Meaty Spaghetti Sauce From Scratch
This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure.
Grandma’s meaty spaghetti sauce from scratch is hearty, savory and packed with flavor. Tomatoes, ground beef, Italian sausage, veggies, and spices simmer on stovetop. The flavor and aroma are deeply comforting.
📌 PIN MEATY SPAGHETTI SAUCE FROM SCRATCH
ABOUT THIS HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE
Most everyone loves a good homemade spaghetti sauce that’s been simmering on stovetop to develop depth of flavor. And this one really is the best recipe. It’s simple, straight forward, and uncomplicated.
The sauce is prepped in 15 minutes, then allowed to gently bubble on low heat while the flavors continue to merge.
This unique recipe for Grandma’s meaty spaghetti sauce from scratch has been passed down through the generations. And as a natural progression it’s been tweaked a bit over time to make it even more savory and delicious.
My own additions to this heirloom recipe are tangy mushrooms, apple cider vinegar and ground cloves. I know your taste buds will agree that these ingredients really elevate the taste of this flavorful sauce.
👉🏻 EXPERT TIP: The cookware I recommend for making this spaghetti sauce is a heavy-duty pan like a Staub Universal Pan with lid
, a Dutch oven, or a large deep saucepan with high sides.
🛒 INGREDIENTS
- Ground Beef: Select lean ground beef for this recipe.
- Ground Italian Sausage: Pairs well with ground beef.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing and drizzling.
- Yellow Onion: This aromatic provides a key flavor for spaghetti sauce.
- Celery: Adds texture and a fresh grassy flavor.
- Green Bell Pepper: An aromatic that helps build a foundation for flavor.
- Garlic Cloves: Add an earthy rustic taste and aroma.
- Italian Parsley: Adds color and freshness.
- Canned Mushrooms: Add a delicious texture and burst of tang.
- Crushed Tomatoes: A base ingredient for spaghetti sauce.
- Tomato Sauce: Adds a concentrated tomato flavor.
- Tomato Paste: Thickens the sauce so it’s the ideal consistency.
- Beef Broth: Feel free to substitute with chicken broth, if desired.
- Apple Cider Vinegar or Red Wine: Boosts the flavor of spaghetti sauce.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness to balance the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Bay Leaves: Add a subtle yet distinct flavor and aroma that enhances homemade spaghetti sauce.
- Dried Spices: A variety of traditional spices for spaghetti sauce to include salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and thyme. Plus my own signature addition – ground cloves.
📖 RECIPE STEPS
- STEP 1: In a large heavy skillet with tall sides, cook ground beef and ground Italian sausage over medium heat. As you brown the meat, break it up into small pieces with a wooden spatula. Once the meat is fully cooked, drain off all the fat.
- STEP 2: With the meat still in the pan, add olive oil, onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until veggies are tender.
- STEP 3: Add remaining ingredients to the pan: parsley, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, bay leaves and spices.
- STEP 4: Stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Bring the sauce to a light boil. Cover the pan with a lid, and turn the heat down to low/simmer. Let the meaty spaghetti sauce simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- STEP 5: Remove bay leaves from the sauce. Do a taste test. Adjust seasonings and spices, if needed. Add a light drizzling of olive oil over the top. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
🍽 combine spaghetti noodles with MEAT Sauce
- In a tall pot, cook pasta according to package directions.
- Drain the pasta well, then transfer it back to the hot pot.
- Pour spaghetti sauce into the pot, over the noodles. With kitchen tongs, toss the pasta and sauce together until combined.
- Transfer pasta with spaghetti sauce to a large serving bowl.
- If desired, garnish with more Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
👉🏻 HOW TO ENJOY THIS ITALIAN DINNER: Pair with a crisp green salad with crispy sourdough croutons, bread rolls or baking powder biscuits.
🧑🏼🍳 HOW To MAKE SPAGHETTI SAUCE BETTER
Elevate homemade spaghetti sauce and take things to the next level. Here’s how to make spaghetti sauce better.
- Use canned mushrooms instead of fresh. Because they’re packed in water and citrus juices, they have outstanding texture and a touch of tangy citrus flavor.
