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Cowboy Spaghetti

Cowboy Spaghetti is a bold, smoky pasta dish made with bacon, ground beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, and melted cheddar cheese, perfect for an easy and satisfying weeknight dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 580
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 12 oz spaghetti
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon chopped
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 8 oz tomato sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon hot sauce
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 1½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 green onions chopped

Method
 

  1. Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente, drain, and set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crispy and reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
  3. Sauté diced onion in the reserved bacon fat until soft, then add garlic and cook briefly.
  4. Add ground beef and cook until browned, then drain excess fat.
  5. Stir in fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt.
  6. Simmer the sauce for 8 to 10 minutes until flavors combine.
  7. Add cooked spaghetti and crispy bacon to the skillet and toss to coat.
  8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the pasta, cover, and let melt.
  9. Garnish with chopped green onions and serve hot.

Notes

Reserve some pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed and avoid overcooking the pasta to keep the texture perfect.