Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

This Homemade Meat Sauce is made with ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, garlic, tomatoes, broth, and Italian seasoning simmered until thick and rich. It costs just $3.20 per serving and tastes better than jarred sauce.

This Homemade Meat Sauce has become one of the most requested pasta sauces in our house. Ground beef and Italian sausage give it a rich, hearty flavor, and the slow simmer makes the whole kitchen smell amazing. It feeds six and works perfectly for lasagna, stuffed shells, and baked ziti.

After 14 years of developing recipes, I know the best homemade pasta sauces get their rich flavor from a long, slow simmer. This Homemade Meat Sauce does exactly that for just $3.20 per serving.

If you love easy from-scratch Italian sauce recipes like this one you will also love our Marinara Sauce Recipe, Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe, and Bolognese Sauce Recipe. They are all budget-friendly, made with simple ingredients, and the kind of from-scratch Italian recipes your family will request on repeat all year long.

What is the difference between Marinara and Spaghetti Sauce?

Marinara: A quick, meatless tomato sauce made with crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and herbs. It is usually ready in 20 to 30 minutes.

Meat Sauce: Starts with a tomato base but adds browned meat and simmers longer for a thicker, richer flavor.

This recipe: Uses both ground beef and Italian sausage. The beef adds hearty flavor, while the sausage adds extra seasoning and depth.

Ingredients

• Ground beef — browned with the Italian sausage for a two-protein sauce that has significantly more depth than ground beef alone. 80/20 gives the richest most flavorful result — the fat renders into the sauce during the long simmer
• Italian ground sausage — the secret weapon of this sauce. The fennel herbs and spices already in the sausage season the entire sauce as it simmers. Mild gives a family-friendly result. Hot Italian sausage gives a bolder spicier sauce
• Onion, diced small — sautéed with the meat until completely soft before any tomato goes in. Always dice small so it melts into the sauce during the long simmer and every bite has even onion flavor throughout
• Minced garlic — added after the meat and onion are cooked for a bold savory depth throughout. Always cook for 1 minute until fragrant before adding any liquid
• Crushed tomatoes — four 15-ounce cans give you the primary tomato base of the sauce. Quality crushed tomatoes make a significant difference — San Marzano gives the sweetest most authentic Italian result
• Tomato sauce — adds a smoother texture and additional tomato depth alongside the crushed tomatoes. Combined with the crushed tomatoes for the perfect chunky-smooth balance
• Tomato paste — the most concentrated tomato ingredient in the recipe. Just one 6-ounce can adds an incredible depth of flavor and helps thicken the sauce during the long simmer
• Bay leaves — added whole during simmering and always removed before serving. Adds a subtle herby complexity that you cannot identify but would immediately notice if missing
• Italian seasoning — the herb blend that gives the sauce its classic Italian character. One tablespoon gives a well-seasoned result — add more to taste after the sauce has simmered for 30 minutes
• Sugar — balances the natural acidity of the crushed tomatoes. One tablespoon is the right amount for most batches — taste after 30 minutes of simmering and adjust
• Salt and black pepper — always taste and adjust at the end of cooking rather than heavily at the beginning since the tomato paste and sausage add significant seasoning
• Beef broth — adds savory depth and helps control the consistency during the long simmer. Add more during cooking if the sauce becomes too thick before the full simmer time is up

How to Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Follow my simple instructions to learn how you can make your own homemade spaghetti sauce using my recipe.

Step 1 – Brown the ground beef and sausage with the chopped onion in a large pot or dutch oven.

Step 2 – Drain off any excess grease. Then add in the minced garlic and mix together the onions and garlic. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic is aromatic.

Step 3 – Then stir in all the remaining ingredients.

Step 4 – Bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Then remove the bay leaves.

Step 5 – Serve over your favorite type of pasta and enjoy!

How Long Should You Simmer Meat Sauce

The simmer time is the single most important variable in this recipe — here is what changes at each stage:

30 minutes — the sauce is cooked through and safe to eat. The flavors are present but still somewhat separate — you can taste the tomato the sausage and the herbs individually.

1 hour — the flavors have begun to meld. The sauce is noticeably richer and the tomato acidity has mellowed. This is the minimum for a genuinely good result.

2 hours — the sauce has fully developed. The meat is completely broken down into the tomatoes the fat has rendered fully into the sauce and all the flavors have become one cohesive deeply complex result. This is what restaurant Italian meat sauce tastes like.

More than 2 hours — the sauce continues to improve up to about 3 hours. Beyond 3 hours it can begin to over-concentrate and lose the fresh tomato brightness. Always keep the heat very low and stir regularly for anything beyond 2 hours.

