This hearty Homemade Spaghetti Sauce, made with sausage, ground beef, three kinds of tomatoes, and wonderfully seasoned is perfect over spaghetti or in lasagna!
And for days you’re not in the mood for a red sauce, try our popular alfredo sauce or pesto sauce.
The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Everyone should have a go-to homemade spaghetti sauce recipe in their arsenal. I know jarred sauce is so convenient, but there’s just nothing like homemade sauce.
This is my favorite, made with a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage, three different types of tomatoes, wonderful aromatics, and perfect seasonings. Maybe not considered a quick spaghetti sauce, since you really want it to simmer for several hours which deepens the flavors, but definitely an easy spaghetti sauce.
It’s the perfect sauce for piling on top of spaghetti, used as the sauce layer in lasagna, or just mopped up with some garlic bread. It also freezes beautifully, so you can always have some on hand.
What Is The Difference Between Marinara Sauce and Spaghetti Sauce?
I know they look and smell the same, but marinara sauce is basically tomato sauce with aromatics such as herbs and onion, whereas spaghetti sauce is usually made with meat and vegetables. Then there’s also a Bolognese sauce, which usually includes carrots, wine and/or milk. This particular recipe is sort of a cross between all three!
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need for this spaghetti sauce recipe:
(Don’t miss the detailed printable recipe card below for measurements.)
- Meat – Hot (or sweet) Italian sausage and lean ground beef. You can double up on one or the other, but the combination of both in awesome.
- Sweet onion and garlic – For wonderful flavor and aromatics. A must in Italian cooking!
- Seasonings – Italian seasoning, kosher salt, pepper, and fresh parsley season the sauce.
- Granulated sugar – Just a bit. See note below.
- Tomatoes – Tomato paste, diced fire roasted tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes.
- Liquid – Beef or chicken broth.
Why Use Sugar In Spaghetti Sauce?
How to Make Spaghetti Sauce
For optimal results, this sauce should simmer for several hours, but making it is quite simple in just a few steps.
(Scroll down to the printable recipe card for details and measurements, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Brown the meat. In a large nonstick skillet, brown the sausage and beef together, breaking them up into small pieces.
- Add in the aromatics. Add in the onion and garlic and cook, until no pink remains in either meat. Drain off fat.
- Season the meat. Add in the seasonings and sugar, followed by the tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Add the tomatoes and broth. Pour in the diced tomatoes with their liquid, crushed tomatoes, and broth. Stir well until combined.
- Simmer. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 1 hour (ideally 3.)
- Serve. Use right away, refrigerate for later, or freeze for down the road!
How long to cook spaghetti sauce?
Video: Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
What To Do With Leftover Spaghetti Sauce
We love leftover spaghetti sauce and bank on their being some the next day. Here are a few great ways to use it:
- Make some homemade garlic bread instead of pasta and mop up the sauce with it!
- Top some roasted spaghetti squash with it for a delicious low-carb option.
- Swap out some of the ingredients in this American Goulash recipe for a scoop or two.
- Use it to make Skillet Lasagna.
Proper Storage
- Can spaghetti sauce be made in advance? Definitely! In fact, I recommend making it in advance. Start it in the morning and let it low simmer for hours. The longer it cooks, the better!
- How long does spaghetti sauce last in the fridge? It can be made ahead and kept refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 4 days.
- Can you freeze spaghetti sauce? Yep! You can further extend its shelf life by freezing it, covered in an airtight freezer-safe container, for up to 4 months.
More Pasta Sauces To Try:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large sweet onion , diced
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (see note)
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 12 ounces tomato paste
- 15 ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken or beef broth
Instructions
- In a large pot or pan, add in the sausage and beef over medium-high heat. Use a spoon to break up the meat into small pieces. Add in the onion and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is browned and no pink remains. Drain off the grease.
- Reduce heat to medium; add in the sugar, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley. Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes with their liquid, crushed tomatoes, and chicken (or beef) broth. Stir well until combined; bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 1 hour (ideally 3 to 4)
- Use right away, refrigerate for later, or freeze for down the road!
Can this be made in a crock pot
I’ve never done that, but I can’t see why not. Maybe start it on the stove as instructed and then transfer to the crockpot for a few hours on low? Try it.
I love this recipe. It is my go to spaghetti sauce. I am a foodie and love researching new recipes
Do you simmer the sauce covered or uncovered?
Uncovered.
3rd time making this… its soooo good!
Loved this recipe, will now be my go too recipe for spaghetti.
