This Spaghetti Sauce recipe is iconic–beefy, saucy, and so satisfying. It has a deep, rich flavor and tastes like it came right out of Nona’s kitchen, but it’s quick and easy to make, so it’s perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Make a large batch and store leftovers in the freezer for ready-made meals.
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Helpful Reader Review
“This recipe saved me tonight. No idea what I was making for dinner then BAM! Quick, meaty, deliciousness. Served with a side salad. Everyone was happy 🙂 thank you!!” – Kelly ★★★★★
Spaghetti Meat Sauce Video
Whip up a pot of this thick and meaty spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight. It’s quick to make and keeps well in the fridge for dinner all week. It has all of the comforting flavors of Spaghetti and Meatballs, or traditional Bolognese, but is much easier.
Easy Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef
I make this Spaghetti Sauce on repeat! It’s one of my favorite cabin meals and camping dinners because it’s a major crowd pleaser, easy, and my kids eat this up so fast. My sister, Svetlana, shared it with me, and once I started making the sauce for friends and family, I’ve gotten so many requests for the recipe.
It’s quick to make–ready in under an hour. You’ll end up with about 6 beefy cups of sauce, but leftovers are easy to freeze and reheat well, so you can savor every last drop as meal prep or freezer meals.
Classic Spaghetti sauce is comfort food at its finest. Serve this meat sauce over pasta noodles, topped with a generous amount of parmesan cheese, for a satisfying meal that rivals Olive Garden’s spaghetti meat sauce. I love to spoon this over classic spaghetti noodles, Homemade Pasta, linguine, fettuccine, penne, cannelloni, rigatoni, ziti, or even gluten-free pasta.
Ingredients for Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef
This spaghetti sauce recipe is simple, using pantry staples, so it’s easy for everyone to make when the craving hits.
- Ground beef – I prefer 80/20 beef for this recipe since the fat flavors the whole sauce, but you can choose leaner beef if desired.
- Aromatics – onion, garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil.
- Tomatoes – the star of the show! I use all three: tomato paste, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes for the perfect texture and flavor.
- Secret Ingredient – Sugar is an optional ingredient, but just a teaspoon of sugar can help cut the acidity of the tomatoes for a more dynamic flavor. If you’re avoiding sugar, leave it out.
Substitutions & Variations
Make this spaghetti sauce your own by adding these optional ingredients:
- Vegetables – add diced mushrooms or green peppers with the onions
- Herbs – add Italian seasoning, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, or even a pinch of cumin
- Wine – a splash of dry red wine gives spaghetti sauce an added depth of flavor
- Protein – double the protein for a meatier sauce (add at least 1/4 cup of water to thin), or swap half or all the ground beef with ground pork or Italian sausage
How to Make Spaghetti Sauce
It’s so easy to make this homemade spaghetti meat sauce recipe. Here’s how to meld all those amazing flavors for the best meat sauce.
- Brown the beef – Cook the beef in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spatula until no pink remains. If you want leaner sauce, you can drain the fat, but it won’t be as flavorful.
- Sauté the onion – Add the chopped onion and cook until soft while stirring occasionally to be sure it doesn’t stick.
- Add garlic and tomato paste – add the garlic to the beef and onion, stirring for 1 minute, and then add the tomato paste, stirring for another minute to carmelize the sugar to add so much flavor.
- Add herbs and tomatoes – add oregano, basil, and the rest of the tomatoes. Stir until the mixture comes to a boil to prevent any splattering.
- Simmer the sauce – cover halfway with a lid and let the mixture cook on low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Taste the sauce to adjust the seasoning (I add 1/2 tsp more salt), and serve immediately spooned over pasta.
How to Serve Spaghetti Sauce
Of course, this classic spaghetti sauce recipe tastes great over pasta with freshly grated parmesan, but it’s really such a versatile dish. Try some of these out-of-the-box ways to use spaghetti meat sauce:
- Meat Sauce Sandwiches – serve between Homemade Burger Buns as Sloppy Joes
- Over Nachos – add cheese and your favorite toppings
- As Meat Sauce In Lasagna, Zucchini Lasagna, Baked Ziti, or Lasagna Roll Ups
- Stuffed into Pasta Shells, or use over the top of Homemade Gnocchi
- Over Protein – serve over Chicken Parmesan, Eggplant Parm, or even Shakshuka
- Paired with Baked Asparagus, Caesar Salad, and Garlic Bread
Make-Ahead and Storage
Spaghetti sauce freezes and reheats well, so I always double the recipe so we can enjoy leftovers. Once the sauce cools, pack it in serving-size containers or freezer zip-top bags.
- To Refrigerate: leftover spaghetti meat sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight, quick-thaw in cold water, or reheat from frozen.
- To Reheat: Place thawed or frozen meat sauce into a saucepan on the stove with a bit of water if needed, and simmer until warmed through.
This Spaghetti Sauce recipe makes for an irresistibly good pasta dinner loved by all ages. It makes a big batch, but you can easily freeze the meat sauce for another night. I hope this ground beef meat sauce becomes a new favorite in your home.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef, 80/20 works well – or equal parts beef and Italian sausage
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- Grated Parmesan and chopped parsley or basil, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the beef– Heat olive oil in a 5 qt Dutch Oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a spatula. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally until cooked through, about 5 minutes. You can spoon off excess fat if desired, but I leave it in for extra flavor and richness.