Tips for Success

• Always drain the meat completely. Excess grease left in the pot makes the sauce greasy rather than rich — always drain thoroughly before adding the onion and garlic
• Let the onion fully soften. Onion that is not fully cooked before the tomatoes go in never catches up during simmering — always cook until completely soft and translucent
• Keep the simmer very low. A hard boil makes the sauce spit splash and burn on the bottom. The lid slightly ajar over a very gentle simmer gives you the deepest flavor with the least attention
• Always remove the bay leaves. They look harmless but eating one is unpleasant — always fish them out before serving. Place them on the edge of the pot as you add them so you remember how many to remove
• Taste throughout. Always taste at 30 minutes and again at 1 hour — the seasoning needs adjustment as the sauce concentrates and the flavors develop

Easy Ways to Use Homemade Meat Sauce

This sauce is the most versatile recipe. Here is everything you can make with it:

Pasta nights:

• Classic spaghetti with meat sauce and freshly grated Parmesan
• Penne with meat sauce and ricotta dolloped over the top
• Rigatoni baked in meat sauce with mozzarella for a simple baked pasta

Baked pasta dishes:

• Lasagna — layer with ricotta and mozzarella for the most classic Italian comfort food
• Lasagna Roll Ups — individual portions that look impressive and use the same sauce
• Baked Ziti — toss with ziti and mozzarella baked until bubbly and golden
• Stuffed Shells — spoon over the top of ricotta-filled shells before baking

Beyond pasta:

• Use as a pizza sauce base for a meaty pizza night
• Spoon over toasted garlic bread for a quick bruschetta-style appetizer
• Use as the filling for a hearty meat sauce grilled cheese
• Serve over spaghetti squash for a lower carb pasta alternative

How to Make Spaghetti Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes

If you would rather use fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes, you can easily make the switch in this recipe.

• First thing to do with your fresh tomatoes is to peel the tomatoes and remove the stems.
• To easily peel the tomatoes you will need to blanch them by putting them in boiling water. You will boil them for about 1-2 minutes.
• Once you remove them from the boiling water immediately place them in an ice bath.
• The skin can easily be removed.
• You will then chop and cook as the recipe indicates.

Sauce Variations

• If we have fresh herbs, we love to add in some fresh basil. It will really enhance the flavor.
• If you are serving this spaghetti sauce with spaghetti noodles, we usually add in about a tablespoon of olive oil. This helps to prevent the noodles from sticking.
• We also like chopping up some bell peppers and cooking them in the meat. The kids don’t even know they are eating them since they are cooked softly.
• Some other vegetables we love to add are chopped zucchini or mushrooms. For a little sweetness, toss in some shredded carrots.
• This sauce is even good if you omit the meat.
• You can also use different types of meat – Ground Turkey, Ground Pork, or Ground Chicken. Try mixing the meat to combine the flavors.
• Serving this sauce with meatballs is a great addition to this sauce.

What to Serve with the Sauce

You can definitely serve this spaghetti on its own. But we love to serve with some of our favorite sides:

• Substitute the pasta for zucchini noodles to make it low carb. We also like using spaghetti squash. They are both great options and the great thing is my kids will even eat this substitute.
• We love making this crusty artisan bread. It is so easy to make and looks like you got it from a bakery.
• Serve with a nice big green salad.
• Steam some broccoli for an easy healthy side dish.

Slow Cooker Method

Make this entirely in the slow cooker for a true set-it-and-forget-it version:

Brown and drain the ground beef and Italian sausage in a skillet on the stovetop. Transfer to the slow cooker and add all remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours. The long slow cook actually develops even more depth than the stovetop version — this is the method to use when you want dinner ready the moment you get home.

Storing and Reheating instructions

Make Ahead

• This sauce tastes significantly better the next day as the flavors continue to deepen overnight — make up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently over medium-low heat adding a splash of broth to loosen

Refrigerator

• Store in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days

Freezer

• This sauce freezes beautifully — cool completely and freeze in 2-cup portions in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop. Freezing in individual portions means you always have a pasta dinner ready with zero effort

Reheating

• Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat stirring frequently and adding a splash of broth or water to restore the right consistency. Microwave in 60-second intervals stirring between each one

Frequently Asked Questions

More Spaghetti Recipes

Spaghetti Pie

Crock Pot Spaghetti

One Pot Spaghetti

How to Thicken Spaghetti Sauce

If you make it leave a star rating and a comment below — I love hearing how long you let it simmer and whether your family thought it tasted like a restaurant!