I’ve tried dozens of spaghetti sauce recipes over the years and this one will be the last. Far superior to anything else. WOW.
I have never had a recipe for my home made spaghetti sauce, and I’ve been making it for over 55 years, but Amy your recipe is right in line with what I use in my sauce, with the exception of the sugar, the only exception is I add chopped green peppers to my sauce I cook them with the onions and garlic. This is the way my mom made it and she taught me. We never measured anything, Because my family is grown and gone I now make a large pot of red sauce. I just don’t add any spices. I freeze this in 1 to 2 portions. This way I can decide if I want chili con carne, spaghetti sauce, etc. by adding the spices, beans etc. at another time. Very cost effective for me!
FANTASTIC!!! This was moanable delicious! I had to tell my husband to stop telling me how good it was and just eat it!!! I didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes but used diced tomatoes with a pinched of smoked paprika as suggested in an earlier post Thank You!
This sauce was amazing and so easy, ready in about 20min..
Doubled the recipe, just beef no sausage, added 1/2 can beef broth, Delicious! For sure, a keeper.
This is now my go-to sauce. I cannot imagine making pasta with store bought sauce ever again. My family loves it!
This is definitely my new go to!!!
This is the second time I’ve made this spaghetti sauce and it’s the only recipe I’ll use going forward – it’d delicious! The one sub I make is instead of sugar, I add a couple of glugs of pure maple syrup – it adds a little extra depth. Thanks for a great recipe!
Love this sauce! I like to put it on low in slow cooker.
This will be my go to sauce from now on.
This was very very good everyone went for seconds which had never happened before
Absolutely DELICIOUS. And so easy! This is definitely my new go-to recipe for spaghetti sauce.
We have been on the hunt for a spaghetti sauce that rivals Olive Garden. I think we have found a winner. This was so good. The only “tweak” I did was a add a bit more (1/2 cup) beef broth because after simmering it was really thick. This is a KEEPER!
My favorite “go to” !!! This spaghetti is delicious. I often tweak a little to use what I have in hand and it’s always turned out so tasty! Our girls love it!
Oh so can’t wait to make this!!! I will add a touch of red wine & fresh basil ?
Would it work to use a 15oz can of tomato sauce instead of the diced tomatoes.
Sure. Keep it mind, it will change the consistency of the sauce and alter the flavor a bit, but it certainly won’t ruin it.
After the meat, onions and garlic get their time in the skillet, would it be okay to finish in a crock pot on high, for say, 6 more hours?
Hi Patrick! I’ve never tested the sauce cooked this way, so I can’t vouch for results, but you could try it. Maybe add a touch more broth to avoid it drying out and cook on low, not high.
We love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times and love that I can put it together after work or have it simmering throughout the day.
Nicely Done – Thank You!
This is an excellent base recipe to play with or Fantastic just as written.
Good for in between Thanksgiving and the following week! I used ground bison from a rancher near us, and Italian mild sausage along with various seasonings, tomatillo/tomato sauce, a splash of worcestershire, and a bit of red wine. Num, num, num!!!
My husband and I both agreed this is the best sauce we have ever made/eaten.
Thank you for a delicious homemade spaghetti sauce that made me look like I’m the best Italian cook. The greatest thing is it’s not complicated and easy to follow. This is definitely a keeper in my recipe binder. Thank you for sharing this recipe
This is so good and a lot less to make homemade instead of ready made sauces
BEST SAUCE EVER!!! I would give this 100 stars if I could. No changes, made as written. I was hoping I’d have enough leftover to freeze for another meal, but nope we ate it all (there’s 7 of us) – guess I need to make another batch!
Dee-licious!! This is my new favorite spaghetti sauce. I meant to snap a picture, but I was too eager to gobble it down! Will definitely be saving this recipe for future reuse.
Best spaghetti sauce in the world. Truly amazing. I would give 100 stars if I could. Unfortunately I had to take the 1hr time option because company showed up early. This fed 6 people and everyone loved it
Made this last night, mainly had been looking for a good plain old spaghetti recipe and all the 5 star reviews convinced me. Bolognese is my go to, but it is definitely an all afternoon dish. This is a very good recipe, and good enough to have friends over. I made slight changes as follows: I used only half the salt, in lieu of sugar I shredded a small carrot to soak up the acid, and used 2 lbs grass fed organic 85/15 ground beef, BUT I did use a sausage spice recipe and spiced 1 of the beef packages. I agree the sausage is probably integral, but we don’t eat a lot of pork. This is a thick sauce, we simmered it uncovered and after about 45 minutes it was a bit thicker so covered it and simmered on very low. All told, we simmered it about 3 hours, I feel certain that it would be fine to serve after 1 hour, and even better the next day. Imo, I would probably go for the true bolognese if I wanted to do a 3 hour simmer, but in no way is that a detraction from this recipe. It is good enough to make again, and especially when you need it quicker in maybe a 60-90 minute simmer.