- Use ground cloves and apple cider vinegar. This combination provides exciting complex flavors and a distinctive earthy, rustic taste.
- Taste the sauce throughout the cooking process. If you’re unsure about a spice or other ingredient, add in a portion and then taste the result before adding in the entire amount.
- Simmer spaghetti sauce a bit longer. This gives the ingredients a chance to reduce and meld together beautifully.
- Garnish and drizzle for added flavor. A drizzle of olive oil over the spaghetti sauce adds a savory look and taste. Grated Parmesan cheese and Italian parsley and more texture and flavor.
🍝 BEST PASTA TO PAIR WITH MEAT SAUCE
This meaty sauce is very hearty. It’s best to pair it with a hearty pasta rather than a more delicate type.
- Spaghetti, thick spaghetti is our preference
- Tagliatelle, long flat ribbons of pasta
- Pappardelle, broad flat pasta noodles
- Fettuccine, thick flat pasta
- Mafaldine, ribbon-shaped pasta
👩🏻🍳 BEST WAY TO COOK PASTA
- Select a large tall pot.
- Fill the pot with water: 4 quarts for every pound of pasta.
- Salt the water well so it tastes like the ocean.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Add pasta to the boiling water.
- Stir to separate the pasta and make sure it’s all covered by water.
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Using a colander, drain the pasta well.
🥫RECIPE FAQ
These are the commonly asked questions about meaty spaghetti sauce from scratch, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
Ground cloves in combination with apple cider vinegar. Cloves are earthy and rustic. Apple cider vinegar is tangy and sour. Combined, they’re a powerhouse of flavor for spaghetti sauce.
When calculating how much spaghetti sauce you’ll need to feed your family or a crowd, estimate 1/2 cup sauce per adult, and 1/4 cup sauce per child. It will pair with a serving of 1 1/2 cups cooked pasta per adult, and 1 cup cooked pasta per child.
To thicken the sauce without altering the flavor, simmer the sauce until it’s reduced to the desired consistency.
When stored in an airtight container, spaghetti sauce with meat can last up to 3 days in the fridge. Spaghetti sauce without meat can last up to 4 days in the fridge.
Yes. Transfer cooled spaghetti sauce to a zip-top freezer bag with the air pressed out. Freeze it flat on a baking sheet. Remove the baking sheet from the freezer, and freeze the spaghetti sauce for up to 1 month.
Use it to make lasagna, Sloppy Joe’s, or as a base for soup. Reduce it to thicken, then use it as pizza sauce or a dipping sauce for breadsticks. Use it with meatballs to make meatball sandwiches.
🇮🇹 MORE ITALIAN DINNERS
These Italian dinners are packed with flavor. They’re also easy to make. Add them to your monthly meal-plan rotation.
- Baked Ziti with Ricotta & Sausage
- Legendary Meat Lasagna
- Lemon Pasta with Crispy Salami
- Homemade Alfredo Sauce with Fettuccini
- Minestrone Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Fresh Homemade Pasta
RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor tested rated this the BEST meaty spaghetti sauce from scratch. The savory flavor and meaty texture are amazing. They said Grandma’s heirloom recipe can rival the meat sauce at your favorite Italian restaurant.
If you agree this recipe’s a keeper, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
Meaty Spaghetti Sauce From Scratch
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Grandma’s meaty spaghetti sauce from scratch is hearty, savory and packed with flavor. Prep it in 15 minutes, then let it simmer on stovetop. The taste and aroma are deeply comforting.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2–3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 2 (4 oz) cans sliced mushrooms, liquid drained off
- 1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can beef broth
- 1/2 cup organic apple cider vinegar or red wine
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- Garnishes: fresh Italian parsley and Parmesan cheese
- 1 (16 oz) box thick spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
Instructions
- In a large heavy skillet with tall sides, cook ground beef and ground Italian sausage over medium heat. As you brown the meat, break it up into small pieces with a wooden spatula. Once the meat isfully cooked, drain off all the fat.
