Clean Eating Skillet Spaghetti Recipe (2024)

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This healthy skillet spaghetti is the easiest “pot” of spaghetti you’ll ever make because the pasta cooks in the sauce!

Skillet spaghetti is a simple, easy way to get a spaghetti dinner on the table. There is zero boiling the pasta ahead of time because everything cooks together in one, big skillet.

Clean Eating Skillet Spaghetti Recipe (1)

Can I Cook Spaghetti Noodles In The Sauce?

Yes! But with one adjustment. You have to add enough water to the sauce to actually rehydrate (cook) the spaghetti. The recipe below accommodates that.

Can You Cook Spaghetti In A Skillet?

You can! You’ll want to use a large pan. The bigger the better. I’ve even boiled pasta in water in a skillet before. But we won’t be doing that here.

How Long Do You Cook Skillet Spaghetti For?

Different types of pasta cook for different lengths of time. There are different thicknesses of spaghetti noodles, so it will all depend very heavily on what your particular package of pasta calls for. This recipe uses a standard, whole-grain spaghetti and cooks for 20 to 30 minutes.

Do You Add Pasta To Sauce Or Sauce To Pasta?

If you boil your pasta separately, you’ll want to add the pasta to the sauce. You’ll continue to simmer the sauce with the pasta in it for about 1 to 2 minutes and then serve it.

But with this recipe, you don’t have to worry about it either way because everything cooks together.

How Do You Cook Spaghetti Without It Sticking?

When you initially put your pasta into the liquid (whether it’s sauce or water), you’ll want to stir it well and make sure your noodles are well separated before walking away from the pot. Also, be sure there is enough liquid in the pot or skillet.

How Long Does It Take To Cook Pasta In A Frying Pan?

In general, it can take up to about 30 minutes, depending on the pasta you use.

Can I Make Pasta Without Boiling It?

Yes! Cook it in the sauce the way this recipe calls for.

Clean Eating Skillet Spaghetti Recipe (2)

“One Pot” Skillet Spaghetti

The great part about this recipe is that everything happens in one skillet. So there won’t be any big pasta pot to clean up after dinner.

Recipe Additions

If you want to make this skillet spaghetti a little heartier, try adding one or two of these.

  • Mushrooms
  • Grated carrots
  • Zucchini
  • Splash of red wine (if you like wine in sauce).
  • Splash of balsamic vinegar (gives the sauce a deeper, richer flavor).
  • Chopped green pepper (red peppers work too. Any color is fine)

Recipe Variations

  • Switch out the ground turkey for ground beef, or any ground meat you prefer.
  • Add a couple of teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
  • Try adding some Italian sausage.
  • Use marinara sauce (with no added sugar) instead of tomato sauce.

Garnish Options

These are classic garnishes that will all work quite well with this recipe.

  • chopped, fresh basil
  • chopped, fresh parsley
  • a dash of red pepper flakes
  • grated mozzarella cheese
  • grated parmesan

One Pot Spaghetti Ingredients

1½lbs.ground turkey

1tbsp.olive oil

2tbsp.onion powder

1tbsp.chili powder

1½tsp.dried oregano

2tsp.dried basil

1tbsp.garlic powder

3cupswater(+ 1 if needed)

30oz.canned tomato sauce(no sugar added)

1lb.whole-grain spaghetti

grated parmesan cheese

How To Make Skillet Spaghetti

Brown the turkey in your pan, using the olive oil.

Once the meat has lost all of its pink color, add all the spices to the pan and stir well to combine.

Pour in the water (start with 3 cups, you can always add more as needed) and tomato sauce and stir gently while bringing the sauce to a gentle boil.

Add the pasta, stir and cover the pan with a lid.

Check on the pasta often so as to keep it from burning on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the pasta reaches your desired level of “doneness” (Is that a word?). About 20-30 minutes. Remember to stir!

Allow to cool a bit and top with parmesan when serving.

Clean Eating Skillet Spaghetti Recipe (3)

Can I Use A Different Type of Pasta?

Yes, providing you use enough liquid to cook it.

What Size Skillet Should I Use For Skillet Spaghetti?

Use the biggest skillet you have. A 12 to 15-inch skillet is about right here. I have found that a cast iron skillet works best here. But any skillet will work.

Recipe Supplies For Skillet Spaghetti

More Healthy Pasta Recipes

  • Spaghetti Pie Recipe
  • Weeknight Spaghetti Recipe

Skillet Spaghetti Recipe

Clean Eating Skillet Spaghetti Recipe (8)

Skillet Spaghetti

NOTE: You will need a very large pan for this. Mine was a 10 cup, cast iron pan and it was just barely large enough.

5 from 10 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 290kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Skillet

Ingredients

  • lbs. ground turkey
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • tsp. dried oregano
  • 2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 3 cups water (+ 1 if needed)
  • 30 oz. canned tomato sauce (no sugar added)
  • 1 lb. whole grain spaghetti
  • grated parmesan cheese

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Brown the turkey in your pan, using the olive oil.

  • Once the meat has lost all of it’s pink color, add all the spices to the pan and stir well to combine.