This was outstanding! My new favorite sauce. I only let it simmer for 90 minutes and it was still excellent, so I can only imagine how amazing it would be if it simmered longer.
I love this recipe, I added brown sugar instead of white and it was delicious.
Great spaghetti sauce. I made it this today for supper.
Have made this sauce a few times and it is great!!
This is pretty much the recipient I learned from my mother, with the one difference being the fire roasted tomatoes. I’ve always made meatballs in the past, but was too lazy and just made the meat sauce instead and I actually prefer it!
I’ll let you in on a family secret. About 10 mins before serving, beat an egg and add some fresh parm & reggiano cheese and then stir into the sauce.
This is the best spaghetti recipe I’ve ever made. I let mine cook all day, and I add my fresh basil from my basil plant.
Can you tell me what the serving size is for the 6 servings this makes. Thanks
Hi Mickey! I’ve never actually measured how many total cups this batch of sauce makes…it’s just always enough for 6 people and a big pile of spaghetti. I’d say a generous 1/2 cup or maybe even 3/4 cup.
Love this sauce. I’ve used the sauce in spaghetti and lasagna. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Making this again today for the 3rd time. This is my favorite spaghetti sauce. The only addition I added was a big fistful of Crushed red peppers and a good shake of saracha sauce. This is nice and spicy yum.
I accidentally bought 12 ounces of tomato sauce instead of paste. Will that still work??
It won’t have as much depth of flavor, but yes it will be perfectly fine.
Do I drain the juice in the diced fire-roasted tomatoes and crushed tomatoes for your homemade spaghetti sauce?
Nope
I have not tried this recipe yet, but I wonder could you make it in the crockpot?
This sauce is DELICIOUS! I simmered it for 4 hours, let it cool & froze half. The 1st half I used right away for spaghetti. The 2nd half I thawed & made lasagna, which we had for dinner last night when we had company. Everyone loved it & asked for the recipe. Thanks for sharing – I finally found the perfect sauce!
I love good recipes and so many online say they are the best and many are good – but best is a strong term. However THIS recipe – nails it. It is the best meat sauce I’ve had and those who ate it agreed. I have to say that all these reviewers are spot on. Great recipe and thank you for sharing it. Going to make sharing meals with friends so much better when this is served. THANK YOU!
Just made this. It’s wonderful. Will never buy premade again. Thank you
How much pasta can be/should be cooked with this amount of sauce?
I used ground turkey in place of the beef. Turned out amazing!
Wow this sauce is THE BEST – I’m throwing out all my others! The only thing I changed was added just a splash of red wine.
I love this spaghetti!!!
This was outstanding! Probably the best meat sauce I’ve ever made.
I made this sauce and simmered for 4 hours. It was really tasty but so thick, can I add tomato sauce to thin it out some?
I would thin it out with some chicken broth.
I would give this recipe 100 stars if I could. Outstanding.
I made this for my wife! I took the four hour approach! She loved it! Divine was the word she used. I will make a double batch as suggested. I loved it!! Thank you!!
This was outstanding. Seriously throwing out all my other spaghetti sauce recipes.
This spaghetti sauce is absolutely amazing! Thanks for sharing!
I only had boring ground pork to use for this recipe and no fire roasted tomatoes so just used regular diced tomatoes. Added a bit of red pepper flakes and a splash of red wine. It was simmering for an hour and I just tasted it. It is delicious. I have tried many spaghetti sauce recipes. This is one of the very best!
I loved this sauce! I was a little disappointed to not find the meatballs recipe
Hi Melanie! The meatball recipe is linked to in the article. Or you can do a simple search on our website for it.
This was the best sauce EVER. Wow wow.
Hello. This is a great recipe. Very flavorful. I am just curious for calories conscious guests… the calories listed is that for the entire thing or per serving? Also what is a serving size? Thank you for this great recipe!!!!
Can you start this on the stove then transfer to a crock pot to simmer? Can’t wait to try it!
I’ve never done that, but I can’t see why not. The flavor probably won’t be as deep, though.
