Forget about the pre-made stuff, and make this rich and hearty homemade red sauce with ground beef. The taste is so amazing, you'll never go back to store bought!
What's in it?
Tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, a little sugar (to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes) and a splash of red wine. The red wine adds richness and bumps up the flavor, but you could opt to leave it out.
***This recipe uses home canned or store canned tomatoes. (If you are looking for a fresh tomato sauce recipe, try this Fresh Tomato Sauce Recipe for spaghetti from Cookie and Kate.)
Simple pantry ingredients a few fresh herbs is all it takes to create a fantastic spaghetti sauce.
How to Make It
In a large pot, add olive oil, the onion and garlic, and ground beef. Saute until beef is browned, onion is softened and garlic is fragrant.
De-glaze the pot with the wine; this will bring up all the flavors and browned bits on the bottom of the pan. That's a whole lot of good flavor that gets cooked into the sauce that way.
Add the tomatoes, the remaining spices and the Parmesan rind. The Parmesan rind is also optional, but the flavor that it adds when simmered in the sauce is to die for.
Let the pot simmer away on a medium low simmer for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.
Serve with cooked spaghetti pasta, fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Other saucy pastas to try:
- Summer Squash Pasta
- Spicy Sausage Kale Pasta
- Pasta Primavera with Chicken
- Pasta with Greens
- Creamy Pasta with Squash and Sausage
- Sundried Tomato Pasta with Sausage
And, make silky ribbons of homemade pasta with this easy and delicious catch-all recipe for Homemade Pasta Dough.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Equipment
- stove top
- pot
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef turkey, pork, or mixture
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 1/2 sweet onion minced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2/3 cup red wine dry
- 30 oz canned whole tomatoes, or diced unsweetened, home canned, or good quality canned tomatoes, (such as San Marzano)
- 1 handful fresh basil leaf thinly sliced (chiffonade), plus more for topping
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp oregano leaf dried or fresh
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
- Parmigiano-Reggiano chese rind totally optional (shred off cheese and set aside for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan, saute ground beef with onion and garlic until beef is browned, onion is translucent and garlic is fragrant.
- Add wine and scrape up everything stuck on the pan.
- Add tomatoes (do not drain-add juice also), basil, onion and garlic powders, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper and Parmesan rind. Simmer for 30 to 60 minutes on a medium-low simmer until thickened. As the tomatoes break down in the sauce, further break them up with a wooden spoon.
- Serve with cooked spaghetti pasta; top with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh basil.
Notes
- Use home canned or other quality canned whole tomatoes. Pay attention to ingredient list-there should not be added salt, sugar or spices. (If home canned contains these, just adjust ingredients.)
- Do not drain the tomatoes. Add the juice with the tomatoes to the pot.
- The tomatoes will break down and become sauce-like as they simmer. Break them up with a wooden spoon while cooking.
- Using red wine in this sauce is highly recommended. Opt for a dry red like a basic Merlot, Syrah or even Cabernet. Avoid sweet red wine for the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese rind adds more incredible flavor to the sauce. When using true Parmigiano reggiano, the rind will mostly remain intact while simmering; you'll want to fish it out before serving. If using a Parmesan cheese rind, it may likely dissolve, though not always so keep an eye out for it either way.
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