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Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce

This delicious perfectly seasoned Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce is so easy to make with simple ingredients like ground beef, Italian sausage, onions, garlic, seasonings and tomatoes. You will love the flavor the combo of the ground beef and Italian sausage.


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Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • This homemade sauce is ready in as little as an hour!
  • Simple but robust meat sauce for serving over spaghetti or other pasta shapes and lasagna.
  • So much more flavor than any store bought jarred sauce.
  • Great for leftovers. This meaty sauce tastes even better the next day.
  • Spaghetti is an easy meal that everyone loves.

If you have any leftover meat sauce and you don't want to freeze it you can use it to make Instant Pot Spaghetti, Baked Ziti With Ricotta or Pizza Pasta Bake.

The key to the best spaghetti sauce is a long low simmer time to allow the flavors to deepen. Allow the sauce to simmer for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours if you have enough time.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce served on white plate with garlic bread and green beans.

A lot of these ingredients you probably already have on hand and the rest you can add to your grocery list when planning your menu for the week.

I think this is the best spaghetti meat sauce recipe and your house will smell amazing while it's cooking!

Spaghetti is one of the meals the whole family loves and this easy homemade spaghetti sauce has all the great flavors to make it a family favorite. It's delicious served with garlic bread and a side salad. Even picky eaters will be happy!

Ingredients

See printable recipe card below for all ingredients, specific measurements, and complete instructions.

Ingredients for meat sauce on counter.
  • Olive oil - Just a little to cook the onions, garlic and meat.
  • Meats - Italian sausage or ground pork and lean ground beef.
  • Onion and Garlic - You will need a large yellow onion, peeled and chopped and fresh garlic, peeled and minced.
  • Granulated sugar - A little sugar is needed to help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.
  • Seasonings - Italian seasoning blend, fresh chopped parsley and salt and black pepper.
  • Tomatoes - Tomato paste, crushed tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
  • Liquid - Chicken broth or you can use vegetable broth or beef broth.

How To Make Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce

  1. Add olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and cook the ground beef, sausage and chopped onion over medium high heat. Break up the meat and cook until it is browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess fat.
  2. Lower heat to medium and add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 to 40 seconds. Then add the Italian seasoning blend, fresh parsley, salt, pepper and sugar.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and broth.
  4. Bring the meat sauce to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and cover with a lid. Simmer the sauce for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours. Stirring occasionally.
  5. Taste the sauce to adjust seasonings to your preference.
  6. Serve over hot cooked spaghetti noodles or your favorite pasta topped with some Parmesan cheese.
Spaghetti Meat Sauce in large red pot with wooden spoon.

Recipe Tips and Variations

  • Grate two small carrots to provide some natural sweetness and to add some extra veggies to the sauce.
  • The longer you simmer the sauce, the richer and deeper the flavor will be.
  • Once you have cooked the meat and prepared the sauce on the stove, you can transfer it to a slow cooker and cook it on low heat for a couple of hours. This allows you to do something else while it cooks.
  • Use the best brand of tomatoes you can buy. I like San Marzano tomatoes, Muir Glen or the Pomi brand. These are the ones that I can usually find at my local grocery store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Simmer Spaghetti Sauce With Lid On?

You should simmer the spaghetti sauce covered over low heat, stirring occasionally for best flavor. This retains moisture in the sauce and prevents splatters. If you need to thicken it, remove the lid towards the end and simmer until it reaches your desired consistency.

Why Is Sugar Added To Spaghetti Sauce? 

Tomato based sauces are more acidic. Sugar is added to help produce a more balanced sauce by neutralizing the acid taste. You can use white or brown sugar. 

Storing and Freezing

How To Store In Refrigerator: Once cooled any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

How To Freeze Sauce: To freeze this meat sauce, allow to cool then place in zip-lock freezer bags or a freezer safe air-tight container for up to 3 months. Be sure to remove any excess air and add a label with the date.

How To Reheat: I recommend reheating refrigerated meat sauce over medium heat in a saucepan on the stove top. To reheat frozen meat sauce, place in the refrigerator to thaw overnight. When ready to use place thawed sauce in a sauce pan and reheat over medium heat on the stove.

White plate with Spaghetti Meat Sauce and garlic bread with green beans.

Helpful Supplies

Here are a few helpful items that are helpful when making this recipe. (Affiliate links)

  • This OXO Good Grips Garlic Press comes in handy in the kitchen and is the easiest way to mince garlic.
  • A meat chopper makes cooking ground meat so much easier.
  • This 6-Quart Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven is one of my most favorite kitchen items and this one is available in fourteen different color options.

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I hope you enjoy this Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce! If you try this recipe, please come back and rate it and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from you!

Spaghetti Meat Sauce in large red saucepan ready to serve over pasta.

Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Author: Judy Wilson
This delicious perfectly seasoned Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce is so easy to make with simple ingredients like ground beef, Italian sausage, onions, garlic, seasonings and tomatoes.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
  • 6 gloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 6 ounce can tomato paste
  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
  • ½ cup chicken, beef or vegetable broth

Instructions
 

  • Add olive oil to a large sauce pot or Dutch oven and cook the ground beef, Italian sausage and chopped onion over medium high heat. Break up the meat and cook until it is browned and no longer pink. Drain any excess fat.
  • Lower heat to medium and add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 to 40 seconds. Then add the Italian seasoning blend, fresh parsley, salt, pepper and sugar.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and broth.
  • Bring the meat sauce to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low and cover with a lid. Simmer the sauce for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours. Stirring occasionally.
  • Taste the sauce to adjust seasonings to your preference.
  • Serve over hot cooked spaghetti noodles or your favorite pasta topped with some Parmesan cheese.

Notes

The longer you simmer the sauce, the richer and deeper the flavor will be.
Use the best brand of tomatoes you can buy. I like San Marzano, Muir Glen or Pomi brand. 
The nutritional information provided is approximate and should only be used as a general guideline. It is an estimate that will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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Spaghetti Meat Sauce Pinterest Pin.
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