Made with just a few simple ingredients like ground beef, herbs, and spices simmered in a rich tomato sauce, it packs lots of flavor and is the perfect complement for any type of pasta. And the best part? It’s incredibly easy to make!
Homemade Pasta Sauce; Delicious, Easy, and Oh So Versatile!
This homemade pasta sauce is quick and easy to whip up. Make it with simple ingredients like ground beef or turkey, onion, garlic, and tomato sauce. You can also sneak in your favorite vegetables. Make it a freezer meal and double (or triple!) the recipe for future dinners! It’s versatile and budget-friendly, perfect over pasta or in lasagna. Use it as a dipping sauce for breadsticks or a ready-made marinara on your favorite pizza crust!
Ingredients for Homemade Pasta Sauce
Meat – I most often use ground beef or turkey but this sauce can be made with any kind of ground meat. Try Italian sausage, pork, or even veal. Sauce – Choose quality canned tomatoes for the best flavor, and don’t drain them. San Marzano tomatoes from Italy are fresh-packed and worth the extra cost (usually $1 to 2 extra for the can). They have a bright, bold flavor and fewer seeds. Seasonings – This recipe has layers of flavor.
Start with dry herbs (like Italian seasoning) at the beginning of cooking to allow them to rehydrate and develop flavor in the sauce. The seasoning mix for the meat is similar to the seasonings I add to homemade Italian sausage ensuring that every bite is infused with flavor. Add fresh herbs just before serving as they’re delicate and shouldn’t be simmered.
Variations
Make this sauce without the meat and add fresh tomatoes, red peppers, mushrooms, or zucchini for a hearty vegetarian pasta sauce! Add extra herbs and spices to your liking or a small sprinkle of red pepper flakes for a little heat. Add a few spoonfulls of fresh pesto in place of basil for a new flavor.
How to Make Homemade Pasta Sauce
Serving Suggestions
This pasta sauce recipe is makes a great homemade spaghetti sauce recipe but it really can be servecd over any pasta shape you have on hand. If you’d like to keep it low-carb, serve it over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles! It can also be made used as the sauce in homemade lasagna.
Leftovers and Freezing
Keep leftover homemade pasta sauce covered in the refrigerator for up to a 4 days. Freeze portions in zippered bags for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator or reheat from frozen on the stovetop over medium heat. Did you love this Homemade Pasta Sauce? Leave us a rating and a comment below! © SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