- With the meat still in the pan, add olive oil, onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook until veggies are tender.
- Add remaining ingredients to the pan: parsley, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, bay leaves and spices.
- Stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Bring the sauce to a light boil. Cover the pan with a lid, and turn the heat down to low/simmer. Let the meaty spaghetti sauce simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaves from the sauce. Do a taste test. Adjust seasonings and spices, if needed. Add a light drizzling of olive oil over the top. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serve over cooked thick spaghetti.
Equipment
Buy Now →
Notes
How to make spaghetti sauce even better: Taste the sauce throughout the cooking process. If you’re unsure about a spice or other ingredient, add in just a bit and then taste the result before adding in the entire amount. Let the spaghetti sauce simmer for just a bit longer. This will give the ingredients a time to meld together tand the sauce a chance to reduce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 150 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: spaghetti sauce, homemade spaghetti sauce, spaghetti sauce from scratch, best spaghetti sauce, homemade pasta sauce, dinner
SPAGHETTI SAUCE FROM SCRATCH > JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Have you ever made spaghetti sauce from scratch? What do you think of this homemade spaghetti sauce? Join the conversation in the comments below!
Bonjour, vous tes une cuisiniere hors du commun, wa ca cest une sauce a spagetti merci a vous , cest un pur régal chere madame merci A+ angie canada
★★★★★
Wow, you hit a home run with these flavor combinations! I used red bell pepper (because that’s what I had on hand), added a little diced carrot, and a splash of red wine (I’m Italian) ;) Quite delicious! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
This sauce is absolutely delicious! The family loved it. You need to make this on a day with no rushing to enjoy the prep, and the smell of it simmering on the stove filling your home with wonderful aromas! I served it with a crisp green salad and cheesy garlic bread. Thank you!
★★★★★
You’re so welcome.🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it! It’s one of our family’s favorites.
Hi! This recipe sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try, but I have two questions… First, it sounds like apple cider vinegar really works here, but would red wine work just as well? Also, could I adapt this to a slow cooker if I brown the meat first? I appreciate any input. Thank you!!
Hello Amanda. Yes, red wine is an ideal substitution for apple cider vinegar. And you can definitely finish the recipe in a slow cooker after browning the meat. More tips: make sure to squeeze out all the liquid from the canned mushrooms before adding them into the sauce. Crush the dried spices between your fingertips to activate the flavor and aroma. If desired, use a bit more olive oil during the cooking process or as a drizzle on top at the end. Enjoy!
Thank you so very much for those tips!! I really appreciate it. If I may trouble you one more time, what would you suggest cooking it on in the slow cooker? 4 hours on high? 6-8 hours on low? Ideally I would like to set it on low and let it slow cook during work hours, but not sure if that would make the sauce dry out or get too thick. Thank you again for your help, I cannot wait to try this.
Fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!
★★★★★
The only meatsauce recipe I will use… Thank you for sharing it with us!
★★★★★
Melissa, this makes me so happy! Your sweet comment just made my day. 😄
This is absolutely the best spaghetti sauce that I have ever made. From now on I will make it this way. Just fantastic!
Made this for the first time. It was very good. My gf doesn’t care for spaghetti much, but she ate it all as well as used her roll to clean off her plate. This is a keeper for sure.
★★★★★
David, you’ve just made my week! I’m so happy to hear you both loved my family’s favorite spaghetti sauce. Thank you so much for coming back and share your experience with this recipe!
Great sauce homemade sauce
I have spent a lot of time adding and subtracting from recipes to find the best homemade sauce and just let me tell you how I will NEVER have to do that again!!!! This is the ABSOLUTE BEST spaghetti sauce I have ever tasted! After I added the vinegar and beef broth I was wondering how that might work…GREAT!!!
★★★★★
Cheryl, your sweet comment has literally made my day! Thank you so much. I’m over-the-moon happy that you found and made one of my favorite recipes. Often I’ll make a double batch of this scrumptious spaghetti sauce and use half to make what my family calls my “Legendary Meat Lasagna”: https://www.confettiandbliss.com/legendary-meat-lasagna-recipe/
Looks delicious! When cooking it on low, should the lid be completely shut or slightly ajar?
