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Skillet Pasta on the Grill: Hearty Spaghetti & Meatsauce Dinner

ByTheresa Huse
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Ready to enjoy a hearty spaghetti and meat sauce dinner without ever stepping near your stove? Whether you're camping, tackling a kitchen remodel, or just want to keep the heat outside on a summer day, this Skillet Pasta on the Grill recipe is your answer.

I never expected to be grilling so often this fall! After our kitchen flooded, we are still in the design phase before we start remodeling. Luckily, recipes like this are versatile and useful for many other meals as well. You can totally use this recipe and cook it on a stovetop instead of the grill if you want to.

This method is simple to master, quick to make using two aluminum pans, and the result is a deeply flavorful meal cooked completely outdoors. Grab your favorite large spoon, and let's get this delicious grilled pasta started!

skillet pasta cooked on the grill or you can cook the grill. pasta noodles cooking on one side and pasta sauce on the other side, both in aluminum pans, and bottom photo of grilling the ground beef

Ingredients for Skillet Spaghetti on the Grill

Ingredients for Skillet Spaghetti on the Grill green bell pepper, white onion, red pepper, ground beef, olive oil, herbs and spices, tomato sauce in a jar, pasta noodles, and parmesan cheese

Garnishes: Parmesan Cheese for garnishing.

Aluminum pans for cooking the sauce and boiling the water. Aluminum foil for covering the water.

Step-by-Step Directions for Grilled Skillet Pasta

Step-by-Step images of making Skillet Spaghetti on the Grill. ground beef and peppers grilling, cooking pasta noodles and sauce, and secondary meal burgers.

Prep and Setting Up the Grill

  1. Chop Vegetables: Finely chop the red onion and the bell pepper.
  2. Prep Pans: Place two large, heavy-duty aluminum pans side by side on your grill grates.
  3. Add Water: Fill one pan with water for the pasta and cover tightly with aluminum foil to encourage boiling.
  4. Preheat Grill: Close the grill lid and preheat the grill to medium-high heat (around 350-400°F).

Cooking the Meat Sauce

  1. Pour a Tablespoon of Olive oil into the pan. Brown Meat and Veggies: Add the ground beef, chopped onion, and pepper to the second, uncovered pan. Using a large spoon, brown the meat, breaking it up and cooking until the vegetables are softened.
  2. Season: Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. Add Sauce: Pour the jarred pasta sauce over the meat mixture. Stir to combine, and let the sauce simmer gently on the grill while the pasta cooks.

Cooking the Pasta and Finishing the Meal

skillet spaghetti on the grill noodles in a boiling pan of water and pasta meat sauce in an aluminum pan
  1. Cook Pasta: Once the water in the covered pan is boiling rapidly, carefully add the noodles. Cook the pasta according to the box directions for al dente, stirring occasionally with your large spoon.
  2. Transfer Pasta: When the noodles are cooked al dente, use a slotted spoon to transfer the noodles directly from the water pan into the simmering meat sauce pan. Discard the pasta water (carefully).
  3. Finish: Stir the pasta and sauce well to coat completely, then let them simmer together for 2-3 minutes. Remove both pans from the grill and serve immediately! Garnish with Parmesan Cheese.
skillet spaghetti on the grill cooking one pan with water and noodles, one pan with spaghetti sauce, and a close up of the finished meat sauce and noodles

Grill Efficiency Note: Cooking Side Dishes

To truly maximize your time and grill space, you can easily cook side dishes simultaneously! For our recipe, notice the photos, we prepped two lean beef burgers with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. We grilled the burgers on the grates, cooked both sides, added BBQ sauce, and then moved them to the warming rack to hold until the pasta was ready. This is a great way to have two delicious meals ready at once!

Tips and Substitutions

Use lean ground meats or vegetarian options for the spaghetti sauce.

Cook the pasta noodles according to the package directions; al dente is the best!

Store leftovers in the same pan covered in foil and kept cold on ice in a cooler (below 40°F for 1-2 days, or if you are at home, keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

1. Ground Chicken or Ground Chicken Sausage

  • Benefit: Very lean, mild flavor.
  • Tip: We love that ground chicken is quite mild. But, to get a flavorful sauce, make sure to increase your Italian seasoning and garlic powder slightly to give the sauce a punch of flavor. If you use mild chicken sausage, do the same.

2. Lean Ground Pork

  • Benefit: This type of ground meat is richer and has a more traditional depth of flavor than beef, without being overly fatty.
  • Tip: Make sure to get “lean ground pork” (90% or higher) to keep the grease minimal when cooking in the aluminum pan. You can use it on its own or mix half ground beef and ground pork.

3. Italian Sausage (Casing Removed) Or Ground Italian Sausage

  • Benefit: Comes pre-seasoned (often with fennel and herbs), dramatically increasing the overall flavor of your sauce with very little effort.
  • Tip: Use ground Italian sausage (either pork, turkey-based, or my favorite ground Italian chicken sausage) straight out of the casing, and crumble it as you brown the meat. I like picking it up ground (and not dealing with the casings).

4. Plant-Based Ground

  • Benefit: For a vegetarian or a vegan option.
  • Tip: Use plant-based ground meat substitutions. They are great for this recipe as they hold up well to the skillet cooking method. They also tend to be very low in fat, perfect for an aluminum pan!

5. Sauce Swap

  • Sauce Swap: We designed this recipe for quickness using a jarred sauce, but if you prefer to make your pasta sauce from scratch, you can always use our Easy Homemade Pasta Sauce. Prepare the sauce separately before starting step 1.

