10 minute spaghetti with tomato sauce. I call it a Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe because it is easy, quick and tastes like a fancy Italian restaurant meal.
Easy Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
Alex called me “talented” last Friday. I created this amazing spaghetti recipe with “nothing” in 10 minutes. We all couldn’t stop eating it.
If you have Instant Pot, you should also check out my Instant Pot spaghetti with any ground meat.
If you think of going to an Italian restaurant to pay $20 for spaghetti with tomato sauce please stop immediately. Take off your shoes and make this easy, simple, quick and yummy spaghetti with tomato sauce recipe. You can do it! At home with canned sauce. Because there is no such thing as fresh tomatoes for tomato sauce October – July anywhere.
Or because there is a place for canned tomato sauce on a Friday night after you have been working your butt off all week. It still can be amazing, fresh and delicious! For like $5 instead of 4 x $20 plus tax and tips at a nearby Italian restaurant. With like $10 glass of wine. And who stops at one?!
Yes! It is the best spaghetti ever! The ingredients are so easy. You will be blown away!
Ingredients You Will Need
- Spaghetti. Any pasta will work. I prefer to use whole wheat or whole grain because it contains fiber and nutrients. If you use regular white pasta, please note nutritional information of this delicious spaghetti recipe will change. Gluten free spaghetti like brown rice, quinoa etc. will work. Please note it cooks much faster than wheat. So watch to avoid a mushy mess.
- Tomato sauce. There are so many tomato products on supermarket shelves these days. In cans and jars. I get lost myself. That is why partially I just buy a 12 case of organic low sodium canned tomato sauce at Costco and use in all my recipes. Another reason is that other tomato products are expensive. Often for no reason. To make good spaghetti, you need a can of cheap tomato sauce that reads “tomato sauce”. Preferably low sodium. Not “spaghetti sauce”, not “pizza sauce”, not “pasta sauce”, not “marinara sauce”. Just “tomato sauce”.
- Parmesan cheese. Pre-grated Parmesan cheese in a shaker contains cellulose as a filler. It is ground up wood chips. It is not pure Parmesan cheese. Plus it doesn’t taste nearly as fresh. I highly recommend to use fresh and real Parmesan. I usually buy a hunk, grate as much as I need and refrigerate in a container for up to 2-3 months. Then freeze remainder in a Ziploc bag. When needed, thaw, grate and freeze remainder again.
- Extra virgin olive oil and fresh garlic
- Dried oregano, salt and pepper
How to Make Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
Everything cooks in one pot. That’s why I love my 6 quart Dutch oven so much!
Why so much salt? Don’t worry. You will not eat 2.5 teaspoons salt. It is important to cook spaghetti with salt to prevent pasta from sticking. And to add flavor during cooking.
- Cook spaghetti. Fill large Dutch oven or pot with cold water 3/4 full and bring to a boil. Add 2 tsp salt and spaghetti. Separate pasta with tongs a few times during first 2 minutes of cooking to ensure it does not stick. Keep cooking uncovered for 5 more minutes or until al dente, stirring occasionally.
- Drain pasta. Taste spaghetti for doneness towards the end by grabbing one strand onto a plate with tongs. Do not overcook until too soft. The key to tasty pasta is firm cooked pasta. Drain in a colander.
- Cook garlic. Return pot to medium heat and add olive oil, 4 garlic cloves and oregano. Cook for 20 seconds, stirring constantly. Garlic cooks fast, so don’t walk away and not burn. Turn off the heat.
- Add drained pasta, tomato sauce, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and 1 more fresh garlic clove. Stir gently until warmed through. That 1 clove of fresh garlic at the end is a must!
Variations, Serving and Storage
Serve with Parmesan cheese. This is the best cheap and quite healthy spaghetti I have ever had anywhere!
You can also add:
- Olives: I love adding pitted Kalamata olives to garlicky pasta. So easy as they come from a jar and add a zest and flavour. I don’t even chop them.
- Chicken: Shredded or cubed cooked chicken for extra protein. Check out my Instant Pot chicken breast – so easy!
- Ground turkey: Pre-cooked ground turkey with salt and pepper is good enough. And ups the protein content.
- Anchovies or sardines: OK, don’t call me “weird” but I love salty canned fish with pasta. So good! It’s an European in me.:)
Store: Refrigerate spaghetti leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, add to a pot with a splash of water and simmer on low.
More Healthy Family Pasta Dinners:
- Instant Pot bolognese sauce with one secret ingredient to replace half the meat.
- Mushroom stroganoff – even carnivores will love!
- Homemade meat sauce – thick, beefy, juicy and sweet with one secret ingredient.
- Ground turkey and broccoli pasta for one pot weeknight dinner.
- Healthy pasta with Parmesan broccoli and grape tomatoes.
10 Minute Spaghetti Recipe
10 minute spaghetti with tomato sauce. I call it a Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe because it is easy, quick and tastes like a fancy Italian restaurant meal.
- Prep Time: 1 minute
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 11 minutes
- Yield: 4 large servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 12 oz whole wheat or white spaghetti, uncooked
- 15 oz can tomato sauce, low sodium
- 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tsp oregano, dried
- Parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Fill large Dutch oven or pot with cold water 3/4 full and bring to a boil.
- Add 2 tsp salt and spaghetti. Separate pasta with tongs a few times during first 2 minutes of cooking. This will ensure spaghetti do not stick together.
