Why I love this homemade spaghetti meat sauce recipe
This spaghetti meat sauce has become a staple at my dinner table. It seriously is the best recipe ever!!
It’s a homemade recipe of ground beef, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a mix of spices that makes everyone around the table ask for seconds. (Those extra spices I toss in really kick up the flavor!)
Plus, it’s incredibly easy to whip up in one pot, which means less cleanup.
And it makes a big batch. So you can freeze the leftovers for a really simple meal at a later date.
Although it was originally intended to be a spaghetti topper, I’ve found that it works just as well with other pastas like ziti or rotini. Which I often serve as a casserole at buffets or family gatherings.
So whether you’re cooking pasta for a simple family dinner or a larger gathering, this sauce has got you covered.
Looking for more pasta recipes? You'll love Make Ahead Shrimp Casserole and Traditional Lasagna.
Ingredients
Here is your shopping list (for 14 to 16 servings):
- Oil – 1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil. You need just enough to coat the bottom of your stock pot.
- Fresh produce – 2 cooking onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 12-ounce package of fresh sliced mushrooms.
- Meat – 1½ pounds ground beef, turkey or chicken
- Spices – 3 Tablespoons dried parsley or ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano, 2 teaspoons dried rosemary (I like to use crushed rosemary) or 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 4 bay leaves.
- Seasoning – 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Canned goods – 3 large (28-ounce) cans of diced tomatoes, 1 large (28-ounce) can of tomato sauce.
Substitutions & Additions
- In a pinch, you can use 3 teaspoons jarred, minced garlic instead of the fresh garlic. (But I don’t think it tastes as good.)
- If you are using fresh tomatoes, you will need 36 Roma tomatoes or 18 regular garden tomatoes instead of the canned tomatoes.
- If you don’t have tomato sauce, you can use tomato paste instead. To do this, combine 2 8-ounce cans of tomato paste with 2 cups of water.
- For a thicker sauce, replace one of the 28-ounce cans of diced tomatoes with a 28-ounce can of tomato sauce.
- Substitute 3 4-ounce cans of canned mushrooms instead of the fresh mushrooms, if that’s what you have on hand. Drain the liquid before adding them to the sauce.
- Or leave the mushrooms out altogether if you don’t like them.
Variations
- Add chopped bell peppers for additional flavor if desired.
- For an extra kick, replace some of the diced tomatoes with a 14-ounce can of Rotel. In this case you would use 2 28-ounce cans and 1 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (instead of 3 28-ounce cans).
How to make the best spaghetti meat sauce
1 | Prep work
Start by chopping the onion.
If you have a mini food processor, it can make this task quicker and help you get a more consistent size, which is great for even cooking. If not, no worries—just use a sharp knife and try to keep your pieces uniform.
Next, mince the garlic. A garlic press can be handy here, but finely chopping with a knife works too.
If you’re using canned tomatoes, open the cans.
If you’re using fresh herbs and tomatoes, chop them into small pieces as well.
2 | Saute onions and garlic
Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat until it’s hot.
You’ll know it’s ready when the oil shimmers slightly.
Add the diced onions and minced garlic to the pot.
Cook them for 2 to 3 minutes until they are tender and translucent.
Stir occasionally to prevent them from burning, which can give your sauce a bitter taste.
3 | Brown the meat
Add the ground meat to the pot.
Break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula and mix it with the onions.
Cook until the meat is thoroughly browned, stirring occasionally, which should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
Make sure it’s fully cooked with no pink spots left before continuing.
4 | Add the rest of the ingredients
Stir in the parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil, salt, and pepper.
These herbs add depth and complexity to the flavor of your sauce (and are the secret sauce to making the best spaghetti sauce ever!)
Next, mix in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and mushrooms.
Finally, add the bay leaves and stir again to make sure everything is well combined.
5 | Cook
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Let it simmer, uncovered, for at least an hour.
Stir it occasionally to prevent sticking and burning at the bottom of the pot.
The longer you let your sauce simmer, the thicker and more flavorful it will become as the ingredients meld together. Boiling for at least an hour also reduces the acidity in the tomatoes so the sauce has a more mellow flavor.
If the sauce gets thicker than you want it to be, stir in a little water to bring it back to your desired consistency.6 | Serve
Remove the bay leaves from the sauce.
Then serve over cooked spaghetti.
Or mix it with a cooked short pasta (such as Ziti or Rotini) to make more of a casserole.
Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese for some extra flavor.
Serving suggestions
Garnish your spaghetti meat sauce with a sprinkle of freshly chopped basil or parsley to add a burst of color and freshness.
Serving the sauce over a bed of al dente spaghetti is classic. But you can also try layering it with cooked penne and mozzarella, then baking it for a few minutes to create a delicious pasta bake.
Pair with a side of garlic bread and a simple green salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette to round out the meal.
Storage
To store spaghetti meat sauce, let it cool to room temperature after cooking. Then, transfer it into airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.
It can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Or stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. I like to store it in 16-ounce containers (which is about 2 servings) so I can take out exactly the amount I need.
When ready to use, thaw the spaghetti sauce with the Defrost setting in your microwave or reheat directly on the stove over low heat.
If the sauce seems too thick, add a little water until it gets to your desired consistency.
Homemade Spaghetti Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium cooking onions diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1½ pounds ground beef, turkey or chicken
- 3 Tablespoons dried parsley or ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano or 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary or 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried basil or 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes or 36 Roma tomatoes or 18 fresh garden tomatoes, diced
- 1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 12-ounce package fresh sliced mushrooms or 3 4-ounce cans canned mushrooms, drained (optional)
- 4 bay leaves
Equipment
- knife
- mini food processor
- garlic press
- measuring cups and spoons
- large stock pot
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in the stock pot over medium heat.1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Saute the diced onions and minced garlic until tender and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.2 medium cooking onions, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned.1½ pounds ground beef, turkey or chicken
- Stir in the parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil, salt and pepper.3 Tablespoons dried parsley, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Mix in the tomatoes, tomato sauce and mushrooms.3 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, 1 28-ounce can tomato sauce, 1 12-ounce package fresh sliced mushrooms
- Add the bay leaves.4 bay leaves
- Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer, uncovered for about an hour, stirring occasionally until the sauce reaches desired thickens.
- Remove the bay leaves from the sauce before serving over spaghetti and sprinkling with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Substitutions
- In a pinch, you can use 3 teaspoons jarred, minced garlic instead of the fresh garlic. (But I don’t think it tastes as good.)
- If you don’t have tomato sauce, you can use tomato paste instead. To do this, combine 2 8-ounce cans of tomato paste with 2 cups of water.
Variations
- Add chopped bell peppers for additional flavor if desired.
- For an extra kick, replace some of the diced tomatoes with a 14-ounce can of Rotel. In this case you would use 2 28-ounce cans and 1 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes (instead of 3 28-ounce cans).
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
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This post was originally published on September 10, 2015 but was updated with new content on March 19, 2024.