Dirty Spaghetti

Close-up of tongs lifting dirty spaghetti with ground meat and vegetables from a skillet.

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Dirty spaghetti is beefy, a little tangy, and Cajun seasoned, with the noodles taking on all the flavor in the pan.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cajun

Servings:

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 medium yellow onion finely diced
1 green bell pepper
1 red pepper finely diced
3 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
4-4 ½ cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
12 ounces spaghetti dry (broken in half if needed)
Fresh chopped Parsley optional garnish

Instructions

In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper until the meat is fully browned, about 5-7 minutes.
1 pound ground beef, 1 medium yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 1 red pepper
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
3 tablespoon tomato paste
Sprinkle on the flour and cook for 1 minute.
2 tablespoons flour
Pour in the chicken broth, Cajun seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Scrape up any caramelized browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot with your spoon.
4-4 ½ cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Toss the dry spaghetti into the skillet with the meat mixture, stirring until the pasta is completely covered with water.
12 ounces spaghetti
Bring to a boil, cover and turn down the heat. Cook for 11-14 minutes, or until the spaghetti is cooked through, making sure to stir the spaghetti to break up the strands. If the pasta absorbs the liquid too quickly before reaching al dente, splash in the remaining ½ cup of chicken broth.
Taste and adjust seasoning with extra Cajun spice or salt as desired. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley before serving, if desired.
Fresh chopped Parsley

Notes

Tips:

I break the spaghetti in half before it goes in. Long strands are hard to push under the liquid in a round pan and they clump.
I keep extra chicken broth next to the stove. If the liquid runs out before the pasta is tender, I add more a quarter cup at a time.
I cook the tomato paste 2 to 3 minutes before any liquid goes in, until it darkens to a deep brick color. That's what makes the sauce rich instead of sharp.
I wait until the very end to add salt. Cajun and Creole blends vary a lot in salt, so taste first.

Storage:

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The noodles keep absorbing sauce as they sit, so reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen it back up.

I don't recommend freezing this one, because cooked spaghetti gets mushy after it thaws.

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