Cowboy Spaghetti

Cowboy Spaghetti is a western twist on the usual spaghetti. It’s kind of a mix of tacos, chili, with noodles. Is it hearty enough for you?

Cowboy Spaghetti

Before our move, I had to try to use up what was in our pantry. I really didn’t want to have to move more stuff than we had to – and believe me, we moved a lot of stuff! You know what they say, right? Necessity is the mother of invention! Let me tell you, it is the truth!

I had some random stuff in my pantry and wanted to make a “different kind of pasta dish” to use up some of the stuff I had. Now, I don’t know about your family, but mine will eat most anything that has noodles in it! I also knew I wanted something with a little kick …. and maybe borderline Tex-Mex because, we were moving to Arizona after all! I didn’t necessarily want a runny sauce like traditional spaghetti sauce – but something a little more chunky and rugged. 

To tell the truth, I have no idea what cowboys ate .. or do eat. This dish just reminded me of something they would eat. I threw this together and it was a hit with the family! The sauce is reminiscent of cross between a less liquid chili and a taco-y kind of mix – if that makes any sense? Any who – I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine! 🙂

Other recipes you may enjoy

• Cowboy Beans
• Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
• Homemade Spaghetti-O’s Recipe
• Taco Spaghetti
• Instant Pot Spaghetti

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Servings: 8 servings

Cowboy Spaghetti

By Jamie Sherman

To tell the truth, I have no idea what cowboys ate .. or do eat. This dish just reminded me of something they would eat. I threw this together and it was a hit with the family! The sauce is reminiscent of cross between a less liquid chili and a taco-y kind of mix – if that makes any sense? Any who – I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine! 🙂

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

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For the sauce

• ▢ 2 pounds ground beef
• ▢ 1 large onion, chopped
• ▢ 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
• ▢ 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained, 15 oz. each
• ▢ 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, undrained, 10 oz.
• ▢ 1 can tomato sauce, 8 oz.
• ▢ 1 can black beans, drained, 15 oz.
• ▢ 3 tablespoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon pepper
• ▢ ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon oregano
• ▢ pinch cayenne powder, optional
• ▢ spaghetti noodles

Suggested toppings

• ▢ shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream, black olives, green onions, avocados, chopped tomatoes, crushed Fritos

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Instructions 

• In a large skillet, brown and crumble the beef with the onion and green pepper until the meat is no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Add remaining sauce ingredients and cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
• To serve, top cooked noodles with sauce and any desired toppings.

Notes

• Customize the dish by trying new types of beans or plain tomatoes without peppers!

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 897mg, Potassium: 1079mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 1358IU, Vitamin C: 31mg, Calcium: 117mg, Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally published on April 11, 2013. Updated on April 22, 2021.