Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
This homemade Spaghetti Sauce with ground beef is the classic Italian comfort food recipe everyone loves! It is meaty and filling with the perfect seasoning, and it requires just a few pantry staples to make it so easy. The meat sauce comes together in under an hour and tastes great spooned over pasta or sopped up with crusty garlic bread. Freeze leftovers for ready-to-eat meals your whole family will love! 1 recipe makes about 6 cups of 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
To Serve: Spoon the sauce over cooked pasta or add pasta to the warm sauce and stir.
Storage: Allow the spaghetti sauce to cool completely, and then spoon it into serving-size airtight containers or zip-top bags.
- 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 Facts
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
194
% Daily Value*
Fat
11
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
4
g
25
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
5
g
Cholesterol
39
mg
13
%
Sodium
728
mg
32
%
Potassium
670
mg
19
%
Carbohydrates
13
g
4
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
8
g
9
%
Protein
13
g
26
%
Vitamin A
480
IU
10
%
Vitamin C
15
mg
18
%
Calcium
64
mg
6
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
