Can You Make Meat Pasta Sauce With This Recipe
Yes, it is super simple to make meat sauce with this recipe. Here’s how:
How To Make Substitutions
This homemade spaghetti sauce is definitely shelf cooking-friendly! Here are a few ways you can make substitutions to the recipe and use whatever you have on hand:
- Onion Fresh always tastes good, but you can also use frozen or even dried. If you go the dried route, there’s no need for cooking oil.
- Crushed Tomatoes If you prefer a smoother consistency for your homemade spaghetti sauce, then blend your chunky tomatoes in a blender before adding to the pot, or use an equal amount of tomato puree. You can also use the same amount of whole peeled tomatoes. Just crush them with a masher once they’ve warmed up. If you have fresh tomatoes, then make your own! You’ll need about 2.75 pounds and you’ll have to peel, core, and seed them before cooking them down.
- Garlic Fresh, from the jar, and dried all taste great!
- Seasonings If you don’t have basil, oregano, and parsley, feel free to use Italian seasoning in its place. It has a slightly stronger flavor, so add it slowly until you get to the right taste.
- Salt Garlic salt is a staple in our house, but you can also use regular salt. Don’t skip this ingredient! Veggies need salt. Just add a little bit at a time so you don’t overdo it.
- Additional Add-Ins Take it to the next level by adding in your favorite things! Mushrooms, Italian sausage, ground beef, meatballs, ground or shredded chicken, or spinach, the options are endless!
Variations On Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce
- Add 2 anchovies to the pan at the same time as the garlic. Anchovies add a rich umami taste to sauces and compliment tomatoes really well.
- Make it creamy by adding a few tablespoons of heavy cream. A little bit goes a long way.
- Add protein with ground beef, chicken, veal, or even diced shrimp. Add any of these proteins in the beginning, and let them mostly cook through before adding the garlic. Adding protein does change the overall vibe of the recipe, but it’s a homemade pasta sauce! Do what you want with it.
- Add a cup of frozen peas at the same time as the pasta for a bright, snappy texture that compliments the jammy tomatoes beautifully.
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What Seasoning Do You Put In Spaghetti Sauce
Hardly any seasoning besides salt. When you use good quality jar/canned tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and meat, youll only need some Italian parsley and basil for this recipe.
Thats all, please trust me on this. Yes, you can use dried parsley and basil, but its just not going to be as flavorful. Please do not follow the advicethat another American cooking site has shared, which is incorrect . This would be like a poison control website telling you to throw water on a grease fire! They have no authority to give you the advice, and its just wrong.
NOTE: if you dont have fresh garlic, I would skip it rather than use dehydrated garlic, or garlic powder.
Who am I to tell you how to make a proper spaghetti sauce? Read my about page if you dont already know about my Italian upbringing . Also, this is not a Bolognese sauce. That is a completely different recipe.
Do I Have To Grill The Tomatoes
In order to create the rich flavor that makes this sauce so amazing, you will have to grill the tomatoes. Although it is an extra step from regular spaghetti sauce, its definitely worth it and its actually a fairly easy process. If you dont have a grill, you can get a good roasted flavor by broiling the tomatoes. Cut them in half, place them with the skin side up on a baking sheet and broil on high for 10 minutes and then on low for another 5. Alternatively, you can roast your tomatoes and garlic in the oven. Roast at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes, until tomato skins are blackened and easy to peel.
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How To Make Spaghetti Sauce
Here are the steps of how to make this sauce.
How long to cook spaghetti sauce? Similar to a beef stew, the longer the sauce cooks, the deeper the flavors. If youre in a pinch for time, you can certainly get away with cooking it for a short time, but you really want the sauce to simmer for at least 1 hour, and ideally 4.
Family Spaghetti Sauce Recipe For The Win
I combed over her recipes meticulously several times hoping I was in there but with no luck. Well one day when my husband joined me in looking through her recipes for her lemon pound cake, guess what we found???
Her homemade spaghetti sauce recipe!!! My heart dropped! How in the world did I miss that?? I smiled and said thank you mama! because I couldnt help but feel like shed snuck that in there for me.
I made it for dinner the same day and my boys said, can we have this spaghetti sauce every time we have spaghetti? lol It seemed like just yesterday that I was sitting at my grandmas table doing homework and eating this spaghetti sauce and now here I am serving it to my own kids.
Time flies. Passed-down recipes are such a blessing.
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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.
Should You Rinse Pasta
If you are serving your pasta hot, with pasta sauce, dont rinse it.