Printable Recipe Card and Pin for Later

Yield: 8

Skillet Spaghetti and Meat Sauce on the Grill

skillet pasta cooked on the grill or you can cook the grill. pasta noodles cooking on one side and pasta sauce on the other side, both in aluminum pans, and bottom photo of grilling the ground beef

This easy two-pan method lets you cook a complete, hearty spaghetti and meat sauce dinner entirely on the grill! Perfect for camping, outdoor parties, or when your kitchen is unavailable due to remodeling.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 8 minutes
Total Time 8 minutes

Ingredients

  • Lean Ground Beef 1 pound
  • Penne or Rigatoni Pasta (I used gluten-free)
  • Pasta Sauce 1 24-28 ounce jar. Use your favorite store-bought sauce.
  • White Onion 1/2 cup, chopped
  • Red Peppers (for spice) optional
  • Green Bell Pepper 1
  • Italian Seasoning 1-2 teaspoons
  • Garlic Powder 1 teaspoon
  • Salt and Pepper to taste.
  • Olive Oil (1 Tablespoon)

Grilling Pans Used:

  • Aluminum pans for cooking the sauce and boiling the water. Aluminum foil for covering the water.

Garnishes

  • Parmesan Cheese

Instructions

Step-by-Step Directions for Grilled Skillet Pasta

Prep and Setting Up the Grill

  1. Chop Vegetables: Finely chop the red onion and the bell pepper.
  2. Prep Pans: Place two large, heavy-duty aluminum pans side-by-side on your grill grates.
  3. Add Water: Fill one pan with water for the pasta and cover tightly with aluminum foil to encourage boiling.
  4. Preheat Grill: Close the grill lid and preheat the grill to medium-high heat (around 350-400°F).

Cooking the Meat Sauce

  1. Pour a Tablespoon of Olive oil in the pan. Brown Meat and Veggies: Add the ground beef, chopped onion, and pepper to the second, uncovered pan. Using a large spoon, brown the meat, breaking it up and cooking until the vegetables are softened.
  2. Season: Stir in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. Add Sauce: Pour the jarred pasta sauce over the meat mixture. Stir to combine, and let the sauce simmer gently on the grill while the pasta cooks.

Cooking the Pasta and Finishing the Meal

  1. Cook Pasta: Once the water in the covered pan is boiling rapidly, carefully add the noodles. Cook the pasta according to the box directions for al dente, stirring occasionally with your large spoon.
  2. Transfer Pasta: When the noodles are cooked al dente, use a slotted spoon to transfer the noodles directly from the water pan into the simmering meat sauce pan. Discard the pasta water (carefully).
  3. Finish: Stir the pasta and sauce well to coat completely, then let them simmer together for 2-3 minutes. Remove both pans from the grill and serve immediately! Garnish with Parmesan Cheese.

Notes

Grill Efficiency Note: Cooking Side Dishes

To truly maximize your time and grill space, you can easily cook side dishes simultaneously! For our recipe photos, we prepped two lean beef burgers with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. We grilled the burgers on the grates, cooked both sides, added BBQ sauce, and then moved them to the warming rack to hold until the pasta was ready. This is a great way to have two delicious meals ready at once!

Tips and Substitutions

Use regular or gluten-free pasta noodles.

1. Ground Chicken or Ground Chicken Sausage

  • Benefit: Very lean, mild flavor.
  • Tip: Since ground chicken is quite mild, make sure to increase your Italian seasoning and garlic powder slightly to give the sauce a punch of flavor. If you use mild chicken sausage do the same.

2. Lean Ground Pork

  • Benefit: This type of ground meat is richer, more traditional depth of flavor than beef, without being overly fatty.
  • Tip: Make sure to look specifically for “lean ground pork” (90% or higher) to keep the grease minimal when cooking in the aluminum pan.

3. Italian Sausage (Casing Removed) Or Ground Italian Sausage

  • Benefit: Comes pre-seasoned (often with fennel and herbs), dramatically increasing the overall flavor of your sauce with very little effort.
  • Tip: Use ground Italian sausage (either pork, turkey-based. or my favorite ground Italian chicken sausage) straight out of the casing, and crumble it as you brown the meat.

4. Plant-Based Ground

  • Benefit: For vegetarian or a vegan option.
  • Tip: These grounds are great for this recipe as they hold up well to the skillet cooking method. They also tend to be very low in fat, perfect for an aluminum pan!

5. Sauce Swap

  • Sauce Swap: We designed this recipe for quickness using a jarred sauce, but if you prefer to make your pasta sauce from scratch, you can always use our Best Homemade Marinara Recipe. Prepare the sauce separately before starting step 1.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 1639Total Fat 54gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 32gCholesterol 107mgSodium 12349mgCarbohydrates 227gFiber 52gSugar 140gProtein 58g

Not all nutritional information is always 100% accurate.

© Theresa Huse
Cuisine: American-Italian / Category: Grilling

Final Thoughts

That's all there is to it! This Skillet Pasta on the Grill delivers a hearty, deeply flavorful dinner without ever heating up your kitchen. Not only is the cleanup simple thanks to those aluminum pans, but the subtle, smoky flavor from the grill truly elevates the classic spaghetti and meat sauce. We hope this recipe helps you conquer kitchen remodels, camping trips, or simply enjoy a beautiful meal outdoors. If you tried this recipe, tag us on social media @DearCreatives and let us know what your favorite side dish was! Looking for another easy grill recipe? Try our Easy Grilled Cheeseburger Recipe or explore our complete Grilling Recipes category.

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skillet pasta cooked on the grill or you can cook the grill. pasta noodles cooking on one side and pasta sauce on the other side, both in aluminum pans, and bottom photo of grilling the ground beef

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