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The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

ByJo-Anna Rooney Posted Updated
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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!

a top down image of a pot of spaghetti sauce with a wooden spoon beside it

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!

a top down image of a pot of spaghetti sauce

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.
a top down image of a pot of spaghetti sauce
Our Favorite

Ways to use spaghetti sauce:

  • Put this pasta sauce over fresh cooked pasta. Or on zucchini noodles.
  • Use the sauce in homemade lasagna or this Easy Ravioli Lasagna 
  • Pour some over buns and top with cheese for a delicious sloppy joe meal.
  • Use it to make stuffed zucchini boats.
  • Put it in stuffed peppers.
a top down image of a pot of spaghetti sauce with a wooden spoon beside it

What to serve with Spaghetti:

an image of a bowl of caesar salad with croutons. a gold fork rests in the salad, a lemon and garlic clove sits beside the bowl
a top down close up image of a basket of breadsticks coated with butter and parmesan cheese
a top down image of a pot of spaghetti sauce with a wooden spoon in it

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.

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Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

a top down image of a pot of spaghetti sauce with a wooden spoon beside it
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4.9 from 18 reviews

A homemade spaghetti sauce recipe (with meat) that you can have on your table in about 1 1/2 hours! Delicious served over fresh cooked pasta.

  • Author: Jo-Anna Rooney
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Stovetop

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 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

  1. In a large frying pan, brown the beef with the onions and garlic. When the beef is cooked through, drain the excess grease.
  2. Add the cooked beef to a large pot.
  3. 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.
  4. Simmer over low-medium heat for about 1 hour, covered.
  5. Serve over fresh pasta and with grated parmesan cheese.

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I hope you enjoy this easy homemade spaghetti sauce! Have a delicious day!

a top down view of a pot of Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Note: This recipe was originally published in 2013. I have since updated this post with new images and more useful recipe tips!

Hi I'm Jo-Anna Rooney, the creator, director, baker, maker and home decorator here at A Pretty Life in the Suburbs! I'm sharing a simple home life through fresh and easy recipes and uncomplicated home tips and home decor.

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60 Comments

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  5. Made this last week! Used turkey instead of beef, added mushrooms! Delicious! im making it again tonight .. will add celery and carrots! Thank you for the yummy recipe!!

    Reply

  6. Hi Jo-Anna! I have to say this is one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever found online, but THE RECIPE ITSELF IS GONE! AHHHHH!!!!!! In it’s place it says “[mpprecipe-recipe:186]” Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease help or repost or anything! I can’t live without this sauce! =)

    Reply

  7. Jo-Anna,
    We love this sauce! I used 1 lb ground beef, and 1 lb Italian sausage, & it was perfect! Thank you. I’ve been looking for a better spaghetti sauce and this is great. Also, I used a teaspoon and a half of basil pesto, in case anyone is thinking of that. It works perfect!

    Reply

  8. Found you on pinterest and decided to try making spaghetti sauce for the first time without using the stuff from a jar…. I will never be able to go back! This is fantastic!

    Reply
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