The pictures look great and make me so hungry! I love spaghetti and love to experiment with sauces and different ingredients.
I think it’s awesome as it look like. My daughter is gonna love this. Tha k you for sharing this.
★★★★★
Omg that looks yummmm….I love to add spices and love anything spicy ☺️❤️
★★★★★
I normally make my spaghetti sauce in 15 minutes using a really quick recipe but over the holiday had more time on my hands so decided to give this one a go… It tasted amazing at the end and now has become one of our weekend meals on rotation.
★★★★★
THIS id my new spaghetti sauce recipe. Thank you! It seems so easy to make but mine always turns out tasting like Southwest spaghetti. LOL. My family loved the Italian flavors for a change. :)
★★★★★
This is the BEST spaghetti sauce I’ve ever had and definitely our new favorite! It smells so good when it’s cooking, too!
Oh my this looks so delicious! My mom always made delicious spaghetti sauce but I never had a recipe I could trust. This one has a few secret ingredients I never thought to use. SO good!
★★★★★
I actually rarely make my own spaghetti sauce, but I really should!! This looks so good!!
★★★★★
This looks so good! I love spaghetti so much that I can eat it everyday. I wish I am a good cook and can make this.
This dish is awesome and yummy! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
★★★★★
This spaghetti sauce looks amazing!! I ate spaghetti today and it was no where close to this standard!
★★★★★
Excellent sauce!!!! Love it and you can make it your “own” with adding different spices and meats! It’s wonderful ❤
★★★★★
It looks so delicious even from the sauce.
Confession time, I have never made my own spagetti sauce from scratch before! I have never really been a big fan of spagetti as gorwing up we would have it every single firday night and I just got so fed up of it. FUnny thing is now it is my sons favourite so I find myself having to make it. I am interested to see what the difference in taste is from a jar to homemade, especially this receipe as it has extra ingredients in that aren’t usually in what we use.
I love doing my own spaghetti sauce. I’ll try your own version of it. I bet it’s tasty!
★★★★★
I am always looking for new recipes to change up my usual recipes. This looks so delicious. I will have to add it to my meal plan for next week. I am sure it will be a big hit.
This post is making me crave some spaghetti. The sauce is so important, because it can make or break the pasta. This looks and sounds like a delicious one. Send me some purleezzzz…(not a good cook) ;)
Yum!! My family has never, ever had a jar of spaghetti sauce. Your recipe is similar to mine. Whole, fresh ingredients are always so much healthier and always taste better!!
Oh my goodness I need to try this! I sounds absolutely delicious, much nicer than a sauce from jar for sure! thank you so much for sharing.
Wow this looks so good. I am thinking I need spaghetti for dinner now. I do make my own sauce but, it’s not half as hearty and delicious looking as this. New recipe it is!
★★★★★
Your food photography is lovely. And i will bookmark this to try! I am always on the hunt to mix up my recipes! Looks delicious.
Looks yummy! Everyone need to know at least 3-4 recipes to make shapghetti sauces just like this one :)
I love making spaghetti sauce from scratch, though I use fewer ingredients than you do. I’ll have to explore and get more creative! When I’m pressed for time, I dress up a jar pasta sauce to give it more oomph! Semi-homemade is good too, right?
Oh my gosh, yum. I admit, I always “make” spaghetti sauce from a jar, but I know this is SO much better. If I ever have the patience, I am so doing this.
Spaghetti is one of my favorite meals. I used to live in Italy and I was making it all the time! So so good! I’m loving this recipe!
★★★★★
I made this tonight, following the recipe to a T (nearly) I just replaced the beef and sausage with 2 pounds of spicy italian chicken sausage and it was the absolute best spaghetti sauce I have ever had. The apple cider vinegar gives it the perfect zing, while still maintaining an authentic Italian taste. Perfection<3
★★★★★
This looks incredible and I love the addition of the spices because I’m a spice freak and love my food spicy and full of flavour and this looks and sounds that it has both. Thank you for the recipe.
★★★★★