Beef Ragù Spaghetti
with Zucchini, Parmesan, and Pepperolio
- Wheat
- Soy
- Milk
Spaghetti with tomato sauce is always a recipe for success. Is there anyone who’d turn down a plate of noodles piled high and dusted with cheese? Surely not, although adding some extra meat and veg certainly makes it all the more crave-able. Which is exactly what we’re doing: taking a tried-and-true Italian American classic and giving it hearty ground beef and bites of tender zucchini.
Ingredients
1 unit
Zucchini
1 unit
Yellow Onion
2 clove
Garlic
¼ ounce
Thyme
10 ounce
Ground Beef
6 ounce
Spaghetti
(Contains: Wheat)
2 tablespoon
Soy Sauce
(Contains: Soy, Wheat)
½ tablespoon
Italian Seasoning
1 box
Crushed Tomatoes
¼ cup
Parmesan Cheese
(Contains: Milk)
1 teaspoon
Pepperolio
Not included in your delivery
1 teaspoon
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
Wash and dry all produce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Quarter zucchini lengthwise, then cut into ½-inch pieces. Halve, peel, and dice onion. Mince garlic. Strip 2 tsp thyme leaves from stems; discard stems. Roughly chop leaves.
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add beef, breaking up meat into pieces. Cook, tossing, until browned but not yet cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Carefully scoop out and reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
Add onion and zucchini to pan with beef. Cook, tossing, until softened, about 5 minutes. Toss in garlic, thyme, soy sauce, and half the Italian seasoning (use the other half as you like). Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add tomatoes and reserved pasta cooking water to pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until thick and saucy, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. TIP: If you have time, let the ragù simmer longer. It’ll just get better!
Add spaghetti to pan with ragù and toss to combine. Divide everything between plates, then sprinkle with Parmesan. Drizzle with pepperolio (to taste—it’s spicy).
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Mar 2026- Flavor: Many loved the rich, flavorful sauce, though some found it a bit bland and added extra seasoning.
- Ease of prep: Customers praised how quick and easy this dish was to prepare, with simple instructions.
- Suggestions: Consider adding more herbs, garlic, or tomato paste for deeper flavor. Some enjoyed mixing in Italian sausage.
- Portions: Generous servings often provided leftovers, though a few wanted more sauce relative to pasta.
- Veggies: The zucchini was a hit for sneaking in extra nutrition, but some preferred to leave it out.
Reviews from our home cooks
This spaghetti was so good! I did add some extra seasoning (pepper, salt, red pepper flakes). I also sauteed the garlic, onions before cooking the ground beef. I served this meal with caesar salad & garlic bread. My entire family loved this dinner, would order again!
Amazing! I don't like zucchini, so I blended the tomato paste, marinara sauce, and the zucchini together and it was much easier for me to eat. It was the best thing I've eaten in a LONGGG time!
Easy and quick! I never would have thought to add zucchini to spaghetti but it was delicious and a great way to sneak a vegetable in!
Great flavors and easy too! Just make sure you put in the zucchini at the very last or it turns to soft mush and disappears into the sauce!
This was quick, easy, and tasty. We were able to divide it into 3 healthy portions so had a lunch portion the next day. Loved lots of zucchini, could use a bit more cheese or mozzarella instead of parm for a better overall flavor.
This is always good. However the grated zucchini just makes it mushy and the zucchini gets lost. We chop it into half circles and it's instantly better. Gives a little texture and you can actually taste the zucchini.
Absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! Hit the spot when I was craving spaghetti, loved the add of zucchini noodles to sneak in a veggie!
Was a great variant from regular spaghetti loved the zucchini in it. Creamy and sooo flavorful
The ragu is wonderful. It was quick and easy with Italian flavors one could not beat.
The meal was very good, but I found that I had to add more of my pasta sauce to the ragu. What was provided did not seem to be enough for the four servings.
