Ground Beef Spaghetti Skillet

Back to school. Year thirty-four. My second-to-last year, though nobody at Hodge knows that yet except Mrs. Patterson. I walked into that kitchen Monday morning at five a.m. and I stood in the doorway and I looked at the stoves and the prep stations and the serving line and I thought: one more year, baby. One more year of this kitchen, this work, these children. One more year of standing right here doing the thing I was put on earth to do.

New kindergartners again — tiny humans with oversized backpacks and expressions that range from terrified to ecstatic. I watched them come through the line at lunch, their trays wobbling, their eyes wide at the choices. I gave every one of them extra fruit without being asked because that's who I am and that's who I will be until the last day.

Monique is back at Hodge too — her second year teaching third grade. My granddaughter, teaching in the same building where I cook. On Monday, she brought her class through the cafeteria and one of her students said, "Miss Givens, do you know Miss Dot?" And Monique said, "That's my grandmother." The child's face — pure astonishment. Like finding out your teacher is related to Santa Claus. Monique grinned at me. I grinned back. Two Hendersons in this building. One feeds the body, one feeds the mind. That's a complete operation.

Something else: Monique told me that Denise mentioned I'm thinking about retiring. I had not told Monique. Denise, apparently, cannot keep a secret, which is a character flaw she has had since she was four years old and told the entire church that Daddy hid his beer in the shed. I called Denise. She said, "I only told Monique." I said, "Monique tells Robert, Robert tells the mailman, the mailman tells Savannah." Denise said, "Sorry, Mama." She was not sorry. She was relieved that the news is out. That's Denise. Relieved looks like sorry on her face.

Made spaghetti for dinner — with the hidden-vegetable sauce, same as I make for the children. Because sometimes you want to eat what the kids eat. Sometimes you want food that is simple and good and doesn't require you to think about anything except whether you have enough parmesan.

Now go on and feed somebody.

The sauce I make at Hodge has carrots and zucchini and bell pepper blended right in — nobody argues with vegetables they cannot see, and that is a philosophy I stand behind at home just as much as at school. After a first day back that gave me everything — wobbling trays, wide eyes, Monique’s grin, and Denise’s apology that was not really an apology — I did not want to think about dinner. I wanted a skillet and a pot and something that would be done before I finished my second glass of sweet tea. This is that recipe.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
1 medium zucchini, grated
1 medium carrot, grated
1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
8 oz spaghetti, broken in half
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions

Brown the beef. In a large deep skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it apart, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Soften the vegetables. Add the onion, zucchini, carrot, and bell pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Build the sauce. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix well so the grated vegetables are fully incorporated into the sauce.
Add the pasta and broth. Nestle the broken spaghetti into the skillet and pour the beef broth over everything. Stir to submerge the pasta as much as possible. Bring to a boil.
Simmer until done. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 10–12 minutes, stirring every few minutes to keep the pasta from sticking, until spaghetti is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Finish and serve. Stir in the Parmesan, taste and adjust seasoning, and serve straight from the skillet. Pass extra Parmesan at the table.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ground Beef Spaghetti Skillet — The Same Pot I Make for the Children