Cowboy Spaghetti

In the 1960s and ’70s, Italian film directors began making low-budget Western movies that were dubbed “spaghetti Westerns.” Cowboy spaghetti is the culinary equivalent: a mashup of cozy Italian staple foods with flavors from the American Southwest. This ground beef pasta recipe makes a fantastic centerpiece to any family meal, served alongside a big green salad, vegetable sides and garlic bread.

Our recipe for cowboy spaghetti combines pasta and tomato sauce with bacon, ground beef, beans, chili-spiced tomatoes, cumin and pepper jack cheese. The result is a bold one-pot meal that’s hearty enough to satisfy the hungriest members of your crew. It makes a great work-night dinner, pairs perfectly with a ball game and is a happy surprise at a potluck.

Ingredients for Cowboy Spaghetti

• Spaghetti: Spaghetti is in the name, but this meal would be just as fantastic if made with linguine or fettuccine. A short, chunky pasta shape such as penne would also work perfectly.
• Bacon: Rendering the fat from smoky bacon and using that fat to cook the other ingredients is a wonderful way to pack flavor into a dish. Thick-cut is the best bacon to use for our cowboy spaghetti recipe so you get good chunks throughout the pasta.
• Lean ground beef: Because you’ll be cooking the beef in bacon fat, you can get away with using a nice lean grind.
• Onion: Yellow or white onions are the best types of onions for casseroles like this, but red onion works in a pinch.
• Kidney beans: Home-cooked or canned kidney beans work equally well in a recipe for cowboy spaghetti. You could also use pinto beans or Instant Pot black beans.
• Tomato sauce: Use the best jarred pasta sauce to make an amazingly flavorful base for your cowboy spaghetti.
• Diced tomatoes and green chiles: Look for chili-seasoned tomatoes and green chiles. Or, simply combine a can of regular diced tomatoes, a can of mild green chiles and a couple extra dashes of chili powder.
• Chili powder: Every brand is different, but chili powder usually includes paprika, oregano, garlic and onion powders, and cumin. It gives a smoky, rich and earthy flavor to food.
• Worcestershire sauce: A surprise ingredient that is neither Italian nor American, Worcestershire sauce has a savory, tangy flavor that enhances whatever it touches.
• Spices: Although all three are ingredients in chili powder, extra cumin, dried oregano and garlic powder are called for in this recipe for cowboy spaghetti. These flavors are emphasized in the sauce.
• Pepper jack cheese: Perfectly melty and mild but with a kick, pepper jack is a fantastic topping for a casserole. Buy a block and shred it yourself, as pre-shredded cheese often has additives that prevent it from melting well.
• Green onions: Just before serving, sprinkle green onions or scallions on the finished cowboy spaghetti recipe for an extra bit of flavor.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the spaghetti

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions.

Editor’s Tip: Because you’ll continue to cook the spaghetti in the sauce and then bake it in the oven, it’s good to cook the spaghetti to al dente in this first step.

Step 2: Make the sauce

TASTE OF HOME

In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove it with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Add the beef and onion to the drippings and cook, stirring, until the beef is no longer pink, five to seven minutes, breaking down the meat into smaller crumbles as you go.

TASTE OF HOME

Stir in the beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano and garlic powder.

Step 3: Build the spaghetti casserole

TASTE OF HOME

Drain the spaghetti and stir it into the skillet.

TASTE OF HOME

Add 1-1/2 cups cheese and half the bacon. Top with the remaining 1-1/2 cups cheese.

Step 4: Bake the cowboy spaghetti

TASTE OF HOME

Bake the casserole until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with the remaining bacon and the green onions.

SARAH TRAMONTE FOR TASTE OF HOME

Cowboy Spaghetti Variations

• Use a different protein: This casserole is very flexible, so don’t be afraid to swap ingredients and tweak things to your liking. For instance, the dish would work well with ground pork or turkey instead of beef. For extra-big flavor, find a pound of uncased Mexican-style chorizo, which tastes of smoked paprika and garlic.
• Swap the beans: Prefer black or pinto beans to kidney beans? That’s an easy one-to-one swap.
• Change up the cheese: For less heat, use creamy Monterey Jack cheese in place of the pepper jack, or try any kind of cheddar, from mild to sharp. You could also use crumbly Cotija cheese (the same cheese used to make Mexican street corn).
• Add some veg: This recipe for cowboy spaghetti would be great with some baby spinach stirred in. Fresh or frozen sweet corn would be another excellent addition.

How to Store Cowboy Spaghetti

Store your leftover casserole in an airtight container in the fridge. Because the dish has boldly flavored ingredients, a glass container is preferable—it will not pick up any lingering flavors.

How long does cowboy spaghetti last?

As with most leftovers, you can keep the leftovers from this cowboy spaghetti recipe in the fridge for up to four days.

Can you freeze cowboy spaghetti?

Yes, you can freeze cowboy spaghetti, but the pasta’s texture will be slightly different after freezing and reheating. Freeze the leftovers in individual portions, using freezer-safe containers or zip-top bags, and thaw them in the fridge overnight before using.

How do you reheat cowboy spaghetti?

You can reheat portions of cowboy spaghetti in the oven at 350°, covered with foil, or in the microwave until warmed through.

Can you make cowboy spaghetti ahead of time?

Cowboy spaghetti is best when freshly baked, but you can prepare it through Step 3 and then heat the whole casserole in the oven before serving. Store the pan of spaghetti in the fridge up to one day in advance, let it warm up on the counter for a few minutes while preheating the oven, and then bake it, covered, until the center is nice and hot and the cheese is gooey.

Cowboy Spaghetti Tips

SARAH TRAMONTE FOR TASTE OF HOME

How else can you make cowboy spaghetti?

If you don’t have a cast-iron pan to make cowboy spaghetti, use another oven-safe skillet, such as a stainless steel-clad pan. You can also cook the cowboy spaghetti recipe on the stovetop through Step 3, transfer the ingredients to a 13×9-inch baking dish, sprinkle it with cheese and then bake it as instructed.

What can you serve with baked spaghetti?

This recipe for cowboy spaghetti makes a dense, filling entree, so serve it with light veggie side dishes. Three-green salad, overnight slaw, a roasted broccoli and cauliflower combo, or baked zucchini would be perfect pairings.