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Chicago-Style Spaghetti

Chicago style spaghetti piled high with a fragrant spiced beef sauce that’s warm with cinnamon and allspice, then finished with shredded cheddar, diced onion, and kidney beans. This easy ground beef pasta simmers until rich and aromatic for a classic Midwest-style dinner feel.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 950
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Spiced beef sauce
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
  • 1 medium onion finely diced, plus extra for topping
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 0.25 salt and pepper to taste
  • 0.25 black pepper and salt to taste
Assembly
  • 1 lb spaghetti cooked
  • 1 shredded cheddar
  • 1 white onion diced for topping
  • 1 kidney beans
  • 1 oyster crackers for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef and build the sauce
  1. Brown the ground beef with the finely diced onion in a large pot over medium-high heat, then drain excess fat.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
  4. Simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes until the sauce is rich and aromatic.
Serve
  1. Serve the meat sauce over the cooked spaghetti in deep bowls.
  2. Top with shredded cheddar, diced white onion, and kidney beans.
  3. Serve with oyster crackers on the side.

Notes

For the best texture, simmer the sauce uncovered until it thickens slightly, then taste and adjust salt and pepper before serving. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop. Freezing is not recommended for the assembled spaghetti, but you can freeze the meat sauce up to 2 months. For a lighter option, use lean ground beef (or ground turkey) and add a splash of water to keep the sauce silky as it reheats.