Spaghetti is actually one of my husband’s favorite meals and I also love the fact that it’s so easy! Just noodles, sauce and a bit of meat. Although to make the meal a bit more balanced, it’d probably be a good idea to include a salad or something… but this homemade spaghetti sauce is so good it really makes the meal.
Homemade sauce always seemed so daunting, and my husband was very picky about the brand I was to buy. So with a bit of trepidation, I entered the world of homemade spaghetti sauce. Both he and I were pleasantly surprised, and we haven’t gone back to the premade sauce since.
For me, the addition of fresh, and not dried, ingredients really make the sauce. In the summer I can grab fresh basil and oregano from my garden, but in the winter I do use dried. (Sometimes my own, other times from Mountain Rose Herbs as I’ve found theirs have great flavor.)
Onions and garlic that are slowly sautéed also add a depth of flavor not seen when using dried versions of the two.
This sauce also works great with meatballs, but rarely do I take the time to make them! Though lately, I’ve been making myself take the time to add a bit of sauce and cooking water to the drained pasta and the results definitely make the final product better.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 28 ounces tomato sauce homemade sauce is fantastic
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 6 ounces water
- 1/2 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 onion chopped (small)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 1/4 cup mushrooms and/or diced tomatoes optional
Instructions
- Brown beef and drain off fat. Set aside.
- Chop and saute onion in butter until soft (along with mushrooms if using). Add garlic and saute for about one minute.
- Add all remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 5 minutes but you'll have the best flavor with around 20 minutes.
- Use with your favorite pasta!
Notes
Yum! Thanks for the recipe!
ICLW
I cannot find the homemade tomato sauce recipe on your website. Have you posted it?
@Rachael, I actually haven’t posted it. 🙂 Probably because it’s different every time based on the type of tomato I use and where it grew!
Basically I just take a potful of tomatoes and blend them up in my blender till smooth, add them to the pot along with 1/2 cup of water and simmer them down until they are of sauce consistency. When I make pizza sauce I don’t worry about the seeds, but for spaghetti sauce I run them through my strainer for a smoother consistency. salt to taste.