Weeknight Spaghetti Sauce
- PREP 5min
- COOK 40min
- TOTAL 45min
We’ve made this easy homemade spaghetti meat sauce countless times and are always happy that we did. The sauce starts with a base of ground meat. We love keeping the sauce on the leaner side and use ground turkey, but any ground meat like beef, sausage, pork, chicken, and lamb will work.
You Will Need
1 pound (450g) lean ground meat like ground beef or ground turkey
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (130g) chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup water, broth, or dry red wine
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Handful of fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving
Optional Ingredients, See Tips
2 to 3 teaspoons fish sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons mushroom powder, try homemade mushroom powder
3 to 4 anchovy fillets, minced with some of their oil or use anchovy paste
Pinch sugar
1 leftover rind from a wedge of parmesan
Directions
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat (we use a Dutch oven).
Add the meat and cook until browned, about 8 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller crumbles as the meat cooks.
Add the onions and cook, stirring every once in a while, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously for about 1 minute.
Pour in the water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of meat or onion stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Stir in the tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper.
Bring the sauce to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes. As it cooks, stir and taste the sauce a few times so you can adjust the seasoning accordingly (see notes for seasoning suggestions).
Remove the spaghetti sauce from the heat and stir in the basil.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: This homemade spaghetti sauce can be made in advance and should last in your refrigerator for up to 3 days and in your freezer for about 3 months.
- If the sauce’s flavor doesn’t pop, you need more salt.
- If the sauce is too acidic, a pinch of sugar will do the trick.
- If the sauce is lacking in flavor, consider adding a few dashes of fish sauce or a few minced anchovies (both add a rich, savory flavor).
- Adding a leftover rind of a parmesan wedge to the sauce while adding the tomatoes adds richness and extra flavor. It won’t melt all the way. Remove what’s left before serving.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.