Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

This easy Spaghetti Sauce Recipe is made with beef and all your favorite savory Italian spices. The secret ingredient? A touch of sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the tomato sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Servings servings (1/2-cup each)

Calories 154kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
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 1)
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (see note 2)
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pasta cooked according to package directions, for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add beef and onion and cook until mostly browned, about 5 minutes. Drain if desired. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, 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).

Notes

Sugar: Add sugar to taste. For some, that means omitting it entirely. For others, you can increase the sugar up to 1/4 cup.
Italian seasoning: It’s easy to make your own homemade Italian seasoning with dried basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram.
Yield: This recipe makes 2 quarts or 8 cups, enough for 16 (1/2 cup) servings. It's also enough for one lasagna.
Storage: store in the refrigerator and use within 4 days.

Nutrition