- Sauté the onion – Add the diced onion to the beef and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes.
- Add garlic and tomato paste – Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to coat everything and deepen the flavor.
- Add herbs and tomatoes – Sprinkle in oregano and basil. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir in the sugar to balance the acidity. Bring to a uniform boil while stirring to prevent splatter.
- Simmer the sauce – Reduce the heat to a low simmer, partially cover the pot, and let the sauce simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Let it simmer until thickened and rich. Taste the sauce and add salt (I add 1/2 tsp), pepper or sugar to taste. Spoon over cooked spaghetti and top with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley or basil.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days
- Freeze up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight (or reheat from frozen)
- Reheat on the stovetop at a medium-low simmer until warmed through.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Family Favorite Pasta Dinners
Pasta is a staple in our home because it’s delicious and filling. Once you make this easy spaghetti sauce recipe, try these other favorite pasta dinner recipes:
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Shrimp Pasta
- Mom’s Chicken and Mushroom Alfredo
- American Goulash
- Chicken Orzo Bake
- Pierogi
- Penne alla Vodka
Do you drain the grease from the beef after browning? No one mentioned this
Hi Sue, we did not need to drain the meat but feel free to do so if it comes out too greasy.
OMG so easy quick and delicious!! I used a jar of rao’s bolognese sauce and it was divine. Will be making this quite often!❤️
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Joyce!
Absolutely delicious. I went with ground chicken instead of beef, and I know it would’ve been even better with beef. I added double the salt and garlic, and included some liquid aminos and liquid smoke as well! Thank you for this recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Ellie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
In the picture it looks like you’ve added cherry tomatoes…I’ve never seen marinara with whole tomatoes in it..
Hi Diane, everything that I used is in the recipe card. I used my homemade Marinara Sauce
I made this last night as directed and it was absolutely delicious! I saved the recipe to use in the future. Thank you!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Jen!
A favorite in our family. My kids gave me so much praises for this meal. I said it is from this recipe.
That is the best when kids love what we parents make. That’s so great!
Made this last night for dinner. Everyone loved it – Absolutely fantastic Natasha!!!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, James! I’m glad it was a hit!
hmm never thought of using cumin in spaghetti sauce. not gonna lie was damn good.
Very nice to know that you tried and loved it!
This was really good. Instead of water, I added red wine and swished it around in the Marinara sauce jar before adding. I also seasoned more with inning and garlic powder and added sliced cherry tomatoes. Topped with fresh basil and freshly heated parmesan. Thank you… it was outstanding!
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Margot! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This is so delicious and easy to make! I served it with fresh bread & salad! Yum, yum!
Hi Shelly, we LOVE easy recipes, and I’m so glad you do too! Thank you for sharing your great review
I made this last night and I was surprised how quick and easy it was. My husband kept raving about it so this will definitely be added as a staple dinner for us!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Jane. I’m so happy you both enjoyed it!
I’m planning on using this recipe tonight for dinner😋 with raviolis. I made your marinara sauce last time and it was tasty.
That sounds like the perfect dinner, Michaela!
I LOVE your recipes!! They have saved this single mom who teaches!! Your chicken stroganoff is one of our favs!!
I’m diabetic, so could I replace the sugar in this sauce with something like Splenda?
Thanks and I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes, Theresa! I haven’t tried using splenda yet to advice but if you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Instead of putting sugar in my sauce I grate up a couple of carrots to sweeten the sauce/. They disappear as the sauce simmers or you can put slice carrots for a chunky sauce. This is the way my daughter likes it, I learned this from my mother.
Deeelish. Really tasty. Even my wife , who knows im culinarily challenged ( she’s right, im a lousy cook) liked it. Next time, I’ll add a bit more meat.
I’m so glad you both enjoyed that, David! That’s so great!
It’s not from scratch if you use a jar of sauce …
Hi, try our homemade marinara that I linked in the post above.
This is how I make mine but will try adding cumin and sugar!! I also add an extra cup of water and the pasta and simmer until pasta is done..
Sounds like a good plan, please share with us how it goes if you give that a try!
I use chicken broth instead of water…seems to add more flavour (or maybe it’s in my head!! 🙄) lol 😂
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, June!
Natasha,
First I would use a large can of San Marzzano tomatoes for the sauce instead of jarred marinara sauce and then a good tablespoon of dried Italian spices! And no cumin!!
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your version and ideas.
I don’t understand why people have to go in and make remarks on how they would change the recipe. It’s her recipe, it’s how she makes it. Leave it at that. If you don’t like it, don’t make it.
You’re right, Mark. Absolutely no cumin!
BUT— have you tried it? Many of Natashas recipes have a surprise ingredient that takes it over the top. I was skeptical about topping our clam chowder with cilantro but it was fabulous.
I liked that there were few ingredients and it was easy to make. The recipe was okay, but I feel like it was missing something.
Thanks for your feedback, what would you suggest to add to make it better?
I added a small can of tomato sauce and it made a huge difference 🙂
I agree. For me it was very bland.
Just perfect. I do it exactly same way only add sometimes (when I have it) some basil and parsley. Also, I never understand why people make meat balls with spaghetti?! They have to dissolve it anyway 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoeyd this recipe!!
Hi Natasha! Quick question? I’m looking to make the recipe tomorrow in a crockpot. I have ground turkey I want to use up. Do you have any suggestions on using the crockpot? Thanks so much!
Hi Tara, I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise of the timing. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.