I started on the stove then xferred to my slow cooker for 4 hours . Came out great
I cooked the meat and went as far as adding the tomato paste before transferring to the crock pit and adding all the tomatoes and it worked just fine. Flavour is great. I let it simmer in there all day on low.
Yummy recipe. Says it makes 6 servings but how much is in a serving? 1 cup? 2 cup?
We loved this spaghetti sauce! It had just the right blend of spices and flavor. It will be the #1 go-to for our homemade sauce from now on! My very discerning husband said that this is a keeper!!
Hi! Can you can this recipe? I’m not too savvy with that stuff. ;) Thanks!
Only if you pressure can it, because it has meat, you can waterbath this sauce without the meat . Add 1 TBSP lemon juice to your jars. Look up canning spaghetti sauce ?.
When I make a recipe for the first time, I try to follow it to the letter so I have a baseline before I make changes. But with spaghetti sauce recipes, I can’t seem to stop the red pepper flakes or basil from joining the fun. I added the flakes to the meat as I added the onions and garlic, but waited to add the basil until it had simmered 30 minutes. I felt like this recipe looked overly simple, but I’m clearly a dummy, because this sauce was so hearty, perfectly balanced, and delicious that I almost skipped the basil altogether. I added it just because it was there and I think it was great both before and after.
My complex recipe is now banished, and this is my new Sunday spaghetti sauce recipe. My boyfriend, who just doesn’t like spaghetti much, asked me to make the sauce into lasagna and said it was one of the better sauces I’ve made.
Best sauce I’ve ever made!! It hit all the right notes in flavor and texture. I only had 90 minutes to let it simmer so I can only imagine how it would be after 3. GREAT recipe!
If you love spaghetti or looking for the most delicious spaghetti sauce, no need to look any further!! This is it!!!!!! It’s delicious and it also freezes well so I always double the recipe.
So tasty!
Does the fire roasted tomato make it spicy?
Fired roasted tomatoes give the sauce extra depth of flavor, but don’t make it spicy.
I loved this recipe! Excellent
This sauce is fantastic. Am freezing the left overs. I added more brown sugar and cooked in crockpot for about 10 hrs. Love this. Will be making again. Thanks for the new favorite recipe!
This wA awesome! I made it as written except used all ground beef instead of half sausage. It turned out great. Even my son commented on how good it is!! That’s saying something!!
Made this for my brother who is a picky eater. He can’t eat garlic or onions so removed those but he asked me to make it for him again. He rarely ever asks for another batch. (Hey, I’m a good cook, he’s just picky!). I also loved the recipe – great flavor and so easy to make. This is now the only Spaghetti Sauce recipe I’ll use from now on. Thank you for posting!
This smells wonderful cooking, having salad and garlic bread with it.
Wow Great sauce. This is the beat spagetthi sauce i have ever made. I cooked it for 5 hours and put fresh basil in it and wow!! This is my new sauce for spaghetti and lasagna!!! Thank you so much!!!
I have made this recipe at least 5 time’s. I don’t use the Italian sausage. Just 1 lb of ground beef. It’s our favorite
This sauce is so delicious! Easy to make too. Will be using this recipe again.
I live in Australia and we don’t seem to have fire roasted tomatoes here – could you suggest what I could use instead?
Also, we shops don’t sell Italian sausage here like you’ve shown in your video – do you think it would be ok to buy Italian sausages and de-case them?
Hi Lisa – there really isn’t an equivalent replacement, so just use regular diced tomatoes and maybe add a pinch of smoked paprika. It’ll still be wonderful! Italian sausage links are perfectly fine, and yes, remove from their casings. Enjoy!
I am an avid pasta-lover; and I can honestly say this is truly an easy and very delicious recipe! My husband and I love it.
This is basically the recipe I use. Except I add sliced mushrooms and diced green peppers and I will let it simmer all day long. Pasta has to be my favourite food!
This was outstanding.
My family said this was one of the best things I’ve ever made. I added just a touch of red wine, but otherwise no changes. It was excellent – would give it 10 stars if I could!
Excellent recipe I’ve made several times! Only thing I like to add is a bit of chili powder, red pepper flakes, and maybe most importantly: fennel seeds. Adds an extra sausage punch without adding more sausage.
How much fennel? Makes sense if not using sausage.
Love it. Will use this recipe for now on
I’ve been using this recipe for awhile now, absolutely love it. I don’t always have tomato paste on hand, can I leave that out? Or will it change the sauce too much?
Hi Savannah! So glad you love the sauce. The tomato paste adds richness and depth of flavor, but the sauce will still be delicious without it.
Great recipe! My wife and I love it!
