How To Make Marinara Sauce
You want to make sure that your sauce is a little thinner if it is being used as a pasta sauce, as opposed to a little thicker if you are using it on a pizza or as a dip.
To store your marinara sauce, it will last about 5-7 days in the fridge in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can freeze it in single serving sizes for up to a year, and just defrost as needed!
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Key Ingredients For Pasta Sauce
- Tomatoes. You cant make a traditional red sauce without tomatoes! Whether theyre fresh or canned tomatoes, this ingredient is an absolute must.
- Garlic and onions. You could technically leave these ingredients out. But without them, your pasta sauce would have little depth. Garlic and onions give your sauce a rich, fragrant quality thats hard to replace.
- Flavor boosters. When youre learning how to make pasta sauce, youll quickly see that its very receptive to herbs, seasonings and spices. Without these flavor boosters, youd have a bland recipe.
An Amazing Spaghetti Recipe
Now I know the first thing you’re going to do is look at that ingredient list for this Million Dollar Spaghetti and think it’s just too much. I did too when I started seeing this recipe go around on Tik Tok. But the more I saw all the videos and how excited everyone was after tasting it and how much their families went crazy over it – I knew I had to give it a go. The alfredo sauce combined with the meat sauce is like a flavor explosion! This recipe is worth it! Note: I do share a couple of shortcuts below in the FAQ if you want fewer ingredients.
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What Is In Chicken Pasta Sauce
CHICKEN: Chicken has fewer calories than most proteins, but on a keto diet, its all about watching carbs. Ground beef , Italian sausage or leftover chicken or turkey are all great choices, be sure they are all pre-cooked.
SAUCE: Low-carb spaghetti sauces are usually low or no-sugar . Other low-carb sauces include this Alfredo which is extra creamy and can be used in place of spaghetti sauce. Add some milk or light cream to replace the diced tomatoes and adjust the seasonings, as desired.
VEGGIES: Red peppers add a crunchy texture to chicken pasta sauce, but for extra nutrition that also keeps it keto, add shredded zucchini, sliced mushrooms, spinach, or even finely chopped kale.
SEASONINGS: Try this Italian seasoning recipe instead of using store bought. Double the recipe and have it ready for adding to other dishes.
How To Store Pasta Sauce
This recipe isnt approved for canning, but it will last in the refrigerator for five to seven days. Its best to store the sauce in glass jars or containers, because the tomatoes are very acidic and could stain your plastic containers. Keep the sauce covered with plastic wrap or close it tightly with a lid.
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Finish With A Sprinkle Of Fresh Herbs
Fresh basil is the natural choice with simple pasta sauces like marinara, but parsley, cilantro, and even mint can also give pasta dishes a burst of fragrant flavor when theyre sprinkled on just before serving.
Interested in learning more vegan cooking skills? Become a plant-based home chef in 90 days with the Forks Over Knives Cooking Course!
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How To Make Million Dollar Spaghetti:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside. If you haven’t already, start cooking the spaghetti noodles. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, onion, bell pepper, cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Break up the beef into crumbles and cook, occasionally stirring, until the beef is no longer pink and the veggies have softened, about 10 minutes.
Drain any excess grease then stir in the marinara sauce and reduce the heat to low, simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the meat sauce simmers, make the alfredo sauce. In a dutch oven or large stock pot melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in the heavy cream, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce thickens slightly.
Add the cooked spaghetti noodles to the alfredo sauce and stir until the noodles are coated in the sauce.
Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Top with the meat sauce.
Sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted. Garnish with dried parsley flakes if using and serve.
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Allrecipes Community Tips And Praise
“I’ve made this recipe three times now, currently working on a fourth, and I have loved it every time. It’s very versatile, and can be tweaked easily. The second time, I added oregano and red pepper flakes, and that was a great addition. I’ve also made it with huge bunches of fresh basil, and that was wonderful,” raves BrookieCookie. “The flavor gets better with age. It also freezes well in a ziploc bag. I didn’t notice a reduction in flavor or color after freezing. It’s my go to now!”
“This was bursting with flavor. I used it on meatball subs. The chunky sauce was perfect. The only change I made was using jarred minced garlic instead of garlic powder. Saved to favorites. Will definitely use again,” according to Charlene Slaybaugh.
“Excellent, easy & I will definitely make it again. This was my first attempt at making spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes & I am glad I chose this recipe .. no need to look any further. It was easier than expected & there was enough sauce left to freeze for 2 more meals,” says RosieB.
