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Easy Weeknight Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 pound spaghetti pasta for serving
  • grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium high heat, add the olive oil and ground beef. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Brown the meat and cook all the way through.
  2. Add the chopped onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes into the pan with the ground beef. Saute for 3-4 minutes, to soften the onion and garlic.
  3. Pour in the entire jar of marinara sauce, then add 1/2 cup of water to the jar and shake it up. Add the marinara water into the pan.
  4. Mix the sauce and meat together, and add the thyme and bay leaf.
  5. Simmer the sauce on low for 15-20 minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated. You want the sauce to be super thick and meaty. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Remove the bay leaf & thyme, toss in the fresh parsley, and stir one final time. Serve over cooked spaghetti, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.