One Pot Weeknight Spaghetti

A note from Chef Ali: Tonight we're doing something new — our first guest home cook! If Tori's cooking sounds familiar, there's a reason: she's Whitt's daughter-in-law, and she's the one who shared the cube steak with onion gravy recipe I made and loved — I gave her a shoutout in that post, but never a name. Time to fix that, because this time the recipe and the photos are all hers. Tori is a veterinarian, a busy mom, and one of the most practical cooks I know; this one pot spaghetti is such a hit at her house that her husband puts in a request for it just about every week. Real dinner, one pot, no fuss. I'll let her take it from here.

Hi, I'm Tori! My days are spent in the exam room (dogs, cats, and the occasional goat), so by the time I get home, dinner needs to be fast, forgiving, and something everyone will actually eat. This spaghetti checks all three boxes — and because the pasta cooks right in the sauce, there's exactly one pot to wash at the end. That alone makes it a keeper in my book.

The trick is that the raw spaghetti simmers in chicken broth, marinara, and a can of Ro-Tel. As it cooks, the noodles drink up all that flavor and release their starch into the pot, so the sauce turns silky and clings to every strand. It tastes like it simmered all afternoon, but you're eating in about 35 minutes.

Serves: 4–6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb Whitt's Place ground chuck
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 large jar of marinara sauce (I use Rao's)
• 1 can (10 oz) Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 1 lb spaghetti
• Salt and pepper
• Grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the beef: Set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground chuck, season with salt and pepper, and cook, breaking it up as you go, until it's nicely browned, about 6–8 minutes.
2. Add the onion: Stir in the diced onion and saute for 2–3 minutes, just until it starts to soften and smells amazing.
3. Build the sauce: Pour in the chicken broth, the jar of marinara, and the can of Ro-Tel (juices and all). Stir well and bring everything to a boil.
4. Add the pasta: Add the spaghetti straight into the pot, raw. I break the noodles in half so they fit; you can also let the ends soften for a minute and push them down. Keep the pot at a steady boil and stir every couple of minutes so nothing sticks or clumps.
5. Cook until al dente: Boil until the pasta is al dente and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10–12 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes — the sauce thickens up beautifully as it rests.
6. Serve: Twirl it onto plates and finish with a generous shower of Parmesan.

Tips

• Stir early and often: The first few minutes after the pasta goes in are the ones that matter — a stir every couple of minutes keeps the noodles from clumping or sticking to the bottom.
• It will look soupy at first. Trust the process. The pasta absorbs the liquid as it cooks, and the last bit thickens as it rests off the heat.
• Don't fear the Ro-Tel: It adds a gentle background warmth, not real heat — my kids never blink. If your crew is extra sensitive, grab the mild version.
• Leftovers: Reheat with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce back up. My husband may love it even more the next day.

That's it — dinner in one pot, on the table in about 35 minutes, and a kitchen that's still clean when you sit down. Stop by Whitt's Place for the ground chuck; it's the flavor that carries the whole dish.