Editorial contributions by BaileyFink
To Cook The Best Spaghetti We Have A Few Simple Tricks
Check the package directions of the spaghetti you plan to cook. On the box, there should be an approximate cook time for al-dente, which means the pasta will be tender, but not mushy. It will still have a bit of a bite, which is perfect.
When you know the suggested cook time, set a timer for a minute or so before it. So if the box suggests 10 minutes, set a timer for 8 minutes.
This way, at the 8-minute mark, you can check on the spaghetti to make sure it isnt done already. The box directions are a helpful guide, but its always a good idea to check the pasta early!
Cook the spaghetti in salted water. The water should taste salty. This seasons the pasta as it cooks and is necessary for the best-tasting pasta.
Toss the cooked spaghetti with a flavorful sauce like our homemade spaghetti sauce. Dont just spoon the sauce on top of the pasta.
For more spaghetti recipes, look at this baked spaghetti is similar to lasagna, but easier and if you love veggies, try our easy veggie spaghetti.
If you were looking to reduce the carbohydrates in your dish, swap half or all of the pasta with zucchini noodles. Heres our recipe for zucchini noodles pasta.
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Ingredients For Spaghetti Sauce With Ground Meat
If youre looking for a basic meat-free sauce, be sure to check out my homemade Marinara Sauce recipe. Its incredible. If youre a carnivore like me, proceed with this scrumptious recipe and be prepared to fall in love.
Heres the basic list of ingredients youll need in order to make this quick and easy Spaghetti Sauce. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the recipe card below
- Italian Sausage try a spicy sausage for even more flavor
- Italian Seasoningtry my homemade blend!
- Sugarjust a little to cut the acidity of the tomatoes
Add The Tomato Products
The last step is adding all of your tomato products! Add the tomato paste and puree, stir, and add all of the spices and seasonings along with chopped garlic.Cover with a lid and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Taste your sauce at the end and season to taste! If you would like a thicker sauce, then you might need to simmer the sauce with the lid off so that the steam escapes and the liquids evaporate.
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What Can You Put In Your Spaghetti Sauce
Honestly, the sky is the limit. This was a recipe that I just barely adapted from Americas Test Kitchen. I took out the onions because that was in my wedding vows and I added a few more herbs. This would be great swapping out the diced tomatoes for another can of crushed tomatoes. You could also make a variation on this with meat for a great homemade meat spaghetti sauce.
Tips And Notes For Making The Best Spaghetti Sauce
- Try to use good quality tomatoes if you have access to them. My favorite brand of tomatoes is Tuttorosso tomatoes, Muir Glen, or Pomi tomatoes. I like the Pomi tomatoes because they come in a box rather than a can, which is nice if youre looking to avoid BPA.
- Dont skip the brown sugar. Adding a bit of sugar to your homemade spaghetti sauce helps to cut the natural acidity of the tomatoes and helps to balance the sauce.
- For an extra kick, add a sprinkling of red pepper flakes to your sauce. Only add this if you like some spice, though!
- Meat substitutions: you can replace the lean ground beef with ground turkey or pork sausage. You can also leave it out completely for a meatless, vegetarian spaghetti sauce.
- Let it simmer. I like to let my sauce simmer for at least an hour and a half, but longer is better The more time you allow your sauce to simmer, the richer the flavor will be. You can also transfer the sauce to a crockpot after preparing it on the stove and allow it to cook over low heat for a few hours. If your sauce is too thick after cooking, add a little more water to thin it out.
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Filipino Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Six years ago in Manila, I found myself at a child’s birthday party grabbing one of every food being offered: fried chicken, spaghetti, and a San Miguel. At the end of the buffet table next to a full-sized image of Big Bird and the required karaoke machine, I had my first taste of Filipino spaghetti.
The meat sauce was laden with sugar and hot dogsdefinitely not the spaghetti of my youth. It was no doubt kid’s food but I couldn’t help myself from really enjoying it, and went back for seconds to go with the remainder of my beer. Since then, whenever Filipino spaghetti appears at a family function, I semi-secretly gorge on it, having an odd attraction to the sweetness.
One of the major sweeteners in this tomato sauce is banana ketchup, which I had a surplus of thanks to last week’s Sauced column. As I finished an oversized plate of the Filipino spaghetti, wieners and all, my wife couldn’t believe I liked it so muchto her it’s more of a nostalgic thing. But what can I say, it may be designed for the kids, but there’s no shame in an adult loving this meaty, sweet tomato sauce too.
