The Creole Spaghetti Recipe I Learned from My Dad

It’s a spicy, smoky spin on spaghetti with meat sauce.

By
Jessica Furniss
Jessica Furniss
Jessica Furniss
Jessica's food writing and photography have appeared in Food & Wine, MyRecipes, and on billboards. Currently, she specializes in creating how-to articles on baking and creative charcuterie boards for Simply Recipes, Allrecipes, and Southern Living. 
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Published July 08, 2025
Jessica Furniss
Spaghetti in tomato sauce with sausage slices in a pan

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

A lot of my early memories in the kitchen are of my dad whipping up semi-homemade, Creole-inspired recipes. Andouille sausage was a staple of his cooking, even showing up as a substitute for ground beef in his spaghetti recipe.

While it differs greatly from my Italian-American partner’s family sauce recipe, my dad’s Creole spaghetti packs an amazing punch of flavor and spice. The holy trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery comes together with andouille sausage, a jar of store-bought marinara, and Creole spices for this easy weeknight dinner.

This recipe was a family staple in my house because after a full day of work, my dad could whip it up in just half an hour. I carried on the tradition because it’s packed with Louisiana flavor, and we always have enough for leftovers.

The spices from the andouille sausage and creole seasoning pair beautifully with the earthy, sweet marinara and fresh-cut veggies. It’s a great meal for feeding a crowd, too, because if you double the amount of noodles, the sauce will stretch to accommodate.

A plate of creole spaghetti with sausage and herbs garnished on a white background

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

Tips For Making My Creole Spaghetti

  • Use your favorite marinara: My personal favorite marinara sauce for this Creole spaghetti is Classico Traditional. It’s made with fresh tomatoes, onion, and garlic, and just the right amount of sugar to complement the spices from the andouille sausage and Creole seasoning. If you have a favorite store-bought marinara that you’re loyal to, give it a try in this recipe. 
  • The pasta is flexible: Feel free to use a small pasta shape like penne or rigatoni pasta in place of the spaghetti; they soak up the sauce beautifully.
  • Spice it up: Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning is a staple of Creole and Cajun cooking, and it brings its signature spicy, punchy, garlicky heat to this dish. I prefer to use the no-salt blend so I can control the seasoning in my recipes. If you really want to bring the heat, add an extra 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the seasoning here. You can also add additional spicy elements like hot sauce or cayenne pepper—just be sure to taste as you go to avoid going overboard with your spices.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this Creole spaghetti with fresh parsley because it’s a commonly-used Creole and Cajun herb that brings a lot of brightness and freshness to spicy dishes. I also like to add some grated Parmesan cheese because I believe all spaghetti needs a few sprinkles of Parm. A few slices of garlic bread on the side are always a good idea.

A pot of cooked spaghetti with sausage in sauce garnished with parsley

Simply Recipes / Jessica Furniss

Creole Spaghetti

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Servings 4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 13-ounce package andouille sausage (such as Hillshire Farm Cajun Style Andouille), sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

  • 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

  • 1 small Vidalia or yellow onion, chopped

  • 2 stalks celery, chopped

  • 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce (I like Classico Traditional)

  • 1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s No-Salt Creole seasoning

  • 1/4 cup water

  • Salt, for pasta water

  • 8 ounces spaghetti noodles (half a standard box)

  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving, optional

  • Chopped fresh parsley, for serving, optional

Method

  1. Prep for pasta:

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

  2. Sauté the sausage and vegetables:

    Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (you’ll see it shimmering), add the sausage rounds and sauté until they start to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the chopped bell pepper, onion, and celery, and sauté until the onions start to look translucent, another 3 to 4 minutes.

  3. Make the sauce:

    Turn the heat down to low and stir in the jar of marinara and the Creole seasoning. Add the water to the marinara jar, close the lid, and shake it up to get all the remaining sauce from the jar, then pour it into the skillet. Stir until well combined.

    Bring the sauce to a simmer—it should be very gently bubbling—cover the pan with a lid, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

    Simple Tip!

    This sauce is thick, so be careful to stir as it cooks and to keep your temperature on the stove low enough to prevent the sauce from burning but high enough that you get a gentle simmer.

  4. Cook the pasta:

    Meanwhile, once the pot of water is boiling, salt generously. Add the spaghetti and cook to al dente according to the directions on the box, then drain.

  5. Toss and serve:

    Turn off the heat under the sauce and add the drained spaghetti. Use a pair of tongs to mix the pasta into the sauce. Top with parsley and/or Parmesan, if desired, and enjoy!

    Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
475 Calories
29g Fat
37g Carbs
16g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 475
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 8g 42%
Cholesterol 52mg 17%
Sodium 1801mg 78%
Total Carbohydrate 37g 14%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 13g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 27mg 136%
Calcium 84mg 6%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 1199mg 26%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.