I made this recipe and it turned out amazing. I added lots of basil bc we have some plants outside. The trick is to let it cook for 4 hours. I think its the best sauce I ever made. The fam loved it.
Truly the best spaghetti sauce I have ever made – I’m ditching all my others and will make this one from now on. Wow.
My favorite spaghetti sauce, delicious!
This was FANTASTIC!! Best sauce I’ve ever made.
Super easy. Followed directions to a tee. My teen daughter loved it as well as I did. Definetly a keeper! Thank you for sharing.
It is truely the best meat sauce recipe I have tried
Can you simmer in the crock pot for hours
I’m at the simmering stage and the aroma is absolutely delightful…when all is ready I am bringing a dish over to him when he gets home from work…he works 6-7days a week so he admits to quick, not so nutritious meals so…THANK YOU SO MUCH.
P.S. We’re having your garlic bread too!
This was a delicious recipe!! I will definitely do this again.
Thank you!!
I love all of ur recipes. They look very good .I will be trying them
It’s really good! Will definitely make again.
By far the most amazing spaghetti sauce recipe! My whole family loves it. Family favorite in this house.
Hi just curious. If I simmer the sauce for 4 hours as recommended will the tomatoes cook down a lot so there’s no big chunks? I like my sauce without chunks of tomatoes. Thank you
Not sure what you consider big, but yes, there will still be pieces of tomato. This sauce has a lot of texture, it’s not smooth like a marinara sauce.
So would it be alright to purée the tomatoes first before cooking then? Thanks
Sure, that’s fine.
do I stir occasionally as it cooks or let it be? and do i cook open or covered?
Hi Michael – I usually give it a quick stir every once in a while to prevent it from scorching. You can simmer with or without a lid – up to you. If you do use a lid, leave it cracked a bit.
This was BOMB! Will definitely make again and rec to everyone I know!!
I really liked this recipe. Very yummy
I would love to can this. Do you know the portions I would use to do so? Thanks
This is my staple recipe for spaghetti sauce… best EVER. I do add a bay leaf towards the end as well.
This is the best spaghetti meat sauce I have ever made. Husband said “don’t lose this recipe!” Ha. Thank you for sharing!
The best!
This truly was outstanding. My husband said it’s the best sauce he’s ever had. I would give this 100 stars if I could.
This is one of the best sauce recipes I have tried. Great taste and very quick to put together
This was FANTASTIC – best spaghetti sauce I’ve ever made. Family loved it. Next time I’ll double it and freeze some for later.
My go to Spaghetti recipe
This recipe is almost identical to the one I have been making for years. I usually use canned or jarred tomato sauce and tomato paste for extra tomato flavour. I have always added the sugar (3 heaping Tbsp of brown sugar) during the last half hour of cooking. My daughter asked once why my sauce tasted better than hers using the same recipe. It was the length of cooking time that made the difference. I usually make a double batch which allows leftover sauce to make lasagne later in the week. I use fresh pasta sheets for the layers which makes it even easier.
Thus sauce is very similar to mine. I add 1 bay leaf to the sauce. I don’t like bay leaf as a rule but I love it in spaghetti sauce. Also instead of addind sugar I add baking soda. About 1/2 tsp for a batch of sauce. When you add it to the sauce , it foams up at first and then settles down. If you were to taste it before and after the soda, it tastes just like you added sugar. It takes out the acid from the tomatoes and just sweetens the sauce. I have copied your recipe for stir fry sauce and your Alfredo sauce too. Just found your site.
Would love to try this recipe, what if I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned? How many grams/kg wud I use?
I usually make a bolognese sauce and this is just as good gives me an alternative
This sauce was FANTASTIC.
This recipe turned out good! I only let it simmer down for about an hour and 20 minutes. Plenty for left overs
This was the best sauce I have ever made. My husband said “10 stars!” – Definitely a keeper. Thank you so much for sharing this.
This was outstanding.
Hi I have Crohn’s disease and this spaghetti recipe looks great. I have to be very careful of what I eat because of my many surgeries scare tissue and narrowing of bowel anyway I think if I just use hamburger meat and non spicy tomatoes I think it is going to be great for me. I will let you know sorry for the long post but I have been looking for a good sauce o can make. Thank you so much!
Absolutely wonderful!
I added some red pepper flakes, overall the flavor was delish!
I’ve been looking for a spaghetti sauce recipe to mix with rigatoni and then create a rigatoni bake with dollops of ricotta. Do you think this sauce would work for that?
Sure!
