This meaty marinara pasta is a weeknight staple in my home. It's ridiculous easy to make, great for family meal prep and great for sneaking in vegetables for picky eaters.

This is a delicious recipe that uses tons of fresh ingredients and is a million times better than the old school pizza hut pasta.

Why you'll love it

Easy recipe that's perfect for weeknight dinners
Kid friendly and family favorite dish
Delicious and packed with flavor
Easily customized

Ingredients

Crushed tomatoes
Garlic cloves
Onion
Salt
Smoked paprika
Red pepper flakes
Black pepper
Oregano

Fresh basil
Fresh sage
Fresh parsley
Fresh thyme
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Lean ground beef
Favorite pasta shape like
rotini pasta, spaghetti noodles or even macaroni
Parmesan cheese & fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions for this meaty marinara pasta recipe

Make your pasta sauce

In a dutch oven, add your olive oil and onion over medium heat. Stir constantly to avoid any burning
After about 3-5 minutes when all of your onion is translucent add in your garlic and cook for another minute.
Then add in your crushed tomatoes, smoked paprika, red pepper flake, black pepper, balsamic vinegar and oregano. Drop the heat to low, cover and allow to simmer for about 3 minutes.

The add in your basil, sage, parsley and thyme. Stir to combine, cover and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.

Cook your meat

While your tomato sauce is simmering, start cooking your meat. In a large frying pan set to medium heat, add your lean ground beef, 1 teaspoon of salt and Italian sausage.

Cook your meat until all of it is well cooked and brown. Once it's well cooked, you're going to add all the meat and the meat drippings to your pasta sauce.

Stir to combine the meat and sauce. Cover and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes while you cook your pasta.

Cook your pasta

Cook your 16 oz of pasta per the instructions on the packaging. Once your pasta is al-dente, drain your pasta.

You can either serve the pasta with the meaty marinara laddled over the top or you can add the drained pasta to the pot with the meat sauce. I prefer adding the pasta to the meat sauce, giving it a good stir and letting the pasta absorb some of the tomato sauce.

Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Variations/Substitutions

Have picky eaters that don't like seeing vegetables in their food? Run the onions, garlic and even the herbs through a food processor. You can even sneak in some veggies like carrots, bell peppers, fresh mushrooms or even zucchini.
Don't consume beef or pork? You can opt for lean ground turkey and turkey Italian sausage.
Don't want to make your own tomato sauce? Use 28 oz of your favorite store bought jar of marinara.
Want to make this dish spicy? Give your homemade spaghetti sauce a little kick by opting for hot italian sausage and add more red pepper flakes.
Want a gluten free meal? Opt for 16oz of gluten free pasta or zucchini noodles
Want to make this extra cheesy? Place this delicious pasta and meaty sauce in an oven-safe dish and top with your choice of cheese like ricotta cheese or layer with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese. Pop it in the oven and broil for 1-2 minutes.
Don't have fresh herbs? Opt for dried herbs instead like dried basil. If using dried herbs, I recommend adding about ½ a teaspoon more than whats listed in the recipe card.

Storage

Store leftover meaty marinara pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Reheat your pasta in the microwave. I like to get a paper towel and damp it with some water then place it over the pasta so it doesn't dry out.

I do not recommend freezing this pasta.

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