If Dirty Spaghetti has been showing up all over your social media feed lately, you’re not alone. It kept popping up on mine, and eventually I had to find out what all the fuss was about. As it turns out, this viral dish is one trend worth trying.

Dirty Spaghetti takes its inspiration from dirty rice, the Louisiana favorite known for its rich, savory flavor and signature blend of meat, vegetables and Creole seasoning. But instead of rice, spaghetti noodles get tossed into a hearty, almost gravy-like sauce loaded with ground beef, Italian sausage, peppers, onion, celery and plenty of seasoning.

And don’t let the name fool you. There’s nothing dirty about it! The name comes from the traditional dirty rice technique, where meat, seasonings and cooking juices give white rice its characteristic “dirty” color. In this pasta version, beef broth, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce combine with the meat and vegetables to create that same deep, savory flavor.

This definitely isn’t your usual red-sauce spaghetti. It’s rich, meaty, a little spicy and packed with flavor — somewhere between spaghetti night and a big bowl of Louisiana comfort food.

Dirty Spaghetti

Ingredients

  • 1 LBS Spaghetti Noodles, cooked, reserve 1 cup pasta water
  • 1 LBS Ground Beef
  • 1 LBS Ground Mild Italian Sausage
  • 1 Green Pepper, diced
  • 1 Red Pepper, diced
  • 1 Small Onion, diced
  • ½ cup Celery, diced
  • 1 TBS Garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp Creole Seasoning
  • 1 TBS Italian Seasoning
  • 4 TBS Flour
  • 2 TBS Tomato Paste
  • 2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
  • 3 cups Beef Broth
  • ½ to 1 cup of Pasta Water

Directions

  1. Cook 1 LBS Spaghetti Noodles according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
  2. Brown ground beef and Italian Sausage. Do not drain.
  3. Add green pepper, red pepper, onion and celery. Cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Add 1 TBS of minced garlic.
  5. Add Creole seasoning, Italian Seasoning and mix well.
  6. Add 4 TBS of Flour. Cook 3-4 minutes.
  7. Add Tomato Paste and Worcestershire Sauce.
  8. Add in Beef Broth and pasta water until desired consistency.
  9. Mix well and serve immediately.

Food Fairy Tips

  • Don’t drain that meat. The drippings from the ground beef and sausage are part of the flavor base for the sauce. They’re also important because the flour is added directly to the meat mixture to help thicken the sauce.
  • Give the vegetables their five minutes. Adding the peppers, onion and celery to the browned meat lets them soften while picking up all those flavorful drippings. The onion, celery and bell pepper combination is a nod to the “holy trinity” that forms the foundation of so many Cajun and Creole dishes.
  • Cook the flour. Once you add the flour, give it the full three to four minutes called for in the recipe. This cooks away the raw flour taste and helps create the rich, gravy-like consistency you’re looking for.
  • Save that pasta water! Before draining your spaghetti, scoop out at least a cup. Start by adding about ½ cup to the sauce and add more as needed. The starchy water loosens the sauce while helping it cling to the noodles.
  • Watch the salt. Creole seasoning, Italian sausage, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth all bring salt to the party. Taste the finished sauce before reaching for the salt shaker.
  • Adjust the heat to your crowd. Mild Italian sausage keeps this version family-friendly, but if you like a little more kick, use hot Italian sausage or add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes.

Search ingredients at FOOD CITY.

Simple recipes. Big flavor. Little fuss. Aneisa Rolen shares easy-to-follow recipes with companion videos, making home cooking approachable for every cook.

For more free recipes, visit www.foodfairyprep.com or follow Aneisa Rolen on Instagram or Facebook.

Enjoyed this article? Read more Dishing It Out with Aneisa Rolen.

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