Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
This easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce is filled with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, garlic, green peppers and spices. Made from scratch, it’s one of the best pasta sauce recipes that everyone loves.
Growing up, we had spaghetti at least once a week. I’m not even kidding. My mom would always make her spaghetti sauce from scratch. She said it just tastes better and I wholeheartedly agree. It really does.
Don’t get me wrong – somedays I will pop open a jar of pasta sauce when I’m short on time.
My Homemade Spaghetti Sauce takes about one hour and 20 minutes to make so it’s not too crazy. It’s worth the few extra minutes of simmering though, in my opinion. It really blends those yummy flavors.
I like my spaghetti sauce with meat, but you could leave it out if you are vegetarian. I use ground beef, but Italian sausage could be substituted if you prefer.
Simple to make and delicious to eat, this homemade pasta sauce recipe is exactly what you need when you want a home-cooked meal.
Ingredients
For this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Lean ground beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Green pepper
- Mushrooms
- Bay leaf
- Oregano
- Italian seasoning
- Tomato paste
- Crushed tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar
- Fresh parsley (optional)
Ingredient Substitutions
- Ground beef – Try Italian sausage (spicy if you want an extra kick!) or ground turkey or chicken.
- Crushed tomatoes – I used a can of crushed tomatoes in this recipe, but you could use a can of diced tomatoes if you prefer. The sauce will be less “smooth”. I’m not a big fan of the chunks so I typically used crushed tomatoes.
- Green pepper – I add one in because that is what my mom always did, but you could leave it out. Alternatively, you could add a red pepper instead.
How to Make
- Add extra virgin olive oil to a large pot. Add ground beef, onions, garlic, green peppers and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until beef is browned and vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaf, oregano and Italian seasoning.
- Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles or your favorite cooked pasta. Top with fresh parsley, if desired.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
This post contains affiliate links.
- Garlic press – A must-have! It makes mincing garlic so easy. No more smelly garlic fingers.
- Large pot – This recipe yields about 10 servings so the bigger, the better.
- Onion chopper – If onions make you cry, this is the product for you. It’s also a time-saver and your onions will be chopped up in much less time as the conventional cutting board method.
How to Take Out the Bitterness
Tomatoes are very acidic which can make them bitter. To combat the bitterness, use the tablespoon of sugar in your sauce. Don’t worry – it will not taste sweet!
If you want to omit the sugar, you could try adding some sweet vegetables to the sauce instead. Try shredded carrots or diced sweet red pepper.
I’ve also seen people use baking soda to neutralize the acidity. Add about 1/4 teaspoon to your sauce and let it cook.
How to Get a Richer Taste
I never have wine, but I know friends who add red wine to their sauce to give it a richer flavor. Add the wine after the vegetables have softened so it has time to burn off the alcohol.
You could also add a small amount of extra virgin olive in your sauce to take it up a notch.
Butter is another option. Just before serving add a pat of butter in and whisk to combine.
How to Store
- In the fridge: Store your spaghetti sauce in covered containers for up to three days in the fridge. I heat it in the microwave to serve.
- In the freezer: Spaghetti sauce freezes really well. Place the sauce in freezer safe containers or freezer bags and freeze up to three months for best results.
The Difference between Marinara Sauce vs. Spaghetti Sauce
Both are delicious and are similar! Marinara Sauce is a more basic tomato sauce with fewer ingredients. It typically has tomatoes, onions, garlic and seasonings.
On the other hand, Spaghetti Sauce includes meat and more vegetables. It’s meatier and a more dense sauce.
How to Make Keto
To make this recipe keto-friendly, you will want to replace or omit the sugar. I don’t mind the taste without the sugar, but if you don’t like the extra acidity, you could substitute a sugar replacement like stevia in its place.
Instead of spaghetti noodles, serve with cooked zucchini noodles aka zoodles.
What to Serve with Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Seafood Caesar Salad
- Green Bean & Tomato Salad
- Air Fryer Mozzarella Balls
- Easy Garlic Twists
- Easy Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
- Garlic Bread
More Spaghetti Recipes
What is your favorite spaghetti sauce recipe? I’m always looking for more recipes to try! Follow me on Instagram @simplystacieblog, on Facebook at Simply Stacie, and on Pinterest @SimplyStacie and let me know how you liked this and my other recipes!
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ lb lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ tsp oregano
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can crushed tomatoes 28oz can
- 1 tomato sauce 12oz can
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add extra virgin olive oil to a large pot. Add ground beef, onions, garlic, green peppers and mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until beef is browned and vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaf, oregano and Italian seasoning.
- Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaf before serving. Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles or your favorite cooked pasta. Top with fresh parsley, if desired.
Video
Equipment
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Must try this sauce recipe! Sounds delicious!!
Can this sauce be frozen for future use?
Yes, it can. Place the sauce in freezer safe containers or freezer bags and freeze up to three months for best results.
Can I make this recipe in my instant pot?
This is the best sauce recipe I’ve tried aside from one of my exes grandmother’s who is from Italy you can’t go wrong and there is never leftovers so I suggest making double,
Does this make a thick sauce? I prefer the sauce to be “juicy” so if it is thick, would I just add more tomato sauce or what do you recommend? I don’t want to dilute the ingredients so much it loses its flavor.