When you rinse the pasta, it rinses off the starch which is needed for the pasta sauce to cling to the pasta.
The only time you should rinse your pasta after cooking it is when you are using it in a cold dish, like this Greek pasta salad, or if you arent using it right away.
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How To Freeze Spaghetti Sauce
Let the sauce cool completely. Pour into a freezer safe container and seal. Sauce will keep for 3 to 4 months in the freezer.
To thaw, let the sauce thaw in a sink of cool water. Once thawed, pour sauce into a pot on the stovetop to reheat or in a large microwave safe bowl for the microwave. You can also reheat it from frozen by adding it to your slow cooker and letting it cook for 5 to 6 hours on low.
How To Make This Spaghetti Sauce Your Own
- If you have a garden full of tomatoes, thats wonderful! You can easily substitute peeled fresh tomatoes for the crushed and diced tomatoes. Roma tomatoes or another meaty variety work best. Youll need about four pounds.
- Add more veggies: Chopped bell peppers or mushrooms can be added. Sauté them with the onions. Or stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach right before serving.
- I like to serve this sauce with homemade meatballs or baked turkey meatballs. Frozen meatballs are so handy. Just add them to the sauce about halfway through the simmering time so they get heated through.
- If you would like to make a spaghetti sauce with meat, sauté ground beef or turkey, or Italian sausage with the onions, and then continue the recipe as directed.
- If you happen to have a rind of Parmesan cheese, put that in the sauce as it simmers to enhance the flavor.
- Make this sauce vegan or Whole30 simply by omitting the butter and sugar.
- Dont have any fresh herbs? Simply add a tablespoon of dried basil and parsley instead.
- If you prefer a sauce made without tomatoes, maybe this isnt the recipe for you. Try this creamy chicken spaghetti or chicken Marsala pasta.
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Seeking Sweetness: How To Sweeten Tomato Sauce
As taste tests have shown time and time again, folks like tomato sauces that are both acidic and sweet. The problem is, tomatoes on their own are not very sweetfar less sweet than I like them, anyhow. Let me admit something here: In the past I’ve been known to spike my tomato sauce with a touch of sugar, a move that annoys hardliners to no end, apparently. I’m not backing down on that stance: adding sugar is a perfectly fine way to add sweetness to a sauce.
A perfectly fine way, but not the best way. There are other methods that allow you to add sweetness while simultaneously adding layers of nuanced flavor to the mix.
Serious Eats
Many folks advise adding carrots to red sauce in order to add that sweetness. I tried grating carrots and cooking them down with the garlic right from the start. It certainly makes the sauce sweeter, but it also makes it taste like carrot soup.
A much better approach is to simply cut a carrot into rough chunks and add it to the pot while the sauce simmers. Remember that onion I didn’t want to end up in my sauce? Here’s where it comes into play: I also added a raw onion in there to give it a touch more sweetness along with some oniony aroma without overpowering it or ruining the texturea trick I learned from Marcella Hazan’s infamously simple buttery tomato sauce.
I brought everything to a simmer, then let it cook for several hours.
Can I Make Spaghetti Sauce From Whole Tomatoes
If you want to make spaghetti sauce completely from scratch using whole tomatoes rather than canned, youll need to peel your tomatoes and remove the stems. The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to blanch them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes and then immediately place them into an ice bath. The skins can then be easily removed. We also have a different recipe for Fire Roasted Spaghetti Sauce.
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What Tomatoes For Tomato Sauce
When buying canned tomatoes, its always a good idea to go for whole plumor Roma tomatoes. Manufacturers save the best quality tomatoes for canning whole because they need to look pristine. They are picked and canned at the peak of ripeness.
San Marzano tomatoes are a high-quality tomato with a sweet flavor and little acidity. Legally, and to be called a San Marzano, this tomato has to be grown in theSarno Valley in Italy and there will be a DOP symbol on the can.
This recipe calls for crushed tomatoes, but I use whole canned tomatoes that I crush myself. Whole tomatoes can be put through a food mill, crushed or pureed in a food processor before using them for the sauce.
Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Sauce
This pasta sauce combines the goodness of pesto and sun-dried tomatoes, because why not?
Sun-dried tomatoes are such a treat. Theyre sweet with a mild tartness, soft and chewy, and just absolutely delightful.
Sun-dried tomatoes and basil combined make a ridiculously scrumptious sauce.
Its sweet and savory, rich and creamy, and super satisfying.