- Cook pasta uncovered for 5 more minutes or until al dente, stirring occasionally. Taste for doneness while cooking. Do not overcook until too soft. The key to tasty pasta is firm cooked pasta. Drain in a colander.
- Return pot to medium heat and add olive oil, 4 garlic cloves and oregano. Cook for 20 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Turn off the heat. Add drained pasta, tomato sauce, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, pepper and 1 garlic clove. Stir gently until warmed through.
- Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese. This is the best cheap and quite healthy spaghetti I have ever had anywhere!
Store: Refrigerate spaghetti leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To reheat, add to a pot with a splash of water and simmer on low.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating in the comments.
Very good and simple recipe! I added some mushrooms and tossed it with corkscrew pasta. Very good. Very very very very good.
★★★★★
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing Teresa!
Ohh my goodness!! This recipe was so easy!! We loved the taste!! The garlic!! Wow!! This recipe is a KEEPER!!
★★★★★
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed it Adel!
This was so simple and was so delicious. I used organic angel hair pasta, SO GOOD! Thank you!
★★★★★
You are very welcome Bernadette!
This sauce was SO Delicious And it was easy too! Im usually frustarated with meh jar sauce and my attempt is usually worse, Bit this is sooo good! Recommend! Thanks for this so simple and delicous recipe with simple ingredients too! 10 stars
★★★★★
Joetta! Many thanks for the 10 star review! Like you said, jar sauce is meh! Glad you liked my spaghetti sauce!
All I can say is, “WOW!” I always spend all day making my homemade spaghetti sauce. This was amazing for the amount of time and ingredients. My husband and I had a burrata salad with homemade balsamic vinaigrette to accompany our meal. Hands down our new go to recipe when I do not have time to make mine. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
★★★★★
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback, Erin! The magic powers of fresh garlic sauteed in olive oil. I learnt it from Italians themselves.:)
Love this simple but tasty recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you for your wonderful review, Sue.
Can you use butter instead of olive oil?
★★★★★
Yes.
Hi Olena, what if the tomato sauce is too tangy for one, can you make it less tangy? Also could you use butter instead of olive oil?
Hi Justin. Yes butter is great. To make tomato sauce less tangy and acidic I usually add 1-2 tsp honey, maple syrup or sugar. ALso if you add a splash of half and half or cream sauce will be more sweet. Enjoy!
I used a can of petite diced, steam pealed, tomatoes with garlic and olive oil instead of tomato sauce. Came out amazing. Thanks.
★★★★★
Sounds delish! Welcome.
How can something so easy taste so good? We like this better than the jar!
★★★★★
Right?! Simple food is the best! So happy to hear.
What a quick, delicous recipe. Thanks again Olena.
★★★★★
Awesome!!! Happy to hear, Hazel.
Being Italian my family and I love our pasta hehe (sparingly of course) but this sauce is delicious. I bought quinoa and amaranth pasta and it was fantastic. Heading into the recipe section to see what I can make next for tomorrow nights dinner. Thanks so much again for sharing. Have a beautiful week. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
★★★★★
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Melissa! Coming from an Italian means a lot haha
and many times instead of the tomato sauce I use a tin of diced tomatoes, sometimes adding a small tin of tomato paste. I also have added left over cooked meat and really like browning lean ground beef with the oil and garlic (and onion) then added the tomato and pasta.
Yes, a fav recipe all winter.
Yay, sounds great!
Excellent! I like the way you use garlic here…
★★★★★
Garlic every day haha. Glad you liked it.:)
A friend gave me some green peppers and I’m making this today.
★★★★★
Hope you like it. I love green peppers!!!
This has become my go-to spaghetti recipe I use every couple of weeks. It is so easy and so tasty and I feel better about making it myself than buying a jar of sauce. I usually add some ground turkey to it also.
★★★★★
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Veronica! Yes, adding turkey works!
Quick, easy & surprisingly really tasty. This recipe is now one of my ‘go to’s’. On a side note, I like to garnish it with some chilli flakes to add a bit of spice and it’s bloody awesome!
★★★★★
Yum! Enjoyed the combination of the cooked garlic and the clove or raw garlic at the end. The whole family loved.
★★★★★
Yay! That clove of garlic changes everything in almost any dish. So happy to hear everyone enjoyed this spaghetti with tomato sauce recipe.
Really enjoyed this lovely, simple recipe. I tweaked it a bit and added crushed red pepper and anchovies. Melted the anchovy into the olive oil before the addition of the garlic and oregano. I have always loved the subtle, delicious flavor of cooking with anchovies. The additional raw garlic at the end was lovely. Definitely would make this again!
★★★★★
I LOVE anchovies too. Anchovies + garlic are heaven. I so agree lol. So happy you enjoyed this simple spaghetti recipe, Sarah!
Amazing! Quick, easy and very simple! Thank you. Again
★★★★★
You are very welcome, Diane.
I love that it is so easy and cheap. Although I will have to use less sodium cause of weight gain. Otherwise, I will make it as is. I love sardines too from a can.
★★★★★
Sounds good.:)
The best spaghetti with tomato sauce I ever tried!
★★★★★
Hi Olena, you are so right on the mark up of pasta at restaurants. We rarely dine out and I never order pasta when we do. I will try your recipe soon. I was wondering about the garlic in the photo at the top. Is it from Costco?
“the more I live, the less I dine out” LOL. It’s from Save on Foods, my local grocery store. Didn’t say from China so I bought it. Very convenient I have to say!Hope it’s at least from USA LOL.