A change up from traditional Italian spaghetti and meat sauce, this Cowboy Spaghetti adds in bacon and cheddar cheese for an American twist on a classic.
Looking for more ways to change up your spaghetti routine? Also check out this Baked Spaghetti or this Instant Pot Bolognese Recipe.
Originally posted April 20, 2009 – As much as I love traditional spaghetti, this Cowboy Spaghetti has become a family favorite since the first time we tried it many years ago. You get a little bit of smokiness from the bacon and the fire roasted tomatoes, plus a little bit of heat from the hot sauce which gives this spaghetti recipe many layers of flavor. Even though the flavors are bold, the kids still love this one and plates get cleaned. And just like regular spaghetti, the leftovers are my favorite part!
Life has been a bit crazy lately. I made dinner twice last week – my poor husband – but I didn’t even take pictures of either meal. It’s not that they weren’t tasty, but by the time dinner was done, I was just exhausted. I usually take pictures of just about every dinner, so it was a bit of a different experience for me – to make a new recipe and not photograph it.
Needless to say, I’ve been a bit absent around other blogs lately as well. And I’m really sorry and sad about that, because I really do love reading your blogs. And I don’t know if this week will be much better because my sister and her husband are going out of town, and I have babysitting duty for 2 days this week, as well as a fundraiser spaghetti dinner for church. I’m already tired thinking about this week!
But onto the food – which is the real reason you all come here. If you are Italian, please stop reading because I would hate to offend you – this is a true “Americanized” version of a great Italian food. I first made this Cowboy Spaghetti recipe a few years ago, and had to make it again because we liked it so much. It’s a great twist on traditional spaghetti!
Cowboy Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry spaghetti
- salt
- 1/2 lb bacon chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves chopped
- ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup beef stock
- 1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 14-ounce can chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar
- 4 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, then drain.
- Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Drain off the excess grease, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. In in the onions and garlic and cook until they are softened, another couple minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the hot sauce, Worcestershire and beef stock. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the tomato sauce and tomatoes and cook until completely heated through.
- Add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and stir to combine. Stir in half of the bacon. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve the pasta topped with the cheese and green onions. Sprinkle the remaining bacon to top of each serving.
Robin says
I was so pleased with this recipe. It was a hit in our home for sure! I made it exactly as written and would not for one second consider myself capable of improving on this in any way, and I’ve been cooking for 47 years!
Thank you, and job well done!
Wayno says
When I first starting making this recipe I was Broke. Still making this recipe to this day in 2020. Feeds alot of kids. It takes start to finish an hour and a half including clean up. It is a keeper in my book.
Rick says
Too salty !
Jenn M says
This is identical to a Rachael Ray recipe that she published in one of her books.
Deborah says
Hi Jenn! I actually saw it on an episode of 30 Minute Meals and it’s cited on the recipe. It’s a great recipe!