The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
This is The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe! This tomato meat sauce can be ready and on your table in about 1 1/2 hours! Delicious served over fresh cooked pasta.
If you’re looking for a classic meat sauce for spaghetti, this is it! This recipe makes a hearty tomato and meat sauce that is delicious served over fresh cooked pasta. So much flavour in this rich spaghetti sauce!
Homemade is worth it!
You just can’t go wrong with homemade spaghetti sauce! This tried-and-true recipe is a favourite in our home. It’s rich, flavourful and so delicious. This homemade sauce is also one of my favourites because this recipe makes a big batch that’s enough for two meals (love that!). Use half for spaghetti night, use the other half to make something else (like a lasagna) or save half to freeze for later for busy weeknights!
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe Tips:
- GROUND BEEF: I use ground beef for this spaghetti sauce. But any ground meat works well in this recipe especially ground chicken or ground turkey. You can also use a beef and Italian sausage combination (1/2 beef and 1/2 Italian sausage). Another nice combination is a beef/pork mix.
- TOMATOES: This recipe calls for canned diced tomatoes, but you can also use canned crushed tomatoes or whole canned tomatoes instead (for whole tomatoes you will have to crush them down). And if you have San Marzano tomatoes, these are the best!
- RED WINE SUBSTITUTE: Feel free to use beef broth instead of red wine.
- HERBS: You can use fresh herbs or dried herbs. 1 tsp dried = 1 tbsp fresh Or, if you prefer to use Italian seasoning, you can use about 2 tsp instead.
- OPTIONAL ADD-INS: For extra nutrition you can add any chopped up vegetable to the sauce that you like: bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots. Just fry them up first in a frying pan until they’re cooked yet still crisp. Then add them to the sauce and cook as directed. You can add also add pureed yam or pumpkin.
- LEFTOVERS: Store any leftover spaghetti sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- FREEZING: This recipe freezes well. Let the sauce cool, then store it in an airtight container (or in freezer bags) in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- SLOW COOKER OPTION: After you’ve browned the beef with the onions and garlic, then drained the excess grease, instead of adding it to a stock pot, put everything (the browned beef and all the remaining ingredients) into a slow cooker and cook it on LOW for 4 hours.
Our Favorite
Ways to use spaghetti sauce:
What to serve with Spaghetti:
You can have a homemade spaghetti dinner on your table in just over an hour with this easy recipe! This spaghetti meat sauce is so much better than a grocery store jar.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 14 ounce can tomato sauce (plain, no spices)
- 1 19 ounce can diced tomatoes (plain, no spices)
- 1 5.5 ounce can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine or beef broth if you don’t want to use wine
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil or 1 tbsp fresh basil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large frying pan, brown the beef with the onions and garlic. When the beef is cooked through, drain the excess grease.
- Add the cooked beef to a large pot.
- Now add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, wine, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, oregano, basil and salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a light simmer.
- Simmer over low-medium heat for about 1 hour, covered.
- Serve over fresh pasta and with grated parmesan cheese.
More Favourite
pasta recipes to try!
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I hope you enjoy this easy homemade spaghetti sauce! Have a delicious day!
Note: This recipe was originally published in 2013. I have since updated this post with new images and more useful recipe tips!
I’ve been using this recipe for the past few years and it’s so delicious!!
I love the flavor of the Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar mixed in! (I add yellow bell peppers, and extra Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. )
Yum!
Hi Krista! It really is SO delicious isn’t it?! I need to make it again too!
I loved this recipe. I added one green bell pepper, 1 celery stalk and 2 bay leaf. This recipe reminds me of my moms spaghetti. Definitely will keep this one!! The best!!!
Oh yum! I love your additions!
Your recipe has been my go-to recipe for meat sauce for years. I add mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and dried chilli/pepper flakes. I use half beef and half pork. I just finished the last batch I made/froze a month and had to pass along my reviews. Hands down one of the best meat sauces!
I love to hear things like this Susan! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe…it’s a favourite here too!
Just made this for my family. Turned out so delicious they devoured it! I added peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini. Love the hint of wine in it!
This makes me so happy Irene! I’m thrilled you enjoyed it…this sauce is a favourite here too!
made this today my wife and I both loved it
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Bar far THE best recipe. Used red wine ..added extra brown sugar. Cooked all day so worth the effort.
Any guesses on nutrition content?
Is there a certain red wine you prefer? I don’t usually use red wine or have never tried a recipe with it at all, which makes me very unfamiliar with wine lol. Any help with this would be very much appreciated!! Thank you in advance 😊
I don’t really have a wine that I use all the time, usually I just use the same wine that I drink at the same time, so a nice Pinot Noir or Cabernet would be great.
My go-to meat sauce since 2013. Sometimes use ground Turkey if it’s on-hand but otherwise don’t change a thing, it’s perfect.
Hello,
I don’t see the recipe included here. Where can I find it?
I’m so sorry for that! The recipe is back up!
This is THE BEST homemade spaghetti sauce! And my go-to recipe. Love it.