A spaghetti sauce recipe is one of the most versatile and well-loved homemade recipes.
Jam packed with flavor, this spaghetti sauce is made with ground beef, Italian sausage, and seasonings to create a rich and zesty sauce.
This sauce is comforting, loved by adults and children alike, and it can be added to so many pasta dishes.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce!
- This recipe is so easy to make at home.
- Made with sausage and ground beef, this sauce is hearty and filling, add extra veggies like bell peppers if you’d like.
- Add extra tomatoes or sauce to stretch this budget-friendly dish even further!
- Make a double or triple batch, this spaghetti sauce freezes well for future meals.
- Enjoy it over spaghetti or other pasta shapes or use it in a favorite lasagna recipe.
Ingredients for Spaghetti Sauce
Meat – Ground beef and Italian sausage are the meats of choice for this recipe but you can use just one or the other if you’d like. Sausage is extra flavorful so if you skip it, add extra seasonings.
Vegetables – Onion adds flavor while shredded carrot balances out the tang of the tomatoes. If you’d like to skip the carrot you can add either a spoonful of sugar to taste or a chopped red bell pepper.
Other great additions to a homemade spaghetti sauce recipe include green bell pepper, mushrooms, or shredded zucchini.
Sauce – Spaghetti sauce has a base of crushed tomatoes. I add tomato paste for tang and diced tomatoes for texture. If you prefer a smoother sauce, use all crushed tomatoes and simmer a bit longer.
In a Hurry?
Hey, it’s ok… to change it up a little if you’re in a rush!
To save time, brown the meat and onion as directed in the recipe below. Skip the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and water and use a jar of pasta sauce or marinara sauce instead. (I still like to add the seasonings and drained diced tomatoes). Simmer for 15 minutes.
How to Make Spaghetti Sauce
This sauce is so easy to cook, the family will love it!
- Brown Italian sausage, beef, onion, & garlic in a skillet or pot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients & simmer (as per the recipe below).
- Season with salt and pepper and stir in fresh herbs if using.
Feeling Fancy?
The addition of fresh herbs really makes this sauce next level. Fresh basil or fresh parsley should be stirred in right before serving.
If you happen to have a parmesan cheese rind, add it in while the sauce simmers and discard before serving.
Tips for Perfect Homemade Pasta Sauce
- For a thicker sauce, allow it to simmer on the stove without the lid. This will cause the liquid in the sauce to evaporate.
- Add dry seasonings or spices at the beginning of cooking and fresh herbs at the end of cooking.
- The carrots add a hint of sweetness to balance the tang of the tomatoes. No carrots? Add a small spoonful of sugar.
- Don’t rinse the pasta. When the sauce is added to the noodles, some of the starch in the pasta will thicken the sauce slightly and help it to adhere to the noodles.
Storing Spaghetti Sauce
Spaghetti sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
The best thing about spaghetti sauce is that it is so easy to freeze! Add it to an airtight container (or a freezer bag) and freeze it for up to 3 months.
More Favorite Pasta Sauce Recipes
Did your family love this homemade Spaghetti Sauce? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage casings removed, or bulk sausage
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup *carrot grated
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt more to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley optional
Instructions
- Cook beef, sausage, onion, and garlic in a large pot or dutch oven until no pink remains. Drain fat.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until thickened.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in fresh parsley if using.
- Serve over spaghetti or cooked pasta.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course, Pasta, Sauce
Cuisine American, Italian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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I have a question can I use ground beef and Italian sausage at the same time for this recipe
We do! We use 1 lb of ground beef cooked with ½ lb of Italian sausage.
made this and loved it , added green peppers, red peppers and mushrooms a, and some additional seasonings, mrs dash, oregono, and sea salt .
l loved this recipe. The spaghetti turned out delicious. I will definitely use this recipe again.
I made this in a crock pot……….cooking the meat, onion and garlic in a pan on the stove, before adding to the rest of the ingredients in the crock pot. I added mushrooms and served it over spaghetti noodles and it was wonderful !!!!
I plan to make this recipe for Sunday night dinner. I’m having 9 kids over for dinner. Can I puree the tomato sauce before adding the meatballs? I’m not sure kids will enjoy having whole tomatoes in the sauce.
That should be just fine Judith! If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
i am not a cook AT ALL. can i make the sauce without meat to freeze? i want to use fresh meat every time. or does it matter??
You can if you’d like but the meat adds flavor and it freeze really well too.