• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

A Table Full Of Joy

Delicious food for everyone!

  • Smoked Recipes
  • Summer Recipes
  • All Recipes
  • About & Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Smoked Recipes
  • Summer Recipes
  • All Recipes
  • About & Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Entree

    Fried Spaghetti

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Fried Spaghetti is an easy and delicious spin on a classic that is a great way to elevate your leftovers! This flavorful dish is filled with tasty meat, hearty sauce, and comes together in no time!

    Fried Spaghetti in cast iron pan after reheating
    This is my favorite way to eat spaghetti!
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Whenever we’d go to grandma’s house for dinner, she would make one of two things; salmon croquettes or fried spaghetti. This has become a staple family recipe that I love!

    My dad soon learned the ins and out of the recipe that we all loved and added a few of his touches that has really made this such a delicious weeknight meal!

    What is Fried spaghetti?

    Fried spaghetti is essentially leftover spaghetti fried in a pan the next day with a little water until heated through.

    close up of Fried Spaghetti in bowl
    The noodles are so plump after sitting overnight!

    Can this be made fresh or do you have to use leftover spaghetti?

    There are two ways to make this. You can cook everything up like normal spaghetti then "fry" it right away.  Or, the way I recommend, you can make the spaghetti then let it sit refrigerated overnight and fry it up the next day.

    Both way are great but let me tell you why leftover is spaghetti is the tastiest.

    Why use leftover spaghetti?

    When spaghetti sits over night it absorbs much of the sauce which creates an extra flavorful dish. If made fresh you still get some of that rich flavor much not quite as much as if it sat overnight in the refrigerator.

     

    What you need for Fried Spaghetti:

    • Spaghetti Noodles
    • Spaghetti Sauce
    • Ground Sausage
    • Ground Beef
    • Sliced Mushrooms (optional)
    • Water
    • Garnish: Parmesan Cheese, Basil, Parsley
    Fried Spaghetti ingredients
    You only need a few ingredients to make this tasty meal!

    How to make fried spaghetti?

    • Cook the ground beef and ground sausage, then set aside.
    • Cook noodles according to packet instructions, then drain.
    cooked hamburger and sausage
    Cook meat until brown and cooked through.
    cooked spaghetti noodles
    Make noodles according to the package.
    • Mix in cooked ground beef, cooked ground sausage, mushroom, and spaghetti sauce to the cooked noodles.
    • Cover and refrigerate overnight. However, if you don’t have the time to let it rest you can go straight to frying.
    spaghetti made in pot
    Just mix everything together.
    spaghettie after being refrigerated overnight
    Refrigerate overnight!
    • To fry the spaghetti, get a large fry pan and heat over medium heat. Once hot add a 2-4 tbs of water and a good portion of spaghetti. If you have a lot of spaghetti you might need to work in batches.
    • Make sure to stir frequently so the spaghetti doesn’t burn. Once it’s heated through, garnish with parmesan, basil, or parsley and enjoy!
    Fried Spaghetti in bowl
    Refrigerating overnight is the best way to make this!

    Helpful Tip: If you are letting the spaghetti sit overnight add more sauce than you would if you were eating it fresh. Adding an extra can of spaghetti sauce helps the noodles absorb as much as they can!

    If you want a semi-homemade spaghetti sauce check out my favorite recipe here!

    Secret Ingredient: My dad always adds a few tablespoons of J. Lee Roy’s original sauce when he makes fried spaghetti and says it’s the key to taking this recipe from delicious to crazy good.

    J. Lee Roy’s is mainly found on the west coast so if you live over there make sure to pick some up and try in this recipe! It’s great on chicken, burgers, and hot dogs too!

    How to store fried spaghetti?

    Store any leftovers in an air tight bag in the fridge. Spaghetti lasts between 3-5 days when refrigerated.

    Fried Spaghetti in fork
    It's hard to not get seconds and thirds when I make this!

    What to eat with fried spaghetti?

    Toast up some bread (homemade artisan or store-bought!) and top with butter and garlic or bruschetta, serve alongside a tasty green salad, or some baked brie!

    Variations

    Sauce: Use any of your favorite red sauces, homemade or canned!

    Cheese: While frying add some shredded mozzarella or cheddar for cheesy twist.

