Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Growing up, we ate homemade spaghetti sauce almost every week. My dad loved making it, and I loved eating it. His version came from my grandmother and always included both ground beef and Italian sausage.

This recipe is my own thick, hearty everyday spaghetti sauce, packed with plenty of ground beef, a mix of diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce, and a little Worcestershire sauce for extra savory flavor. I also add a finely diced green bell pepper—an addition I didn’t much appreciate when I was younger, but I love now—and two tablespoons of sugar to help balance the acidity of all those tomatoes. It’s quite a bit different from my Grandma’s OG spaghetti meat sauce recipe, but no less delicious.

And because this recipe makes such a generous batch, there’s almost always enough left over for another dinner. I usually serve it over spaghetti with plenty of Parmesan, but it’s just as awesome in homemade lasagna, baked pasta, or for stocking the freezer.

Ingredients and Substitutions

This homemade spaghetti sauce uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients, but a few of them make a big difference in the finished flavor and texture. Here’s what I use, why I use it, and what you can substitute if needed.

• Ground beef: I recommend 85-90% lean ground beef for a good balance of flavor and fat. If you’re using a fattier blend, drain off the excess grease after browning. Ground turkey or ground pork will also work, although the flavor won’t be quite the same.
• Yellow onions: Add flavor and a little natural sweetness as they soften. White onions work just as well.
• Green bell pepper: Finely dice the pepper so it softens and blends into the sauce rather than leaving you with big chunks. You can substitute a red bell pepper for a slightly sweeter flavor or leave it out altogether.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic gives the best flavor. Five cloves may sound like a lot, but this is a big batch of sauce!
• Tomato paste: Adds concentrated tomato flavor and helps thicken the sauce. I recommend cooking it briefly with the vegetables and dried herbs before adding the canned tomatoes.
• Diced tomatoes: These add little pieces of tomato throughout the sauce. Use petite diced tomatoes if you prefer a finer texture.
• Crushed tomatoes: Create the thick, rich tomato base that holds everything together. You can substitute canned whole peeled tomatoes, crushing them by hand or with a spoon before adding them.
• Tomato sauce: Smooths out the texture and brings all those chunky ingredients together. Be sure to use plain canned tomato sauce, not a jar of prepared pasta sauce.
• Dried herbs: This recipe includes dried basil, oregano, and thyme. You can substitute approximately 1 tablespoon of dried Italian seasoning, although the flavor will vary depending on the blend.
• Granulated sugar: I add 2 tablespoons to this large batch of spaghetti sauce to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and round out the flavor without making the sauce noticeably sweet. It’s the same approach I use in my homemade chili recipe. Feel free to adjust slightly to taste, but I recommend trying the recipe as written first.
• Worcestershire sauce: One of my favorite additions! It gives the sauce a deeper, more savory flavor without being overpowering. Start with 1 tablespoon and add more to taste.
• Olive oil, salt, and black pepper: Olive oil is used for browning the beef and cooking the vegetables. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
• Water: The canned tomatoes already contain plenty of liquid, so I only add 1/4 cup of water to start. If the sauce becomes too thick as it simmers, you can always add a little more.
• For serving: I usually serve this sauce over spaghetti with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a little chopped parsley or fresh basil. Any pasta that holds a hearty meat sauce will work, including rigatoni, penne, and fettuccine.

How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

1. Brown the ground beef. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for about 8-10 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles as it browns. With two pounds of beef, you may need to work in batches to get some good browning rather than steaming the meat. Once cooked through, drain any excess grease and transfer the beef to a clean plate. Set aside.

2. Soften the onions. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same pot. Stir in the diced onions and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft, translucent, and just starting to turn golden around the edges. This gives the onions time to mellow and develop a little natural sweetness.

3. Add the bell pepper and garlic. Add the finely diced green bell pepper and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until it begins to soften. Stir in the minced garlic and a pinch of salt, then cook for about 1 minute more. Keep stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn. The goal is for the garlic to become fragrant, not browned.

4. Cook the tomato paste and seasonings. Stir in the tomato paste, dried basil, oregano, thyme, and a pinch of black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and coats the vegetables. Cooking the tomato paste before adding the canned tomatoes helps develop a richer, more concentrated tomato flavor.

5. Add the tomatoes and remaining sauce ingredients. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with their juices), crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Add the sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup of water, stirring everything together and scraping up any flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot. The sauce should already look fairly thick and chunky. There’s plenty of liquid in the canned tomatoes, so I prefer to start with less water and add more later only if needed.

6. Return the ground beef and simmer. Add the browned ground beef back to the pot and stir until it’s evenly distributed throughout the sauce. Bring everything to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low and partially cover the pot. Let the sauce simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you have extra time, feel free to let it go a little longer. The flavors will continue to develop as it cooks.

7. Taste, adjust, and serve. By now, the tomatoes should have softened and the sauce should be thick, rich, and full of tender ground beef. Give it a good stir and taste, adding more salt, black pepper, or Worcestershire sauce if needed. If it’s thinner than you’d like, let it simmer uncovered for a few more minutes. If it’s too thick, stir in a splash of water.

While the sauce finishes cooking, boil your spaghetti in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Serve the sauce over the cooked spaghetti with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley or basil. Enjoy!

How to Make Spaghetti Sauce Less Chunky

I love my spaghetti sauce thick and chunky, but if you prefer a smoother consistency, there are a few easy adjustments. Start by finely dicing the onions and bell pepper and using petite diced tomatoes instead of regular diced tomatoes. For an even smoother sauce, briefly blend the tomato and vegetable mixture with an immersion blender before returning the cooked ground beef to the pot. This keeps the meat intact while making the tomatoes and vegetables less noticeable. A few readers have also had success using pureed bell peppers or finely grated carrots to sneak in some extra vegetables.

What to Serve with Spaghetti Sauce

I usually keep spaghetti night pretty simple with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a few easy sides. But this sauce is also great for making other pasta dishes, especially when you have leftovers!

• Garlic bread or breadsticks: Growing up, we always ate homemade spaghetti with garlic bread. My dad loved the premade frozen garlic bread, so he’d stock up whenever it went on sale. Breadsticks are also great, but it really is hard to beat the buttery garlicky goodness of garlic bread.
• Salad: A fresh, crunchy salad is perfect alongside a hearty bowl of spaghetti. Try my classic house salad or Caesar salad with homemade dressing.
• Stuffed shells or baked ravioli: Skip the spaghetti altogether and use this sauce in my cheesy stuffed shells or baked ravioli. Both are great ways to turn leftover spaghetti sauce into another comforting dinner.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how much sauce it makes. There’s usually enough for dinner and at least one more meal, which means less cooking later in the week. I recommend storing the sauce separately from the spaghetti so the pasta doesn’t absorb all that delicious sauce.

• Refrigerator: Transfer leftover spaghetti sauce to shallow, airtight containers and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Freezer: This sauce freezes beautifully! I like to divide leftovers into smaller, meal-sized portions rather than freezing one enormous batch. Cool the sauce promptly, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or resealable freezer bags, leaving a little room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months for the best quality. Definitely freeze the sauce without the pasta, then cook fresh spaghetti when you’re ready to serve.
• Reheating: Thaw frozen sauce overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly heated to 165°F. If the sauce has thickened in the refrigerator or freezer, add a splash of water to loosen it. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, stirring halfway through to ensure even heating.

More Comforting Pasta Dinners

If you love hearty, family-friendly pasta dinners as much as I do, here are a few more favorites to try!

• Million dollar spaghetti: A hearty baked spaghetti casserole layered with rich meat sauce and a creamy cheese filling.
• Spaghetti casserole: Tender spaghetti, savory ground beef, tomato sauce, and a creamy cheese layer, all baked until golden and bubbly.
• American goulash: One of my family’s longtime favorites! Ground beef, tomatoes, and elbow macaroni cook together in one pot for an easy, comforting dinner.
• Taco spaghetti: A fun, one-pot dinner combining taco-seasoned ground beef, spaghetti, and melted cheese. Ready in just 30 minutes!