Meat Sauce Recipe

The BEST Homemade Meat Sauce has both beef and Italian sausage. It’s perfect for lasagna, spaghetti, or zoodles, and it comes together with easy pantry ingredients.

This made-from-scratch spaghetti sauce is worth getting excited about. First of all, it beats anything out of the jar. You can breeze right through the pasta sauce aisle, knowing that your homemade meat sauce is worlds better. Galaxies, even.

Then put your luscious sauce to work with your next batch of Spaghetti and Meatballs, Lasagna, or Baked Ziti. Cutting carbs? This meat sauce is a critical element in our Zucchini Lasagna and Zucchini Parmesan, and I bet you could make it work with Stuffed Zucchini, too.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe. Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Yes, you sure can! Transfer the browned meat, onion, and garlic mixture to a slow cooker. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and bay leaf, then cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours or LOW for 4 to 6 hours.

Mix up your mix-ins by stirring in chopped green peppers or sliced mushrooms with the onions. Substitute fire-roasted tomatoes for the crushed tomatoes. Or, add chili flakes (a pinch or a lot!) for extra heat.

Meat Sauce

This homemade Meat Sauce recipe is easy to make with ground beef and serve with spaghetti or your favorite pasta! It has classic Italian flavors that come together quickly for an easy family dinner idea.

Prep: 10min

Total: 70min

Yield: 9

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 250 kcal, Carbohydrate 18 g, Protein 24 g, Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 59 mg, Sodium 970 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 11 g, unSaturated Fat 5 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion (diced)
• 2 lbs. ground beef (see notes)
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 green bell pepper (finely diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3/4 cup dry red wine (see notes)
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
• 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 8 oz. tomato sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons each: dried parsley, basil, mustard powder, salt
• 1.5 teaspoons oregano
• 2 pinches red pepper flakes

Instruction:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and let them soften for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Season the ground beef with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and cook and crumble it for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bell peppers and cook for 3 more minutes.
3. Drain excess grease. Add the wine and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the pot with the liquid. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until just a little liquid remains and the alcohol smell is gone.
4. Add the seasonings, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and sugar. Toss to evenly coat the beef.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and let it simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes, or until desired thickness and consistency is obtained. Stir occasionally throughout cooking to lift any meat that settles to the bottom.
6. Serve with pasta of choice and garlic bread with cheese.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Easy homemade spaghetti sauce, using ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! This recipe is a family dinner staple!

Prep: 10min

Total: 40min

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 303 kcal, Carbohydrate 16 g, Protein 18 g, Fat 18 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 64 mg, Sodium 814 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 11 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef ((or 1/2 lb ground Italian sausage and 1/2 lb ground beef))
• salt and freshly ground black pepper (, to taste)
• 1 medium onion (, chopped)
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• crushed red pepper flakes (, to taste)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves ((optional))
• spaghetti noodles (, for serving)

Instruction:

1. Season ground beef with salt and pepper.
2. In a large skillet, add the beef and chopped onion and brown. Drain excess grease.
3. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, worcestershire, and sugar to the skillet.
4. Stir well to combine and bring to a boil. Add water and stir well.
5. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add chopped basil before serving, if desired.
6. This sauce tastes great in Spaghetti Pie, Million Dollar Spaghetti, Slow Cooker Lasagna and Instant Pot Spaghetti.

Homemade Meat Sauce

The BEST Homemade Meat Sauce has both beef and Italian sausage. It’s perfect for lasagna, spaghetti, or zoodles, and it comes together with easy pantry ingredients.

Prep: 5min

Total: 35min

Yield: 16

Serving Size: 0.5 cup

Nutrition Facts: calories 171 kcal, servingSize 0.5 cup, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 12 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 40 mg, Sodium 105 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 4 g, unSaturated Fat 5.4 g

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef (and/or ground Italian sausage (see note 1))
• 1 medium onion (chopped (about 1 cup))
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or to taste (see note 2))
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ((see note 3))
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds ((see note 4))
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instruction:

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add beef, sausage, and onion and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain if desired. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper).

Meat Sauce

Total: 0 2h15min0

Yield: 12 servings

Serving Size: 1 of 12 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 12 servings, calories 986, Fat 50g, Saturated Fat 17g, Carbohydrate 84g, Fiber 8g, Sugar 19g, Protein 49g, Cholesterol 140mg, Sodium 1422mg

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds ground beef (I used ground round)
• 2 pounds sausage
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large yellow onions, diced
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup white wine or stock (your choice)
• Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
• One 24-ounce jar good store-bought marinara sauce (you can use another jar if you like the sauce to be more saucy than meaty)
• One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• One 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley or 3 tablespoons parsley flakes, plus more for serving
• 1 whole rind from 1 wedge Parmesan, optional
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, optional, plus more for serving
• 2 pounds spaghetti, cooked al dente and tossed with olive oil, for serving
• Garlic-cheese bread, for serving

Instruction:

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage until totally browned. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Discard any grease in the pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in the olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the onions and bell peppers. Stir it around for 1 1/2 minutes, and then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute.
3. Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine, and then add the sugar, salt, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper if using and bay leaves. Stir, and then add the cooked ground beef and sausage and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or some low-sodium broth if it needs more liquid.
4. After an hour, add the minced parsley and the Parmesan rind if using (or grated Parmesan if you prefer–or both!). Stir to combine, and then put the lid back on and allow it to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Discard the bay leaves before serving.
5. Serve a big bowl of oiled noodles and the meat sauce so guests can serve themselves. Top each serving with minced parsley and grated Parmesan (or Parmesan shavings) and serve with a big piece of garlic-cheese bread.

The GREATEST Spaghetti Meat Sauce EVER!!

FAQ

What is the difference between meat sauce and bolognese?

How do you make meat sauce taste better?

1. 1 – Extra virgin olive oil. Adding a good amount of a flavorful olive oil will go a long way in infusing flavor into your sauce. …
2. 2 – Fresh garlic. …
3. 3 – Meat. …
4. 4 – Hot pepper flakes. …
5. 5 – Red wine. …
6. 6 – Fresh or dried herbs. …
7. 7 – Cheese. …
8. 8 – Cream and/or butter.

How to make meat sause?

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. …
2. Season the ground beef with salt and pepper. …
3. Drain excess grease. …
4. Add the seasonings, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and sugar. …
5. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and bay leaves.

What is pasta meat sauce made of?