Posted Aug 16, 2024, Updated Oct 12, 2024 We make this spaghetti meat sauce at least once a week. It’s one of our family’s favorite meals (served with roasted broccoli or roasted green beans), and it’s easy to make in half an hour. In this recipe, ground beef, onion and garlic are cooked, then combined with crushed tomatoes, herbs and spices for a delicious meal everyone loves.
Meat Sauce Ingredients & Substitutions
Ground Beef. I suggest an 85% or 93% lean ground beef for the best results. If using ground turkey or chicken you will need to add 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil for it to cook nicely. Or, for a meatless sauce, try this homemade marinara sauce. Onion. I suggest a sweet white or yellow onion for the best results. Minced garlic. Use freshly minced or jarred. Crushed tomatoes. Diced tomatoes or tomato sauce are both good substitutes, but crushed tomatoes are the best! Fresh Basil. I don’t suggest making substitutes. Dried Oregano. you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried oregano with 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano. Sugar. honey is a good substitute for sugar. This just helps cut the acidity of the marinara sauce, it does not make the sauce sweet.
How to Make Meat Sauce for Spaghetti
Let’s walk through this meat sauce recipe step-by-step. Don’t forget to watch the video! Begin by cooking the ground beef, onion and garlic in a 5-quart saucepan until beef is no longer pink. Break up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Once the meat is no longer pink, add the crushed tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and sugar and stir to combine. Then, bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve
Serve on top of your favorite pasta, tortellini, etc. Here are some suggestions:
Make homemade whole wheat pasta or homemade gnocchi and serve it on top. Serve it over pasta with a side of roasted vegetables, brussels sprouts, etc. Or, serve your pasta with a delicious salad like this burrata salad or panzanella salad. Bruschetta is a delicious appetizer for pasta!
Store
Store leftover meat sauce in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Freeze
Freeze leftover spaghetti meat sauce in a glass jar (make sure to leave some room at the top because the sauce expands in the freezer), for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature, reheat on the stovetop. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
