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
Squisito!!! Thank you!! I have not found a recipe of yours I didn’t like!
Aw, thank you, Ginnie!
Hi Natasha, I recently made your marinara sauce and loved it. I’m now wanting to make your spaghetti meat sauce using your homemade marinara sauce. Since your marinara sauce is made with garlic, onion, salt and pepper, do I add these items again (as per the recipe) when making your meat sauce? Thank you!
Hi Cecelia! Yes, I still add these for the right balance is flavor.
Hi, for the macro count what is the serving size?
Hi Kerry! This recipe serves 8. I’m sorry I didn’t measure out each individually. My guess would be about 9oz in weight or 1 1/2 cups in volume per serving based on the amounts of the ingredients. If you have a food scale, you can weigh the recipe as a whole when finished and divide that by 8. I hope that helps.
I’ve made this recipe several times. It is perfect as is with no changes.
Hi Natasha, could I use ground turkey instead of ground beef to make it more heart healthy? Or do you recommend sticking with the beef? Thank you!
That should work too, Diane! It tends to have milder flavor though, so you can adjust the flavor by adding some seasoning. It usually cooks faster too so just watch out for it.
The recipe is ok. It tastes fine. It just made me realize that I hate the smell and taste of cumin even though it was only present in a small amount.
Very good recipe everyone loved it.Thank you
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Rima!
Do you DRAIN the beef after browning it before you add the other ingredients?
Hi Betty! I do not, but you can if you’d like.
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!!
That’s wonderful to hear, Kelly!
Natasha have you tried canning your spaghetti sauce or have you heard of anyone else canning it with a pressure canner?
I haven’t tried canning this to advise.
Simply delicious!
Hi Natasha
Made your spaghetti sauce with one lb of deer meat, one lb of beef and 1/2 lb sausage and its cooking as I write. I love all your recipes.
That’s great, Marie! I’m happy you’re enjoying them.
Our weekly Spaghetti meat sauce recipe but no cumin powder kid’s doesn’t like it. It’s quick to make and it’s delicious. Im happy Natashas Kitchen is my everyday recipe. It’s a WINNER🏆
You’ve done it again Natasha! I have tried your recipes before and am always happy with the results. Love the addition of cumin! I plan on freezing the rest of the sauce and use it in my lasagna. Yummmy and quick to make!
I absolutely love all of Natasha’s recipes, but not this one! I followed the recipe exactly and even used Natasha’s homemade marinara that I make in big batches and freeze, but this recipe was not good at all. I questioned the cumin, but I trusted Natasha and I was sure to look at all the reviews. With that said, the cumin did NOT work at all. It was over-powering and totally ruined the recipe, so I would go with your gut if you’re like me and thinking twice about it. I can’t even imagine how it came to fruition to add cumin to this meat sauce recipe, but I think the recipe would be fine if you omitted the cumin.
I hate leaving a bad review, as I truly love Natasha’s recipes, but I also want to be honest about my thoughts on the cumin.
With that said, I will make this recipe again but without the cumin.
Hi Brooke, I’m sorry this one didn’t hit the mark for you. Did you possibly add more than 1/2 tsp of cumin? With all of the other ingredients, it normally should be very subtle with just 1/2 tsp. That said, you can omit for a more classic Italian flavor, or add it to taste and the sauce will still turn out great. I updated the recipe to say optional or added to taste for those who are more sensitive to the flavor of cumin.
If using a jar of marinara do you still add the water, cumin ect..?
Hi Megan! Yes, or you can test it first and season it to taste. My homemade marinara already has seasoning in it, but I continue to use this recipe as instructed with the other additions too.
Made this for dinner tonight. Great results! Love the flavor!
Hi Felicia! I’m glad you loved it!
Good, simple recipe. The choice of marinara sauce is what will make or break it. Mine was ok so the end result wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, but that’s because of the sauce I used. Nonetheless, it was much more flavorful and elevated than my previous meat sauces. My serving suggestion is angel hair pasta. It’s a truly complementary texture to a chunky meat sauce. Thank you for another good recipe! I saved your marinara sauce to try next.
Thank your for sharing that with us, good to know that you enjoyed it!
I’ve tried so many recipes for meat sauce and this was a WINNER. Hands down easiest, tastiest recipe ever. DO NOT omit the cumin people!! It is essential and the one ingredient missing from all other meat sauce recipes. I could eat this every day! I’ll be poring over all of Natasha’s other recipes because of the success and ease of this one.
Thanks for the awesome review! So happy to see that you loved this recipe a lot.
Do you still add sugar if using store bought marinara? Thank you!
Hi Lisa, the sugar helps with the acidity and sour notes. We add it for that reason. I recommend trying to make it as written the first time around and then adjusting to your liking. I hope you love this recipe.