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This Recipe Was Originally Published On March 20 2020 The Blog Post Notes Photos And The Recipe Were Updated On March 25 2021 Though The Original Introducing Essay Remains
Homemade pasta sauce doesn’t need to be a chore! This marinara sauce recipe is ready in just two steps and less than 25 minutes. It’s rich and saucy, perfectly seasoned, and bursting with tomato flavor. Whip up a batch of this spaghetti sauce tonight!
I’ve seen and heard about it and you might have, too — many grocery stores are currently out of tomato pasta sauce.
First came the rush on TP, Clorox wipes, and hand sanitizer, and now comes the rush on pantry staples.
There’s nothing to worry about, however, because I’m here to share that homemade pasta sauce doesn’t have to be a drag.
Yes, that’s right– long gone are the times of spending full days in the kitchen preparing sauce — either for dinner that night or for canning for the months to come.
Instead, I’ve been spending the last few years making a quick and easy homemade pasta sauce that’s lower in sodium and added sugar than most jarred pasta sauces you can get in the store.
“Just how quick and easy are we talking here, Chels?” you might be thinking.
We’re talking only two steps and less than 30 minutes before having a flavorful and fresh pasta dinner on the table. I know. So why don’t we go sharing that news now?
Either that or run to the kitchen to get started on dinner. I’m in full support either way.
P.s. — I also have directions for how to make this sauce into a meat sauce and also how to cook it with meatballs. Read the recipe notes to learn how!
Whats So Good About This Spaghetti Sauce
What I love about my Grandma Barbs easy spaghetti sauce recipe is thats its so quick, easy, full of flavor, and simple enough to make on the weekdays. Its super chunky and full of fresh onions, garlic, herbs, and the perfect blend of spaghetti sauce spices.
No need to ever buy the jars! This is a very basic spaghetti sauce recipe that you can easily tweak to your familys liking.
If youre looking for a classic homemade spaghetti sauce recipe give this one a try!
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How To Make Homemade Pasta Sauce
FIRST STEP: Heat olive oil in a 5+ quart pot over medium heat add chopped or pressed garlic.
SECOND STEP: Heat for one to two minutes, making sure not to burn the garlic.
THIRD STEP: Add tomatoes, black pepper, basil, and sugar. Stirring often, bring to a low boil.
FOURTH STEP: Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring often.
FIFTH STEP: For the first half of simmer time leave the pot uncovered cover for the last half.
SIXTH STEP: Stir in cheese and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or so.
Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
My family’s secret homemade spaghetti sauce is easy to make using a few staple ingredients you may already have on hand! Perfectly thick and packed with flavor, you’ll be ditching that store bought pasta sauce!
You can make this quick vegetarian pasta sauce ahead and freeze it for later use! And I’ve included a spaghetti meat sauce option for meat-lovers. Be sure to watch the video and grab all my tips below.
I call this my any-time spaghetti sauce. It’s easy. Unfussy. You can make it any night of the week.
And it takes just a few staple ingredients most of us have on hand: canned tomatoes, onions, garlic, and carrots, plus a couple spices and fresh herbs for flavor.
Savvy Italian nonnas don’t necessarily wait for tomato season to conjure up the perfect homemade spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce, and neither should we. Quality canned tomatoes from the pantry will do the trick just fine.
While many pasta sauce recipes call for 3 to 4 different kinds of canned tomatoes, I found that crushed canned tomatoes provide the perfect consistency for this tomato sauce. Simpler the better!
You’ll love this homemade spaghetti sauce recipe. Just the right thickness and so much flavor. So let’s get to it!
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What Is The Secret To Good Spaghetti Sauce
There is no secret to good spaghetti sauce, you just have to ask the Italians: if you want good flavor, you need to start with the best quality ingredients! Its that simple. You can read about the best quality canned tomatoes in my fish in tomato sauce recipe.
Grating your own Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano to serve on top of your pasta is always the best plan.
The meat is really important, too! Try to buy grass fed, without antibiotics and growth hormones. Corn-fed beef is not a good thing, despite companies promoting it as if it was. This is an interview I listened to on the radio many years ago. Since then, I have always tried to buy better beef, for our health and the health and treatment of the cows.
Recently, I tried Farm Foods grass fed, non GMO ground beef to make my sauce, and Im so pleased! The meat doesnt end up in chewy chunks, but cooks beautifully in the sauce! The flavor is fabulous, too. You can have all types of grass feed beef, as well as lamb, pork, chicken and even seafood delivered right to your door ! Just click the banner below to go to their site.