Recipe Facts
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon freshly minced garlic
- 1 pound ground beef or pork
- 5 hot dogs , cut into 1/4 slices
How Long Should You Simmer Bolognese For
Some people will say you need to simmer it for 3-5 hours, while others will say 40 minutes is enough. The truth is the longer you simmer your bolognese sauce, the better it will be, and the more liquids will evaporate thus thickening the sauce. However, if you are tight on time, you can stop simmering after 30 minutes and still serve delicious spaghetti bolognese to your family!
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What To Serve With Spaghetti
There are so many easy side dishes to serve with spaghetti with homemade spaghetti sauce. I like to stick with a salad and bread most of the time because it is quick and easy. But even on nights when I want to get fancier we always have a bread and a veggie with it. Check out some of the great sides that make spaghetti a whole meal.
How Do You Make Canned Spaghetti Sauce
Simply pour the sauce into a small saucepan while youre going about boiling your pasta. Let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the sauce gently bubbles. Keep the simmer going for about 10 minutes or so, until youve noticed that the sauce has reduced and thickened a little, but is still saucy.
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Quick Tomato Basil Sauce
Need a great homemade tomato sauce for pasta? Try this Tomato Basil Sauce, a rustic sauce thats bold on tomato flavor: in 20 minutes! Some tomato sauce recipes bubble for an hour or more, but this ones quick to whip up. It works with 8 ounces pasta, so its great for a fast weeknight dinner with a few easy sides: or double for a crowd!
Total time: 20 minutes
How To Reheat Frozen Pasta Sauce
There are multiple ways you can do this:
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What Are The Best Tomatoes To Use
The best spaghetti sauce is made using San Marzano tomatoes. San Marzano is a variety of plum tomatoes. These tomatoes have a stronger flavor and are sweeter and less acidic. You can find canned San Marzano tomatoes at your grocery store. The label should make it very obvious that the tomatoes are this variety.
How To Make Spaghetti Sauce: Step
Guide for how to make spaghetti sauce
In a pot or braiser, add a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Heat over medium/medium-high until just shimmering. Add chopped onions, garlic and finely grated carrots. Cook, stirring regularly for 5 minutes or so.
Now, add in crushed tomatoes and a little bit of water . Season with kosher salt and black pepper to your liking. Stir in dry oregano, paprika and fresh herbs . Bring this party to a boil briefly, then lower heat.
Cover and let the sauce simmer for 15 to 20 minutes . You should end up with a gorgeous sauce that is the perfect thickness. Add a bit of fresh basil or parsley if you have some left.
If you’re after the best tasting pasta, add your just cooked pasta to the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes or so to allow the pasta to absorb the flavors and goodness of the sauce!
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How To Make Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- In a large pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink . Add green pepper, onion, and garlic sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce mix well.
- Stir in water, sugar, Italian seasoning, worcestershire sauce, and salt. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
- Let the mixture come to a bubble, then turn the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often, to let the seasonings fully combine.
- Serve hot over spaghetti noodles.
Can I Add More Vegetables To My Pasta Sauce
We love adding in more vegetables when we can. That includes pasta sauce. There are a lot of ways to customize this sauce by adding sausage, ground meat, or added vegetables when tossing with pasta.
If you want to just add to the sauce, I would recommend using only celery and carrots. Shredded or diced finely is the best way to add these and always cook down with onions and garlic. Remember that celery has a lot of liquid so you may want to cook it a bit longer and limit adding water at the end.
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The Easiest Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
This rich spaghetti sauce is surprisingly easy to make. Its so thick and delicious I bet youll never purchase the jarred stuff again!
I set out to make my own spaghetti sauce a few years ago and was pleasantly surprised by how simple it was. Ive been making it this way ever since!
Its almost as easy as using the store-bought kind. It really is! Especially because even when I was purchasing a ready made sauce I found myself adding extra herbs and seasonings to make it even better.
To make this sauce youll brown your ground turkey or beef. Then add in canned crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, garlic, and seasonings. Let it all simmer together for about 10 to 15 minutes or until its all heated through and your flavors have had time to marry together. Thats it! It really is so simple but tastes incredible!
The ingredients are simple. I dont even include sautéed onion or bell peppers because I want even the small children to love it. I assure you this sauce has tons of big flavor without them!
Serve over your favorite pasta, spaghetti squash , or zoodles. You can even add it to the top of roasted veggies for a satisfying but light meal!