The best spaghetti sauce ever! I have been making spaghetti sauce for years and I wanted a little change. That’s when I came across your recipe. Am so glad I found this recipe as it was the changes/improvements I was looking for. Absolutely delicious!
Hi there can I make this sauce just with ground beef ? We don’t eat pork. Thanks
We are making this sauce as we speak.! It smells so good. . No more jarred sauce for us! Thanks for posting.
This is the sauce I’ve been making for years but instead of chicken broth, I add Gallo hearty burgandy. Makes it richer.
This recipe is wonderful! I made extra to freeze and then a second batch to can
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. No going back to the jar after this!
Thanks so much for sharing
This was the best sauce. My kids and I loved it. How long can I freeze it for?
Hi there Brenda! All the storage information is included in the article – thank you!
I’m making the sauce now, should the pot be covered while simmering on low?
Not necessary.
Great recipe. Perfect as is! I have unethically claimed this recipe as my own family recipe, passed down by my great-grandmother, Dottie. I apologize but it makes a great story!
Best spaghetti sauce ever. Worth the time.
Love this! Have made on stove top! Any advice on using an instant pot for this recipe?
This is the absolute best sauce I have tried. Thank you for sharing
Great sauce I did change a little took sugar out add a pinch of basil
We love this recipe……I cook it all day on low in my crock pot!
My family and I loved this sauce so much! This is the third time we have eaten it and they all clean their plates! Thanks so much for sharing, it’s so easy to make yet tastes like it took hours!
BEST spaghetti sauce ever! I’ve tried a lot of homemade sauces and they don’t even compare to this one!
This is a stellar thick spaghetti sauce recipe. I use it all the time now and switch it up regularly as to what I’m in the mood for flavor wise and it NEVER disappoints. I use it over anything from
Pappardelle to crispy polenta. I have even gone meatless with it to make an awesome pizza sauce with some adjustments to the measurements. Great recipe! Thanks for posting!!
loved it
Love the thickness of this recipe. Absolutely delish. Only thing I did differently was add 2 bay leaves. This will be my go to meat sauce in the future!
Best Homemade Sauce EVER!!!
Salute ! Mama Mia hold the trip to Italy, this is the absolute best, thank you ! Wow ! Ti ringrazio !
The best spaghetti recipe! It is the only one I use now.
Do you use Italian parsley or regular parsley? I love mushrooms and bell peppers could these be added and if so when? Thanks!
I always use flat-leaf parsley, but either is fine, depending on you taste. I would add in chopped up vegetables along with the onion and garlic.
Hi Amy! Sorry, one other question. Am I able to transfer this to the crockpot or do you not recommend that? Thanks!
I’ve never tested this in a crockpot – I don’t think the flavors will be as deep, but you could try it. If you cook it fully and just before simmering, transfer it to the crockpot to cook all day over low, it should be ok.
Hi Amy! Can this simmer for 6-7 hours or do you think that’s a bit too long? Thank you! Looks wonderful.
It can simmer for 6 hours, but keep it over low heat and stir it occasionally, so nothing scorches. 6 hours is pretty long, so you might need to add a little extra broth. Keep an eye on it.
Can I use Audouille sausage and lean hamburger? I am cooking now
I have made this several times since discovered, delish!!!!
I see someone added white wine, could you add red wine instead?
Gotta make as written, but might want to try it with wine next time.
This sauce was soooo good and very easy to make!!! Is there a way to make it a little saucier?
Absolutely loved this speghetti sauce recipe. Made almost exactly as recipe was written with the exception of using finely chopped carrots instead of sugar. So yummy. You won’t be disappointed!
Seriously the best spaghetti sauce!
This recipe is my go-to sauce. I make it weekly and I love how versatile it is. Like today I didn’t have broth or parsley so I subbed wine and basil instead and it always comes out awesome. Amy, I love you!! Thank you for sharing this gem!!
Can you do meatballs in the sauce instead?
This is delicious and so easy. I do replace the chicken broth with water from cooking the past and add fresh mushrooms but those are just personal preference. Thanks for sharing.
I really want to try this recipe however it’s just me and my husband so I know this would be waaaay too much for us. Would it still be good/work if I cut everything in half? Thanks!
Hi Megan – you could definitely cut all the ingredients in half. But you could always make the full recipe and freeze whatever you don’t use for later. It freezes so well.
This is excellent. Best spaghetti sauce I e ever made. Thank you!
I’ve been looking for a thick hearty meaty sauce and this is it! I make this every week in my Instant Pot and I love it! Thanks Amy!!!
