is only one skillet to wash. Feel very happy.

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Notes

Panko Crumbs: These light dried bread crumbs are usually either in the international aisle or the pasta aisle. They have a great light texture that is perfect for the meatballs. If you have regular dried breadcrumbs on hand, they will work too!

Ground Beef: As always, we go for the 80/20 fat content version…more flavor that way

Marinara Sauce: We usually go for the jarred version of this tomato pasta sauce (and honestly? We like the store version (in our case, Wegman’s) just fine! If you are feeling energetic, you can also make your own – here’s our choice for the best tomato sauce recipe in the world!