World's BEST Spaghetti RAO’s Homemade Marinara

World's Best Spaghetti with the world's best pasta sauce using Rao's Homemade Marinara. A quick and easy dinner made with the most basic ingredients.

Prep time: PT10M

Cook time: PT20M

Total time: PT30M

Rating

4.8 stars (62 reviews)

Keywords

Pasta, Rao's Marinara Sauce, Spaghetti

Ingredients

pot of water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 medium onion (finely chopped)
32 ounces Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
2 handfuls fresh basil (julienned)
1/2 cup reserved pasta water (add more if needed)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)
fresh basil

Cuisine

Italian

Steps

Step 1 - Prep
- Start by heating a pot of water for your pasta. In the meantime, finely chop an onion and 4 cloves of garlic.
- Add uncooked spaghetti to boiling water along with salt. Follow the directions on the package and cook until al dente.
Step 2 - Cook the Pasta
- Heat a pot on medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Once the pepper flakes sizzle for about 10 seconds, add garlic. Saute for 20 seconds.
- Now add onions. Season with a little salt. Saute for a 3-4 minutes until golden.
- Add the Rao’s Marinara sauce - you'll need 32 ounces of sauce for this recipe. It's amazing so hope you're using it.
- Season with 1/2 tsp of black pepper and salt to taste. Stir.
- Cover with a lid for about 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, check on the spaghetti - should be done or close to it.
- Now add all the pasta to the sauce.
- Toss well. Add 1/2 cup of reserved starchy pasta water - more if needed. Toss. Turn off the stove. Season with salt or black pepper as needed.
- Add the basil. Toss some more.
- Add parmesan cheese. Toss. This makes it nice and creamy.
- Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese. It's insanely good.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 463 kcal
Carbohydrates: 81 g
Protein: 20 g
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 7 mg
Sodium: 1039 mg
Sugar: 8 g

Reviews

Curr on 2026-01-10 (2 stars):
Way way way too much garlic and red pepper. My stomach is burning. Cut that about a 1/4 and it would be good recipe
Rick on 2025-12-09 (5 stars):
I've been making spaghetti sauce this same way with Rao's Arrabbiata for many years. However I always add at least a half pound of cooked and crumbled hot Italian sausage. Next level awsome good.
Sharon Martinenko on 2025-10-26 (5 stars):
perfect
Brittany on 2025-07-28 (5 stars):
I use this recipe all the time! Family loves it.
Julie Abbott on 2025-01-29 (5 stars):
Very delicious I served with homemade Italian meatballs! Highly recommend
Katherine Kapotsy on 2025-01-19 (5 stars):
I am hunting for super budget-friendly meal that take few ingredients. This one is a WINNER. Restaurant quality, fed my family of six plus two others. I added ground beef, and didn't have parmesan so no cheese. I added about 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes. But basically followed the remainder of this recipe. SO YUM!
Stephanie on 2024-02-22 (5 stars):
This was amazing! I added ground beef to the sauce, it was delicious!
Karen Johnson on 2023-05-30 (5 stars):
I made this for my husband and I this past weekend and it was the best spaghetti we have ever had. I prefer a meat sauce so I added ground beef and then followed the recipe as written. This spaghetti is better than any Italian restaurant we have eaten at.
Jasmine on 2023-05-16 (5 stars):
Just Delicious YUM
Joy on 2022-12-28 (5 stars):
Delicious and easy to prepare. I added lean ground beef to it for more protein
Toni on 2022-10-22 (5 stars):
Simple and delicious! I usually make tomato sauce from scratch but some nights I just want something easy. This recipe is great.
Brandy on 2022-08-06 (5 stars):
Quick, easy and delicious! What more could you ask for?! I discovered Rao’s two years ago when Costco had it on sale. OMG this stuff is the best! There is absolutely no comparison! I pair this with a salad or bread and I have one happy family! I have found that 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes is the right amount for some of my spice sensitive family members.