Hi! Do you have instructions or tips on how you adapted this for the instant pot?
This is the absolute, best spaghetti sauce ever!
I cannot find the spicy or hot Italian sausage…would it be ok to use the mild Italian sausage? Thank you!
Absolutely! It just won’t have a nice subtle kick to it that I love. If you don’t mind missing that, it’ll still be wonderful. If you do want a little added heat, you can stir in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
W O W Z A!!! This is an AMAZING RECIPE!!! THANK YOU CHEF!!???
Do you think I could start this on stove then move to a low oven and cook for several hours? My gas stove burns very hot even on low and sauces easily scorch.
I would be concerned it would dry out.
This is a keeper!! I’ve been using jarred sauce bcuz I couldn’t find a good homemade recipe. I did add garlic powder and only had time to simmer for an hour. Also, I bought tomato sauce instead of paste so I left out the ckn broth. It was a bit runny still but so delish!!!
With this recipe are you able to Can it in jars for pantry storage?
Hi Courtney – I’m not knowledgable enough about canning to give advice on this, but my understanding is that you need to use a pressure canner (which kills botulism, because it reaches 240 degrees) for any sauce with meat, like this one. As opposed to water bath canning for pickles and jams. I would do some research on it. I hope that helps!
This spaghetti sauce is one I will keep. I made it for dinner tonight for the family and they loved it! I will make this again for sure !
This is delicious! I added white wine instead of chicken stock and carrots like Bolognese and wow. Great sauce. Thank you
Absolutely delicious, and my 2 grandsons really liked it! I’ve been using jar sauce for years. I forgot how fresh homemade sauce is. Recipe is so simple, but sauce has such a good flavor. I added a few fresh basil leaves during the last 15 minutes.
I have a large amount of tomatoes from our garden and I able to use them instead of canned?
Terrific recipe and great flavor. Thank you for sharing.
Followed the recipe exactly as described and it was wonderful. I have made it several times and the longer it simmers the better it gets. My husband and son say this it the best sauce they have ever had and both are rather picky. It works well as spaghetti or in lasagna.
My family has been having spaghetti on Christmas Eve for years. Easy make ahead and so good.
Wow, what a great recipe. This is almost exact to the way my grandma made her sauce. I hate I didn’t pay better attention when she used to make it. I didn’t use the chicken broth, only because I didn’t have any. Next time I make it, I will definitely do the recipe exactly as listed.
It’s crazy to me people would not put the sugar in this sauce. They must not know much about cooking. It’s not like you’re going to taste it. I just wanted to say thank you for posting, and I look forward to trying some of your other recipes.
has anyone used this sauce in Lasagna? I am hoping to make both spaghetti and lasagna with it.
Thanks
I use this sauce for both spaghetti and lasagna all the time.
I have all ingredients except tomato paste. Have you tried it without the paste? I’m making lazagna with the sauce.
This sauce is so yummy! I followed it almost exactly (didnt have Italian seasoning but used similar spices) and it is the best I’ve ever tasted. I did blend the diced tomatoes in the blender before adding it to the meat – picky kids. I ate a mug of it plain…no noodles.
I love this recipe. But how do I thaw and reheat after freezing?
Thaw overnight in the fridge. Warm on the stovetop in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through.
Day before, from freezer to frig, then next day, from frig to Crock pot on low, then to warm or serve when I come home.
Yummy
I know this sounds crazy, but, is the “spicy” sausage the same as “hot” sausage? Most are labeled mild, hot, sweet or regular. Went out on a limb today and bought the “hot.” Cooking it up as I write this!
Yep, same thing!
What type of Italian Seasoning do you use, i have tried several that I wasn’t crazy about?
Do you think I could can this after making instead of freezing? I keep a huge canned stock of goods.
Thank you!
This is a delicious recipe . The fire roasted tomatoes make the recipe.
We don’t like Italian sausage so will this sauce turn out just as good with just ground beef???
Tastes better a little spiced up so just add some red pepper flakes maybe, unless you have small kids.
I made this recipe on the stove and then put in the crockpot on high for 4 hours. Turned out wonderful. Picky husband – satisfied!!
Someone commented their husband doesn’t like sweet sauce. Is the sauce sweet?
I made this today and my husband and I both absolutely loved it.
Everyone at home was pleased with this meal. Not so difficult to make, not so expensive & very tasty. I added fresh mushrooms & fresh basil. I highly recommended.
Hi Amy! I plan to just make the recipe with 1 pound of beef. Do I also cut the rest of the seasonings in half? I am excited to try!!!
