Creamy One Pot Spaghetti with Meatballs

This Creamy One Pot Spaghetti with Meatballs is an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will go crazy for! It’s filled with flavor, and is all made in one pot, making clean up so much easier!

If you love one pot meals, you also need to try this Chili Mac or this Skillet Lasagna.

Every time I make a one pot meal, I ask myself why I don’t do it more often. Especially when it’s as delicious as this Creamy One Pot Spaghetti!

This is such an easy dinner. It can be on the table in 45 minutes, and most of that time is hands off. Top it with some homemade meatballs and serve some Cheesy Garlic Bread on the side – this will be a dinner the whole family is obsessed with!

Ingredients

• Oil: I just use olive oil, but any cooking oil will work here.
• Onion & Garlic: These are for flavor. I like to use yellow onions and freshly minced garlic.
• Italian Seasoning: (not pictured) My original recipe did not use this, and I decided to add it in last minute. And it was definitely a good addition!
• Broth: If you’ve been here awhile, you’ll see that I often use chicken broth, even if it seems like beef broth would make more sense. But I think chicken broth has more flavor than beef broth, so I tend to use it more. But you could totally use beef broth here!
• Marinara: You can use your favorite store bought marinara, or make your own homemade marinara.
• Tomato Sauce: This is just plain tomato sauce.
• Spaghetti: I like using thin spaghetti for this recipe. If you use a traditional spaghetti – or if you use another cut of pasta – you may end up needing to add more liquid.
• Cream Cheese: This is what makes the recipe creamy. My original recipe used a Greek cream cheese, which is delicious, but it is not as easy to find.
• Parmesan: For best results, use freshly grated parmesan.
• Meatballs: These are optional, but definitely delicious! I used my homemade Baked Meatballs, but you could use any that you like.

How to Make Creamy One Pot Spaghetti

STEP 1: Heat the oil in a large pot and add the onion. Cook until soft, then stir in the garlic.

STEP 2: Add the Italian seasoning to the pot, along with the broth, marinara, and tomato sauce. Then add in your spaghetti.

STEP 3: Stir the spaghetti until it softens enough to fit into the pot where it is all covered with liquid. This will take a couple of minutes. Place the lid on the pot and cook until the pasta is al dente, stirring it every few minutes to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

STEP 4: Once the pasta is soft, add the cream cheese and parmesan. You’ll want to taste it at this point and add salt and pepper, if needed.

Tips and Tricks

If the pasta has soaked up all of the liquid and you want to loosen it a bit, you can add more broth.

This does not make a really “saucy” spaghetti. If you want, you can add in some extra marinara to make it saucier. You can add it before you add the pasta, or you can wait until after the pasta has cooked and then add as much as you’d like.

I like to top this with extra parmesan and some parsley. And of course the meatballs!

Storage and Leftovers

Any leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container. They can be saved for 3-4 days.

When you are reheating the leftovers, you will most likely need to add some liquid. You can add water or more broth.

You can reheat in the microwave, or on the stove top.

More Favorite Pasta Recipes

Cowboy Spaghetti
Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Baked Mac and Cheese

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Creamy One Pot Spaghetti with Meatballs

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Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

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This Creamy One Pot Spaghetti with Meatballs is an easy weeknight dinner that the whole family will go crazy for! It’s filled with flavor, and is all made in one pot, making clean up so much easier!

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped onion
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cup prepared marinara sauce
• ▢ 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• ▢ 12 oz thin spaghetti
• ▢ 4 oz cream cheese cut into cubes and softened
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ salt and pepper if needed
• ▢ 16-20 meatballs cooked or warmed (can use frozen or homemade)

Instructions

• In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic the last minute and cook until fragrant.
  1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic
• Add the Italian seasoning, chicken broth, marinara, and tomato sauce.
  1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning, 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, 1 cup prepared marinara sauce, 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring, until the spaghetti has softened enough to be covered in the sauce. Place the lid on the pot and cook until the pasta is al dente, 15-20 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  12 oz thin spaghetti
• Once the pasta is al dente, add the cream cheese and the parmesan. Stir until the cheeses have melted and are fully incorporated. Taste, and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
  4 oz cream cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper
• Serve the pasta topped with the meatballs.
  16-20 meatballs

Recipe Notes:

You can also use beef broth, but I always think that chicken broth has more flavor.

Add more broth or marinara for a saucier pasta.

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should be used as a general guide. Nutrition information does not include the meatballs.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 388kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 53g (18%), Protein: 12g (24%), Fat: 14g (22%), Saturated Fat: 6g (38%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 29mg (10%), Sodium: 921mg (40%), Potassium: 338mg (10%), Fiber: 4g (17%), Sugar: 9g (10%)

Keywords: one pot meal, one pot spaghetti