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Making spaghetti sauce from scratch is quick and easy with only one pot to clean.
This homemade spaghetti sauce recipe has ground beef, Italian sausage, two kinds of tomatoes and savory seasonings for the perfect sauce.
Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Simmered tomato richness with layers of garlic, onion, and Italian herbs – this recipe is balanced and hearty.
- Skill Level: This beginner-friendly recipe is made all in one pot. Cook the meat, add the rest, and simmer. It’s so quick and delicious.
- Prep Note: Make a double batch and freeze for future recipes.
- Swaps: This flexible recipe works well with ground beef, ground turkey, or other ground meats.
- Recommended Tools: A meat chopper will make breaking up the beef and pork a cinch.
Ingredient Tips for Spaghetti Sauce
- Meat: I use ground beef for meaty goodness and Italian sausage flavor.
- Tomatoes: Diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste are the trifecta of a perfect sauce texture.
- Seasonings: Use Italian seasoning or try this DIY Italian seasoning. This recipe is seasoned with dried basil and garnished with fresh herbs like parsley.
- Vegetables: A carrot is added to balance the acidic tomatoes, but chopped red bell pepper or a pinch of sugar will do the job just as well.
- Saucy Extras: Sauteed mushrooms and onions will add even more depth of flavor and texture to homemade spaghetti sauce. Even the kids won’t mind a bag of mixed veggies tossed in; once the spaghetti is sauced, they’ll dig right in!
Holly’s Tips for Success
- For an extra-thick sauce, simmer with the lid off the pot.
- Chop the meat while it’s cooking so the pieces are smaller for a little bit of meaty goodness in every bite.
- Spaghetti sauce is multi-purpose! Add it to pasta, lasagna, French bread pizzas, or baked spaghetti squash.
More Favorite Pasta Sauces
Did you enjoy this Homemade Spaghetti Sauce? Leave a comment and rating below.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
This meaty spaghetti sauce recipe is rich and delicious with lots of zesty flavor.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage casings removed, or bulk sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juices
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup shredded carrot or a pinch of sugar
- 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the beef, sausage, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until no pink remains, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain fat.
- Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, carrot, Italian seasoning, basil, salt, and pepper.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until thickened.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Stir in fresh parsley if using.
- Serve over spaghetti or cooked pasta.
Notes
Carrot: Shredded carrots balance the tart flavor of the tomatoes. Carrot can be replaced with ½ finely diced red bell pepper or a small pinch of sugar.
Meat: If substituting Italian sausage for another ground meat such as ground beef or pork, increase the Italian seasoning to 2 teaspoons and add ½ teaspoon oregano and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Consistency: To thicken this homemade spaghetti sauce further, simmer uncovered.
Pasta: Do not rinse the spaghetti after draining or add butter or oil to the pasta. The starches in the pasta will help the sauce to cling to the noodles.
Freezing: Spaghetti sauce can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 251 | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 691mg | Potassium: 1003mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1327IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course, Pasta, Sauce
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I doubled the recipe and froze by serving size. This is a fast & yummy pasta dish just waiting to happen..Thanks again!
Great recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
très belle préparation. merci c’est délicieux
Hi..I love All of your recipes! Do you think that this sauce could be canned? If so, what size jars do I need, and how many?
Thank you so much,
Linda
I have never tried canning this recipe but I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Excellent recipe! Thick, tasty, and yummy!
This is my go to recipe. I’m getting ready to make it today for dinner.