    Meat: Use ground buffalo or elk instead of ground beef if you are feeling adventurous.

    Heat: Add red pepper flakes for a little kick.

    If you like this recipe, make sure to check out my other family favorites like easy egg salad, candied bacon, maple brussel sprouts, this tasty orange jello salad!

    Fried Spaghetti pinterest pin
    Don't forget to pin this recipe!

    Want more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

    Fried Spaghetti featured image

    Fried Spaghetti

    Author: Lisa
    Fried Spaghetti is an easy and delicious spin on a classic that is a great way to elevate your leftovers! This flavorful dish is filled with tasty meat, hearty sauce, and comes together in no time!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 5 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6

    Ingredients
      

    • ½ lb Italian sausage
    • ½ lb ground beef or buffalo or elk
    • 4 oz sliced mushrooms
    • 1-2 cans spaghetti sauce 24 oz cans, any flavor you like*
    • 8 oz spaghetti noodles
    • 4 tbs water
    • Garnish with parmesan cheese basil, and parsley

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium fry pan, cook ½ lb Italian sausage and½ lb ground beef or buffalo or elk
      ½ lb Italian sausage, ½ lb ground beef or buffalo or elk
    • Cook spaghetti 8 oz spaghetti noodles according to package instructions.
      8 oz spaghetti noodles
    • Once cooked, drain noodles and add cooked sausage, ground beef, 4 oz sliced mushrooms, and 1-2 cans spaghetti sauce. Mix together.
      4 oz sliced mushrooms, 1-2 cans spaghetti sauce
    • Cover and refrigerate overnight. Allowing the spaghetti to cool overnight helps it absorb the sauce and produces the best result, however, if you don’t have the time to let it rest you can go straight to frying.
    • Heat a medium fry pan or skillet over medium heat. Once hot add 4 tbs water then the spaghetti. Depending on the size of your pan you may need to work in batches. Make sure to keep stirring the spaghetti so it doesn’t burn, flipping occasionally.
      4 tbs water
    • Spaghetti is ready once it’s heated through. Garnish with cheese, basil, and parsley.
      Garnish with parmesan cheese

    Notes

    Tips and Tricks
    • If you want to make your own spaghetti sauce, I recommend this recipe!
    • If you are making this to fry right away you will only need one can of sauce, if you are letting it sit overnight you will want to use 2 cans because the noodles will absorb a lot of sauce overnight.
    • If you live on the west coast pick up some J Lee Roy’s Dipping Sauce and add 2-4 tbs to the spaghetti- this is my dad’s “secret” ingredient that everyone always loves!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 411kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 21gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 1380mgPotassium: 1025mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 982IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 4mg
    Keyword fried spaghetti, leftover spaghetti
    Did you make this recipe?Tag me on Instagram at @atablefullofjoy

    More Entree

    • shake and bake chicken featured image
      Shake and Bake Chicken
    • smoked chicken thighs featured image
      Smoked Chicken Thighs
    • old fashioned salmon patties featured image
      Old Fashioned Salmon Patties Recipe
    • steak quesadilla featured image
      Steak Quesadilla

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Lisa

      April 03, 2023 at 4:27 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Here you will find easy and delicious recipes and helpful posts!

    Trending This Month

    • bad potato held in hand featured image
      How to tell if potatoes are bad?
    • marinated tri tip featured image.
      Tri Tip Marinade
    • featured image for carnitas tacos
      Pork Carnitas Street Tacos
    • slice of lemon meringue pie featured image
      Lemon Meringue Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

    Summer Recipes

    • Wagyu burger featured image
      Wagyu Burger
    • smoked ribeye featured image
      Smoked Ribeye
    • Watermelon Drink featured image
      Watermelon Drink
    • Smoked Queso featured image
      Smoked Queso

    Featured On

    AS seen on Parade, Hearthstone, Yummly, Sam's Club, Congra, Red Tricycle, Chefling App. Foodgawker, Karo

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright Information

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates!

    Contact

    • About Me and Contact Info

    As an Amazon Associate, ThermoWorks Affiliate, and a Berkey Water Filtration Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 A Table Full of Joy

    Copyright © 2023 ·ATableFullofJoy.com ·

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT