Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

This hearty and flavorful homemade spaghetti sauce that uses simple pantry ingredients is sure to become a family favorite dinner staple. It’s freezer-friendly and is great over pasta or lasagna.

Today we’re making a lovingly simmered homemade spaghetti sauce made from scratch. While the store-bought jarred kind is pretty convenient, it is missing a whole lot of flavor you can get by building on a tomato base with a few extra ingredients. Add a few pantry staples like ground beef, onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes and some seasonings like Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano and Italian seasoning for the best go-to spaghetti sauce.

Serve with some garlic bread or garlic knots and enjoy a fun pasta night. If you like Italian-inspired recipes, try out this spinach and three cheese manicotti, lasagna roll-ups, creamy sun-dried tomato and spinach pasta, or some slow cooker spaghetti bolognese. Let’s start cooking!

HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE RECIPE TIPS

Ground beef – You can substitute 1 lb. ground beef with 1/2 lb. ground beef and 1/2 lb. Italian sausage. I like using a meat smasher to break up any clumps.

Tomato paste – I used a can of Miur Glen tomato paste but if you prefer the tube kind, go with that instead. I use the Cento brand for tomato paste in a tube. We’re sauteing the tomato paste after the onions, garlic and peppers so that it caramelizes. This little secret makes a pasta sauce much more robust, with deeper flavors.

San Marzano tomatoes – San Marzano tomatoes are said to be sweeter than others so you’ll end up with a spaghetti sauce that isn’t too tart. If you’re not a fan, you can go with your favorite whole peeled tomatoes instead. The meat smasher I used to break up the ground beef comes in pretty handy to smash these whole peeled tomatoes as well. You can also use a wooden spoon, just get them mashed into the sauce. The only chunks you should have left are from the diced tomatoes.

Diced tomatoes – I used Hunt’s basil, garlic and oregano diced tomatoes for more flavor but fire-roasted diced tomatoes or any other kinds will work too. You do not need to drain the can.

Pasta water – Pasta water contains the starch from the pasta which helps thicken and bind the sauce. It’s a wonderful pro tip to a good pasta sauce so save some of this and use it instead of beef broth or water! One cup should be enough.

Sugar – I like adding sugar to balance the tartness of the tomatoes. Feel free to adjust or leave out if needed.

Garnish – Garnish with freshly chopped basil leaves or parsley to add a pop of green when serving.

Simmering – The recipe calls for 30 minutes of simmering but you can simmer the sauce in a covered pot for up to a few hours. If you would like to simmer it even longer, it’s probably a better idea to make the sauce in a slow cooker instead.

Make it in the slow cooker – Transfer the spaghetti sauce to the slow cooker after Step 6 and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.

Make It Your Own

Add more veggies – Bulk up the sauce a little with mushrooms, olives, or fresh spinach. I used to use canned mushrooms but fresh will work just as well. Black olives go great with a red pasta sauce and so does baby spinach.

Beef it up – I like adding some meatiness to the sauce with one or two beef bouillon cubes.

Red wine – Add a splash of red wine to give the sauce some nuance.

And that’s about it. Pair it with some buttery garlic bread, garlic knots, or a salad to start. Have fun digging in!

MORE MEATY PASTA RECIPES TO TRY

• Pepperoni and Olive Penne Pasta
• Cheesy Hot Italian Sausage Bake
• Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
• Slow Cooker Beef and Cheese Pasta

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