With beef, ground Italian sausage, and a few other fresh ingredients, this Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti is an easy way to have your family and friends smiling around the table in about 40 minutes. 

I was in a spaghetti funk for quite a while.  Mainly, I contributed it to the amount of spaghetti UGRs with canned green beans we consumed while overseas.  I had similar issues with canned/pouched tuna and beef jerky for a bit, too.  I think it just put me in a stage of burnout that I still haven’t fully gotten out of years later.  The standard meat, sauce, and noodles would take me right back to the unwelcome strange aftertaste and mild heartburn burps that I just didn’t care to relive. 

My wife is a pastaholic and pizza addict, so I had to figure something out.  Happy wife, happy life, right? After a handful of “I’m just not a spaghetti fan anymore” nights, I found it! I remade the recipe for the family (extended too) and it was a hit.  I’ve stuck with this Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti recipe ever since.  

What is Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti?

Exactly as it sounds, the base of this delicious pasta dish is two types of meat.  We use a lean ground beef (85/15 or 90/10 work great) and an all pork Italian Sausage.  Doing this really amps up the flavor and makes for a more well-rounded sauce.  To give it the rustic vibe, simply add chopped vegetables to the sauce. 

Ingredients needed for Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti

• Beef
• Italian Sausage
• Green & Red Bell Peppers
• Onions
• Garlic
• 2 Jars of your favorite sauce
• Spaghetti noodles
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

How to Make the Best Spaghetti

• Place a deep skillet over medium-high heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil.  I also like to add a pinch of medium ground black pepper to the oil, but that is up to you. 
• Chop the peppers, onions, and garlic and add to the skillet to sauté. While the vegetables are cooking, add a pot of water to the stovetop and bring to a boil.  
• Once the onions have started to caramelize, remove the vegetables from the skillet and add both the beef and sausage.  Cook thoroughly before returning the vegetables to the skillet.  Mix well and reduce heat to low.  Pour in both jars of sauce and bring to a simmer.  Allow to simmer while the noodles cook. 
• Place the noodles into the boiling water with a dollop of olive oil and couple pinches of salt.  Cook per the package instructions and drain.   
• Ladle the sauce over a bed of noodles to serve.  Enjoy!

Tips for the Best Spaghetti

As with every recipe, quality ingredients matter.  For years, we have sourced our beef from local farmers.  I highly recommend you do the this too, if you are able.  The same applies to the pork in our freezer.  It was raised here by people we know.  I’ve also used Italian Sausage that was made from a hog from Florida that found its way to my freezer through memories with my friends and daughter.  If none of these are options for you, then pick a lean grass fed beef and an all pork sausage from the store. 

Now, I’ve used jars of sauce in this recipe to keep it simple.  But that does not mean it has to taste like pasty heartburn over wet noodles!!! Buy a quality sauce.  You can’t go wrong with brands like Botticelli or Bertolli. The same concept applies to noodles.  Chop some fresh vegetables to mix in with the meat and sauce.  It matters, trust me!! Let the meat, veggies, and sauce simmer for a bit to infuse all of the flavors before serving. 

Double Meat Rustic Spaghetti

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Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 oz spaghetti noodles
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1 sweet onion
• 2-3 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp seasoned salt
• ½ tsp black pepper (optional)
• 1 lbs. ground beef
• 1 lbs. ground Italian sausage
• 2 Jars of Spaghetti sauce
• Parmesan (optional)

Instructions

1. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Place 1 tbsp of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat (go ahead and add a couple twists of cracked black pepper if you’d like).
3. Chop the peppers and onions. Then, add the peppers and let them sauté for about 6-8 minutes. About halfway through, add the onion. As the onion begins to caramelize, add the minced garlic. Allow the garlic to become fragrant and toast (not burn) for about 30-60 seconds before removing the vegetables aside to a bowl.
4. Brown the beef and pork in the same skillet, being sure to scrape any tid bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook thoroughly.
5. Once the meat is browned thoroughly, return the vegetables to the skillet and mix well before pouring in the jars of sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and reduce to low. Stir occasionally.
6. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a box of spaghetti noodles to the boiling pot of water and cook per instructions (usually 10-12 minutes) and drain.
7. Ladle the sauce over a bed of noodles and top with fresh Parmesan (optional).   
   
   

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 517Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 961mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 4gSugar: 9gProtein: 31g

Other Pasta Recipes:

Three Cheese Tortellini

Spicy Sausage Black Bean Pasta

Chicken Penne Arrabbiata