Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

5 from 8 votes

The most delicious homemade spaghetti sauce ever! This hearty recipe is rich and full of so much flavor. A delicious meat sauce that can be served over spaghetti noodles. Or if you're looking for a healthy alternative, serve this homemade sauce over zoodles!

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Total Time3 20

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 590kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme, ground
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 6oz can tomato paste
3 garlic cloves
3-4 cups water, divided
1 Tablespoon brown sugar, light or dark
2 bay leaves
1 lb box of spaghetti noodles

Instructions

Start off by dicing a small yellow onion on a cutting board. Add the diced onion to a large skillet.
Place 1 lb of thawed ground beef into the skillet with the onion. Brown the ground beef, adding a pinch of salt and pepper to season the meat. Cook the ground beef until the meat is no longer pink.
Once browned, drain the meat in a colander.
Once the ground beef has been drained, add the beef back to the same skillet. Add in 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, 3 garlic cloves, 6 ounce can of tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 2 bay leaves, 3 cups of water. Stir to combine.
Note: Your sauce will be very watery at this point.
Cook at a slow rolling boil on medium-low heat for 2-3 hours, adding water as needed.
Expert Tip: You'll probably find yourself adding more water as it cooks down. I typically add ½ cup of water 2-3 times during the 2-3 hour simmer.
About 30 minutes before the sauce is done, you can start making the spaghetti noodles. In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add salt to taste. Once the water is boiling, add the spaghetti noodles.
Note: If you want "al dente" style pasta, boil the noodles for 10 minutes. For more tender pasta, boil for an addition 1-2 minutes.
Once the noodles are done, drain them and add a serving to a plate. Top with a serving of the spaghetti sauce.
Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese, fresh chopped basil, or parsley. Enjoy!

Notes

Simmering is Key: If you want that authentic homemade flavor, allow time to let the sauce simmer. By simmering it for a certain length of time, it really allows for the development of a lot flavor. Ideally, I let it simmer on low for 3-4 hours, adding water as needed. If you don't have that much time, simmering around 2-3 hours will work.
Storing Leftovers: You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Make sure to store the noodles and the sauce in separate containers so the noodles don't soak up the sauce.
To Freeze: It freezes really well. I often double or triple the recipe so that I always have a batch in the freezer for those nights I'm in a hurry to get dinner on the table. Before freezing, let it completely cool. Once cooled, pour it into a gallon freezer bag and seal. Lay the bag on a flat surface in the freezer and store for up to 6 months. Make sure you label the freezer bag with the date you placed it in the freezer. When you're ready to use it, place the frozen bag in a pot of water and reheat until warm.

Nutrition