Hi there Michelle! I wouldn’t cut back on the seasonings (or anything else) to maintain as much flavor as possible. It will still be delicious – just thinner without the pork.
How much wine did you use and what kind.I never know what brand to use for cooking.
Made this for dinner tonight & it was awesome! My husband really raved about how great it was, he said probably the best spaghetti sauce he has ever had anywhere !
I can’t wait to make this! I was just wondering if it’s simmered covered or uncovered?
Thanks in advance
Uncovered. But if you have a splatter screen, you could definitely put that to good use here.
Delicious! Only changes I made ..add 1/2 cup red wine, and browned my garlic and onion while meat was draining. Excellent flavor
Would this b enough for 9 people or should i double?
Hi Sharon – it serves 6, generously. If you think you’ll want to pile it on pretty thick, then you might want to double. Otherwise, you should be fine with it as is.
Grated Carrots will also cut the acidity and adds just a hint of sweetness without sugar.
I live in Asia and we don’t have fire roasted tomatoes… is there an alternative? Maybe more crushed tomatoes?
Hi Bre. Hm… there really isn’t an ideal substitute, since fire roasted tomatoes are cooked slowly, get charred, and add a richer flavor. Maybe make your own? You can do it over a grill or in the oven (Google it for different methods.) Or use canned whole peeled tomatoes (drained) and slow roast them with a little olive oil and fresh herbs until the liquid has evaporated, then chop up – but that might be more time consuming than you want to deal with.
We don’t have any of the fire roasted tomatoes here either – I used just plain diced tomatoes and add a half teaspoon of smoked paprika powder into the pot as well to give it that Smokey kind of flavour!
LOVE this recipe though!
I have tried so many spaghetti sauce recipes that I gave up looking for a long time. Its so disappointing! Came across yours on Pinterest and decided to give it a try. This is so tasty! And there isn’t that many ingredients compared to some other spaghetti sauce recipes. Thank you Amy for sharing this!
Best sauce ever!
I forgot to add, I also put in red wine in my sauce. And mushrooms.
Sugar cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and the little bit adds a good balance of flavor. It’s also worth mentioning that my recipe got extreme high praise from famous Italian Chef Fabio Viviani, so I think I’ll stick with it as is, thanks!
This was the best sauce I’ve made. My hubby loved it
Best sauce i have ever made. Everyone loved it.
Thank you for this recipe…
The recipe I’ve used for years is identical to yours except the fire roasted tomatoes. Will definitely try this. I also add sugar because it does cut the acidity of the tomatoes… doesn’t make your sauce “sweet” just balances it
This would have been my exact post!!
This is the absolute best spaghetti sauce. My wife loved it. This is definitely a keeper. Store bought not even close.
Made this to impress a new man I’m dating. Totally worked! I will keep this recipe forever, it’s so good! Thank you!
I made this and it’s fantastic! I love it. My husband thinks its alright, but he doesn’t care for sweet sauce.. but I do, which is why I love it lol
Making this today. Truly the best sauce ever. Think I’ll add a splash of red wine as well next time!
Could this be cooked in crock pot? I’m thinking steps 2 and 3 could be done in there, then let it simmer for several hours on low (4. . .6. . .).
You could try it.
I’m going to make this tomorrow and after all is combined I’m going to put it in crockpot on low for two hours, then check and add more time as/if needed! Don’t really know why this wouldn’t work!
I prefer all It sausage, add 1/2 cup red wine, brown sugar not white and better than bouillon
If you make it in a crockpot like I do it’s very easy, no stirring or watching the pot, but it’s quite liquid so omit the broth and leave the lid off for the last hour
Placing a few paper towels across the top of the crockpot and placing the lid on top, totally takes care of the water that gathers on the lid, because of the steam…
Afraid I’ll have to leave out the sausage because of the salt content. It should still be delicious, and I’ll let you know after I’ve made and eaten. If I can find a low salt Italian sausage, I’ll try it.
I cut the recipe in half, so I just used 1lb of ground beef. Best spaghetti sauce I’ve ever made and the family loved it.
I’ll never use another recipe for spaghetti sauce! For the Italian sausage I make my own from a Cooks Country recipe (it is on You Tube as part of a pizza recipe, entitled “How to make Chicago’s lesser known (equally delicious) thin crust pizza”. You can control the amount of salt in the sausage if you make your own – and it is easy!
I don’t think I even need the pasta, I could eat this sauce with a spoon!
Using this delicious sauce over steamed zucchini is to die for!!!