I don’t find it that thick, but it’s not runny either. I think it’s good as is, but you could add more sauce if you wish.
How to prepare in a slow cooker?
Yes, you can. I would cook the ground beef first and then add the ingredients to the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours.
If possible, how would you go about canning this spaghetti sauce for future use? How long would it last?
Hi Tammy, I’ve never canned, but it looks like it can be canned. I found these instructions that might help: https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/garden-to-table/how-to-can-spaghetti-sauce
Spaghetti sauce recipe is vert similar to the sauce I used to make 30+ years ago and froze and canned it for many years. My physical abilities do not allow me to do massive canning sessions every year. I still make it in a big kettle, once a year for family feasts and my recipe came from an Italian mama who came from northern Italy! When I canned it you have to use a pressure canner, not a water bath one that is usually used for tomatoes. When tomatoes cook, like in spaghetti or tomato sauce, the acid gets cooked out/diluted so water bath canning is no good for this. Can’t remember pressure settings or time but they can be found on-line with a query. I found it easier, for me anyways to make it and freeze it. One day, when I came home from work, I found our youngest son, sitting in front of the TV eating my sauce, with a fork. He said it was so good, that he didn’t need the noodles and since it was overloaded with meat, just a fork worked!! He was pretty adept at operating a microwave!. When I made the sauce, either freezing or canning it never lasted more than a year because we eat it all up! I preferred to freeze it because I felt the flavors tasted very fresh. I don’t consider your recipe homemade (sorry) As mine was very homemade starting with our homegrown tomatoes,which I used to make my own sauce and crushed tomatoes. I do have to make it, now, with basic canned products but it is still wonderful and better than what you find at the grocery store. Just a heads up, if you don’t already have a pressure canner, the price will probably shock you as when I bought mine over 40 years ago. it was about $120.00 but they last (almost) forever, unless the rubber gasket stretches out or breaks! Good luck! Now I spend my time converting regular foods/meals to low carbohydrate, not for a Keto lifestyle but because I am a diabetic and my insulin dosage is determined by the amount of carbs I eat!
My italian dad had a restaurant and passed down his recipe. It is basically the same as yours! I do add 2″ pieces of italian sausage, meatballs and pork neck bones and simmer altogether about 3 hours. The meat adds incredible flavor!
Sounds just like my grandmother’s recipe! I remember picking out the bones after the meat fell off…she sometimes added pigs feet but that I couldn’t touch! LOL!
Can you use fresh tomatoes and if so how would I crush them I believe in a blanket Or use a puree
I buy the canned, but this post has info about how to crush your own: https://www.myfrugalhome.com/how-to-make-crushed-tomatoes/
Do I drain the excess fat from the meat or keep it in?
If it’s overly greasy, I will drain it.
Can i just use the whole can of tomato paste? One tablespoon would be a waste of the rest of the can
Yes, you can do that. The cans are pretty small anyways.
Any unused tomato paste, I place tablespoons of paste onto a small tray/pan, lined with parchment paper, and freeze. Once solid, I remove from pan and place in ziplock bag. Label as 1 Tblsp tomato paste each and place back in freezer. Whenever you have a recipe calling for small amounts of paste, grab however many is needed and use in your recipe.
I freeze my tomato paste in tablespoons servings in a sandwich bag inside a freezer bag so I can just grab out one or 2 tablespoons as needed.
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
You can make in the slow cooker. I’d still do step 1 and the put everything in the slow cooker for 6 to 8 hours on LOW.
I was wondering the same thing. I like to get meals together as much as possible in the morning and then I have all day to do whatever… Thanks for asking
Does anyone know if this can be frozen? If so what would you freeze it in. Also can this be canned?
I freeze it in an air tight container.
What would the UK equivalent of the tomato sauce be
can this be pressure canned and if so, what weight and timw
I’ve never done pressure canning so I’m not sure.
You make 4 gallons at a time? Wow! How does that affect the cooking time? 4 gallons would feed the two of us for probably a couple years.
My meatless homemade sauce is very similar to this but I would leave out the pepper and mushroom. I add celery seed, which adds nice flavor. I make about 4 gallons at once and freeze in portions that feed the two of us so I can always have a quick dinner on hand. Since my husband likes meat in his, I’ll add meatballs when I heat up our portions.
You make 4 gallons at a time? Wow! How does that affect the cooking time? 4 gallons would feed the two of us for probably a couple years.
(posted to the wrong comment first time)
I made this recipe and put in the mushrooms because my husband likes anything with mushrooms
For me, I haven’t acquired a taste for them
He raved it was good, I’m glad he likes it
I used Italian stewed tomatoes—nice
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Thank you! I did make some adjustments. I used Rao sauce instead of crushed tomatoes, added celery and carrots and used less olive oil. Used linguine for pasta and baguette on the side.
This sauce was amazing!!! My whole family loved it. One of my son’s just wanted to eat it with a spoon!! I thought it was great just spooned over some garlic bread! It is hearty and flavorful. I will double the recipe next time and put it in the freezer for another meal. Thank you!
This looks so delicious and amazing, I’m surely gonna try making this, my husband is gonna love it 🙂