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
- Step One: 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.
- Step Two: Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaf, oregano and Italian seasoning.
- Step Three: Reduce heat to low. Cover. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Step Four: 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
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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.
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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Any suggestions for meat sub or just leave it out?
Would lentils work?
Thanks
Great question! Yes, you can definitely make this spaghetti sauce without meat and still have it taste delicious. If you’re looking for a hearty meat substitute, lentils are a fantastic option! Brown or green lentils hold their shape well and give the sauce a nice texture. Use about 1 to 1½ cups of cooked lentils in place of the ground beef. Add them when you would normally add the beef and let them simmer in the sauce to soak up all that flavor.
Other good options include:
Chopped mushrooms (double the amount for a meatier feel)
Plant-based ground “beef” alternatives
Or simply skip the meat altogether—the sauce is still full of flavor on its own!
Hope that helps, and let me know how it turns out if you try it!
How much is one serving. I need to know because I’m on WW. Thank you.
It’s 1 cup.
This is how I make mine, but I don’t put the mushrooms in it and I add seasoning salt and about a tablespoon of sugar and sprinkle some Parmesan cheese in it. I use half of the small can of the tomato paste otherwise it’s very watery. I also add about 3/4 of a cup of the water from boiling that spaghetti noodles.
I’m in Australia so wondering what a can of tomato sauce is?? Ours are in a bottle or is it similar to tomato passta??
Hi Amy,
For this recipe, tomato sauce refers to a smooth, cooked tomato product. The closest Australian equivalent would be tomato passata—a pureed and strained tomato sauce without added seasonings.
Love this recipe made it twice!!! Only thing I did was add some more sugar just a 1/2 tablespoon more
Very simple to mine. I add 1/2# ground veal and 6 or 8 Italian sausages.
You mentioned adding red wine for a richer flavor: how much would you recommend we start with?
TIA
I recommend starting with ½ cup of dry red wine, such as a Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Stir it in after browning the beef and sautéing the vegetables, allowing it to simmer for a couple of minutes to cook off the alcohol before adding the tomato paste and other ingredients. You can always adjust to taste, but this amount should add a nice richness without overpowering the sauce.
Can you pressure can this spaghetti sauce and if u can for how long
I’m not familiar with canning – sorry! I don’t want to give you the wrong information.
Could this be made in Slow cooker or insta pot?
Yes!
Slow Cooker Method
Sauté First: Start by browning the ground beef and sautéing the onions, garlic, green peppers, and mushrooms in a skillet over medium heat.
Transfer to Slow Cooker: Add the cooked beef and veggies to your slow cooker.
Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, sugar, bay leaf, oregano, and Italian seasoning.
Cook: Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours. Stir occasionally if possible.
Before Serving: Remove the bay leaf, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.
Instant Pot Method
Sauté Mode: Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté and add the olive oil. Brown the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. Add the onions, garlic, green peppers, and mushrooms, and sauté until softened (about 5-7 minutes).
Deglaze: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add ½ cup of water or red wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot and prevent the “burn” warning.
Add Ingredients: Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, bay leaf, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Pressure Cook: Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Manual) for 10 minutes on High Pressure.
Natural Release: Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
Before Serving: Remove the bay leaf, stir, and adjust seasonings to taste.