  • Pour in the water (start with 3 cups, you can always add more as needed) and tomato sauce and stir gently while bringing the sauce to a gentle boil.

  • Add the pasta, stir and cover the pan with a lid.

  • Check on the pasta often so as to keep it from burning on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the pasta reaches your desired level of “doneness” (Is that a word?). About 20-30 minutes. Remember to stir!

  • Allow to cool a bit and top with parmesan when serving.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 515mg | Potassium: 690mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 845IU | Vitamin C: 6.7mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 4.6mg

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Clean Eating Skillet Spaghetti Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is there a healthy spaghetti? ›

Whole-Wheat Pasta

Whole-wheat pasta is an easy-to-find nutritious noodle that will bump up the nutrition of your pasta dish. Made from whole grains, every cup of cooked pasta (140 grams) boasts 43 g of carbohydrate, 3 g of fiber and 8 g of protein per serving, per the USDA.

Why cook pasta in a skillet? ›

Boiling a pot of water on most residential stoves takes roughly forever. I can make pasta in a pan in about 13 minutes start to finish. I can't even get a large pot of water to boil in that time. You do you, but there are zero downsides.. it's incredibly easy.

What is the healthiest meat for pasta? ›

Ground turkey

Plus, ground turkey can help boost your intake of many nutrients, including protein, B vitamins, and iron ( 16 ). Try using ground turkey in place of other types of meat like pork or beef to give recipes, like pasta bolognese, a healthy twist.

Can you put pasta in a cast iron skillet? ›

The fact that cast-iron skillets can go from the stove to the oven to the table makes them an ideal dish for preparing these pasta recipes. Plus, you'll have less dishes to wash once supper is over when everything comes together in one skillet.

What is the difference between a skillet and a sauce pan? ›

A frying pan has a wider surface area than a saucepan, making it better for stir-frying and heating up quickly. However, a saucepan is smaller and deeper, making it better for cooking soups, spaghetti, and sauces.

What is the healthiest way to eat spaghetti? ›

To make your standard wheat-based pasta healthier, simply switch up the ratio of veggies to pasta: Double up on the veggie serving you'd normally have, and cut the pasta by a half or third. You'll keep the flavor, add extra fiber, and generally max out on nutritional quality, without ever noticing the difference.

What is the healthiest spaghetti? ›

100% Whole Wheat Spaghetti is the healthiest noodle. Coming in second is 100% buckwheat soba noodles - which is similar in nutrition to whole-wheat spaghetti, but with higher protein quality - however the RDI on other nutritional values are much higher in 100% Whole Wheat Spaghetti than 100% buckwheat soba.

Is it OK to eat spaghetti daily? ›

The key to eating pasta every day is to limit your portion size and supplement your pasta bowl with essential nutrients. The recommended portion size is two ounces of dry pasta or one cup of cooked pasta. To create a balanced and healthy pasta meal, try adding vegetables, chicken, or fish.

Why is a skillet better than a frying pan? ›

There's no difference between Frying Pans and skillets. Believe it or not, the only difference between a skillet and a Frying Pan is in the name. "Pan" is a general term used to refer to a variety of different cooking vessels.

Why is a skillet better than a pan? ›

Skillets are great for shallow sauces and searing meat, while saute pans can hold a large volume of ingredients. In the end, it is your kitchen and your choice - cook with whatever you want. However, using the right pan for your recipe ensures that you will have a smoother time making those delectable at-home meals.

Why is a skillet better? ›

A skillet is slightly more versatile than a frying pan since it is generally deeper with a larger cooking surface. While a professional chef might have each piece of cookware on hand for specific types of quick-cooking, a home chef can use these tools interchangeably to achieve similar results.

What is the unhealthiest meat? ›

Hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and regular ground beef should be avoided or consumed sparingly due to their high fat, calorie, and sodium content, and potential health risks. By using this ranking system, you can make informed choices about the meats you eat and maintain a healthy diet.

What is the cleanest meat to eat? ›

Of course, just like with red meat, you want to stay away from highly processed poultry. Eating skinless, white meat is the healthiest way to go. Many professionals have classified white meat from chicken as the leanest and cleanest meat to eat.

Can you boil pasta in a deep skillet? ›

If you're making a small enough quantity of pasta for it to totally fit in the pan like that, it's fine. The idea that you need several quarts of water, several times the volume of the pasta, is a bit of a myth. All you really need is enough water so that once the pasta is cooked and fully expanded, it's still covered.

Can you use a skillet as a frying pan? ›

A skillet, sometimes referred to as a frying pan or a frypan, is a shallow pan with slanted sides. Skillets are commonly used to stir-fry or sauté, which refers to a method of cooking in which ingredients are cooked quickly in a small amount of oil or fat, often over relatively high heat.

Can you boil in a skillet? ›

A: I boil water in my pan, both to clean it and to cook some items. Boiling won't hurt the pan. When I get stuff stuck to the pan, I usually put some water in it, and heat it up to a simmer.

Can you cook anything on a skillet? ›

"In general, a well-seasoned cast-iron pan will stand up to almost anything you throw at it, including acidic foods like tomatoes," says Will Copenhaver, vice president of sales and marketing for Smithey.

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