Cowboy Spaghetti

5 from 6 votes
19 Comments

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If you have never tried cowboy spaghetti before, now is the time! It is so flavorful and loaded with meats like bacon, beef, pastrami, and pepperoni!

Cowboy Spaghetti in a large bowl.
Featured with this recipe
  1. Easy Cowboy Spaghetti Ingredients
  2. How to Make the Best Cowboy Spaghetti
  3. Frequently Asked Questions
  4. More Italian Favorite Foods
  5. Cowboy Spaghetti Recipe

Hello! Protein lovers! You can’t go wrong when you take an already popular, delicious dish like spaghetti, and add bacon, pastrami, pepperoni, and ground beef. This cowboy spaghetti recipe is a man-pleaser, for sure! It has all the goods plus the flavor!

Every spaghetti lover needs to try this cowboy version. Make this dinner for your friends and family. They will be raving over how delicious it is! For the most flavor and intense dinner, stir the spaghetti noodles and sauce together for an amazing combination!

Easy Cowboy Spaghetti Ingredients

Don’t let the ingredient list scare you! This list is full of flavor! You need every ingredient to keep the cowboy theme. It is perfect for hearty men, gives all the flavor for the ladies, and kids love the combination of it all! It is the perfect combination!

  • Spaghetti noodles – Cook the noodles very last. This will ensure that the noodles are fresh and not stuck together while waiting for the sauce to cook. You will want your noodles al dente.
  • Bacon – Cook bacon and then remove it from the pan. Cut the crisp bacon into smaller bite-sized pieces. The cooked bacon crumbles will be added back to the sauce.
  • Ground beef – Lean ground beef will be cooked separately. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
  • Onion – Chop the onion into small pieces.
  • Garlic cloves – Mince the garlic and cook in the pan.
  • Tabasco sauce – Added for heat! Use as much or as little as you need depending on who you are serving.
  • Worcestershire sauce – Always a fun condiment sauce to add to any dish. Worcestershire is a brown liquid filled with a salty, zesty, and sweet flavoring.
  • Pastrami – Deli pastrami that is roughly chopped.
  • Pepperoni – Chopped into pieces.
  • Jalapeno – A spicy ingredient that can be left out or added in for heat.
  • Mushrooms – Slice the mushrooms thin and cut them up.
  • Olives – Sliced olives in a can are the easiest! Drain the olives and add them to the sauce.
  • Beef broth – Gives the sauce flavored liquid that helps blend it all together.
  • Roasted diced tomatoes – Add flavor and builds the sauce up. You do not need to drain the canned tomatoes.
  • Tomato sauce – Thickens the sauce with flavor and gives it Italian authenticity.
  • Cheddar cheese – A cheesy goodness that melts right over the spaghetti.
  • Green onions – Top it with green onions for an extra crunch and zing!

How to Make the Best Cowboy Spaghetti

You can’t go wrong with this hearty and delicious cowboy spaghetti dinner. It is full of flavor and has so much texture within the noodles. You can either combine the noodles and sauce together or layer the spaghetti and then add the sauce on top!

  1. Fry bacon – Heat a large deep skillet to medium-high heat. Add bacon and fry until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. In the same skillet add ground beef.
  2. Brown beef – Take the beef and cook it until it is brown. Stir in onions and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce.
  3. Combine – Stir in bacon, pastrami, pepperoni, jalapeno, mushrooms, and olives. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
  4. Simmer – Add beef broth and cook for an additional 5 minutes or so. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and reduce heat to low.
  5. Cook Noodles – Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles well, add to meat sauce, and toss it all together (or you can serve with the sauce over the top). Top with sharp cheddar cheese and green onions.

“This recipe pleases the entire family!! Thanks so much for making my family happy at the dinner table.”

-Renee

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make this in the slow cooker?

Yes! Cook the bacon and the ground beef separately. Then throw the rest of the ingredients into a slow cooker. Cook on low heat for a few hours. If it gets too thick, add another can of fire-roasted tomatoes and a little more beef broth.

Where is spaghetti originally from?

It is said that spaghetti noodles were introduced to Sicily in the 8th century. Noodles were also made of wheat and eggs in the Mediterranean world.

More Italian Favorite Foods

If you are looking to make this part of an Italian feast, there are a few great ways to make that happen. Italian is always a favorite meal to add in weekly and we have several options to choose from. See which ones are your favorites!

Cowboy Spaghetti in a large bowl

Cowboy Spaghetti

5 from 6 votes
If you have never tried Cowboy Spaghetti before, now is the time! It is so flavorful and loaded with meats like bacon, beef, pastrami, and pepperoni!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat a large deep skillet to medium-high heat. Add bacon and fry until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels.
  • In the same skillet add ground beef. When beef is browned stir in onions and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Stir in bacon, pastrami, pepperoni, jalapeno, mushrooms, and olives. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes.
  • Add beef broth and cook for an additional 5 minutes or so. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and reduce heat to low (at this point you can also throw everything in a crock pot and cook on low heat for a few hours. If it gets too thick, add another can of fire-roasted tomatoes and a little more beef broth).
  • Prepare spaghetti noodles according to package directions. Drain noodles well, add to meat sauce, and toss it all together (or you can serve with the sauce over the top). Top with sharp cheddar cheese and green onions.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 798kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 39gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 2259mgPotassium: 954mgFiber: 6gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 550IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 5mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    My wife and I both loved this! Really unique flavors and texture from the pastrami and pepperoni. I moved it to the crockpot for two hours and the house smelled fantastic! I pre-heated a deep iron skillet and moved as much as I could to it and covered it in cheddar then baked at 350 for 30 minutes. The cheese and some bits baked to the sides which were a bonus treat. We will make this again as soon as we have our next set of visitors. Thank you so much for sharing.

  2. 5 stars
    I ate this often growing up and hadn’t thought to serve it to my family until I found your recipe. Thanks for bringing back such yummy memories! We loved this spaghetti and can’t wait to have it again. So easy. So delicious.

  3. 5 stars
    This recipe pleases the entire family!! Thanks so much for making my family happy at the dinner table.

  4. 5 stars
    It’s in the crock now, and the smell is out of this world! It will definitely be a big hit with this Arizona, Family!

  5. How many servings will it make? I think it looks amazing and I’d like to make it for my husband’s 50th birthday party.

  6. I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and I really enjoyed it. So many yummy flavors all in one. Thanks for sharing.