Viral “Dirty Spaghetti”
If you’ve been on food TikTok at all in the last year, you already know about dirty spaghetti. This is that dish. The one that keeps stopping your scroll every time it comes up. It sticks to your ribs in the best way and has you going back for another bowl before you’ve even finished the first one. Deep, rich flavor in every single bite with the sauce gripping every strand of noodle from start to finish.
What separates this from regular spaghetti is the sauce. You’re not working with a light, clean tomato base and this dish is not trying to be delicate. The andouille sausage brings a smokiness that carries through the whole pot. And there is one ingredient in this recipe that catches people off guard every single time. Once you taste what it does, you’ll understand why this thing blew up the way it did.
I want to be upfront about something. This is not my original recipe. It took off on TikTok in a major way and people were losing it over how good it was. I saw it enough times that I had to try it for myself and once I did I knew I had to put my own spin on it. What you’re getting is my version of it and the way I built it out in my kitchen.
Before anything else, take your time on the prep. Get everything chopped, measured and ready before you even turn the burner on. This is a dump and go recipe once you start cooking so you want to be organized going in. Front end prep makes the actual cook smooth and stress-free.
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Whether you’re just learning to cook or looking to level up, I’m here to make it easy and delicious.
Dirty Spaghetti
Difficulty: Easy4-6
20
minutes20
minutes (Total 50 minutes)Deep, rich flavor in every single bite with the sauce gripping every strand of noodle from start to finish.
Ingredients
Pasta
- Spaghetti Noodles - 1 Lb (Cooked Just Under Al Dente, Pasta Water Reserved)
Proteins
- Ground Beef - 1 Lb
- Smoked Andouille Sausage - 10 Oz, Chopped
Vegetables
- Celery - 2 Stalks, Diced
- Onion - 1/2, Diced
- Bell Pepper - 1 (Half Red, Half Orange), Diced
- Garlic - 2 Cloves, Minced
Sauce & Liquids
- Beef Broth - 1 Cup
- Diced Tomatoes - 8 Oz
- Tomato Paste - 1 1/2 Tbsp
- Worcestershire Sauce - 1 Tbsp
- Flour - 2 1/2 Tbsp
- Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Packet - 1
Seasonings
- Complete Seasoning - 1 Tsp
- Garlic Powder - 1 Tsp
- Cajun Seasoning - 1 Tsp
- White Pepper - 1 Tsp
- Italian Seasoning - 2 Tsp
Garnish
- Parmesan Cheese
Prep:
Before you start cooking, get everything ready to go. Chop the celery, onion and bell pepper and mince your garlic. Dice the andouille sausage into bite-sized pieces. Cook your spaghetti just under al dente and set a cup of pasta water aside before you drain it. Measure out all your seasonings so they’re already in reach. This dish moves fast once it starts and you don’t want to be scrambling mid-cook.
Cooking:
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chopped andouille sausage until it gets crispy on the edges. Pull it out of the pan and set it to the side.
In that same pan, add the ground beef and brown it. Do not drain the grease. That fat stays in the pan and it is doing a lot of the heavy lifting in this sauce. Season the beef with the complete seasoning, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, white pepper and Italian seasoning and stir everything together.
Add in the celery, onion and bell pepper and let them cook down for a few minutes. Then add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, stirring until it’s well incorporated.
Add the diced tomatoes and the andouille sausage back into the pan. Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir it in to start thickening up the base.
Pour in the beef broth and drop in the Lipton beefy onion soup packet. That packet is the secret weapon in this whole dish. Stir everything together and let it simmer for a few minutes so the sauce can develop and deepen.
Add the spaghetti noodles into the pan and toss until the sauce thickens and clings to the noodles. If you need to loosen it up a bit, add a splash of that reserved pasta water and keep stirring until you hit the right consistency. Plate it up and finish with a little fresh Parmesan on top.
TIPS AND TRICKS:
-Do not drain the grease from the ground beef. It is intentional and it is what makes the sauce so rich. Leave it in there.
-Cook the spaghetti just under al dente since it will finish cooking in the sauce. You do not want it getting too soft.
-Reserve a cup of pasta water before you drain. It is the easiest way to adjust your sauce consistency at the end without watering down the flavor.
-Sear the andouille sausage first and set it aside so it stays crispy. Adding it back in later keeps the texture right.
-Do not skip the Lipton beefy onion soup packet. That is the ingredient that makes this dish.
-Prep everything before you start cooking. This dish moves fast and having everything ready makes the whole process smooth.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS:
-A simple side salad works really well with this. Nothing over the top, just something fresh to balance out how hearty the pasta is.
-A Hawaiian roll or a slice of garlic bread on the side for soaking up that sauce is always a good call.
-You can also just eat this on its own and be completely satisfied.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Can I use a different type of sausage?
You can but smoked andouille is really the move for this one. The smokiness it brings is a big part of what makes the sauce work. If you can’t find it, a smoked kielbasa would be the closest substitute.
Do I really not drain the grease from the ground beef?
Correct, leave it in the pan. It sounds like a lot but that fat is part of the flavor and it makes the sauce rich in a way you can’t replicate otherwise. If you’re truly concerned you can tilt the pan and spoon off just a little but do not drain it all the way.
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Spaghetti works really well because the long thin noodles hold onto the sauce. You could try penne or rigatoni and it would still be good but the experience is a little different.
What is Lipton Beefy Onion Soup mix?
It is a dry soup mix packet you can find in the soup aisle at most grocery stores. It adds this savory, onion-forward depth that ties the whole dish together. It is one of those ingredients that sounds simple but does a lot.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. This reheats really well and the flavors actually get better the next day. When reheating on the stove, add a small splash of beef broth or water to loosen it back up.
