One Dish Spaghetti

This microwave spaghetti is built for the nights when you want a real dinner but can’t be bothered with multiple pots. Ground beef, onion, tomato sauce, and broken spaghetti all cook together in one casserole dish, and the microwave handles everything from browning the meat to boiling the pasta.

Breaking the spaghetti into shorter pieces is key. Full-length noodles won’t submerge properly in the sauce and water, leaving you with half-cooked strands poking out. Stirring twice during cooking redistributes the pasta so it cooks evenly and doesn’t clump into a sticky mass.

The Italian-seasoned tomato sauce pulls double duty as both cooking liquid and finished sauce, so every strand of spaghetti absorbs flavor as it softens.

Chef Tips

• Break the spaghetti into roughly 2-inch pieces so it fits flat in the dish and cooks evenly.
• Stir the pasta at the midway points to prevent sticking. The starch released during cooking will glue noodles together fast.
• Let it rest covered for 2 minutes after microwaving. The pasta finishes cooking in the residual steam.
• Microwave wattage varies, so check the pasta tenderness and add 30-second bursts if needed.

Variations

• Use ground turkey instead of beef for a lighter version.
• Stir in a handful of frozen spinach during the last 3 minutes for added greens.
• Top with shredded mozzarella and microwave 30 seconds more to melt for a cheesier finish.