Once you make this homemade pasta sauce recipe, you’ll never go store-bought again! Goes great on spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli and more!
Original recipe: October 2017 | Updated: February 2021
I love recipes that originate from one of my mom’s delicious creations. She is the best cook, always knowing exactly what ingredients to put in every dish. Almost all of her dishes have a secret ingredient that pushes them over the edge into the abyss of mind-blowing-yumminess.
Like the Ritz crackers she adds to her Meatloaf and the dry onion soup mix she adds to her Chicken Rice Bake. I have always loved her Pasta Sauce and asked her for the recipe a few years ago. It was already a fantastic little savory sauce, but I believe now it totally and completely lives up to its title: Best Homemade Pasta Sauce!
I made another batch last week and it smelled so incredible that I began wondering if “pasta sauce” was a candle scent. If not, it should be. I poured the sauce into jars with the intention of using one and giving the other two away, but all three jars were gone within TWO DAYS.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE PASTA SAUCE
STEP 1
In a Dutch oven or large heavy-duty saucepan/skillet, cook the beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the grease and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until veggies are soft and fragrant.
STEP 2
Add the crushed tomatoes (or thawed tomatoes, if using frozen), marinara, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, Bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well and increase to medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
STEP 3
Simmer uncovered for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching on the bottom of the pan. Remove Bay leaves and allow sauce to cool before pouring into quart-size mason jars. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If freezing, store in airtight containers or sealable bags for up to 6 months.
RECIPES TO MAKE USING SPAGHETTI SAUCE
Aside from the obvious reason (the amazing FLAVOR!), my favorite thing about pasta sauce is that it is so versatile. Here are a few ideas for ways to enjoy it!
- Pour it over the top of cooked noodles of any kind.
- Use it in place of store-bought sauce in your next pan of Baked Spaghetti or Baked Ziti!
- Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs
- Lasagna and Cheesy Manicotti are both sooo good when made with Instant Pot spaghetti sauce!
- Use it as an ingredient to stuffed spaghetti squash with!
- Add it to your morning eggs because everything tastes great with eggs.
HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI SAUCE IN AN INSTANT POT
Spaghetti Sauce is super easy, meaty and hearty when made in an Instant Pot. Using a pressure cooker to cook pasta sauce makes it flavorful and quick to prepare, but tastes like is has simmered on the stove all day. Pour this delicious savory sauce over a pile of cooked pasta!
RECIPE NOTES
- I love the combination of Italian sausage and ground beef in this sauce, but feel free to use one of the two instead. Or swap out both for ground chicken or turkey!
- The marinara sauce in the recipe adds a boldness that I absolutely adore. Feel free to replace it with two cans of tomato sauce, if desired.
- If you are searching for a sauce with even more flavor, try adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine!
- In place of the crushed tomatoes, you can use 6-8 cups fresh tomatoes or frozen tomatoes, thawed and chopped (juices included) – this equals about 30-40 Roma tomatoes.
FAQ ABOUT HOMEMADE PASTA SAUCE
Store homemade pasta sauce in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If there are visible signs of mold, discard the sauce. To extend the shelf life, freeze it! Allow the sauce to cool completely and pour it into an airtight container. Place in the freezer for up to 4 months.
When you are ready to use the sauce, remove it from the freezer and allow it to thaw completely. Pour it into a saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes before serving.
Pizza sauce is typically made using tomato sauce, tomato paste and seasonings and is cooked briefly on the stovetop. Pasta sauce is made using additional ingredients such as onions, bay leaves and crushed tomatoes and simmers for a couple hours to help enhance the flavor.
Pasta sauce can be used in place of pizza sauce in a pinch. First, run the sauce through a strainer to get rid of excess liquid. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add 1 teaspoon each of fennel seed and Italian seasoning.
Best Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 56 oz crushed tomatoes substitution: 6-8 cups frozen tomatoes, thawed and chopped (juices included) – this equals about 30-40 Roma tomatoes
- 28 oz marinara sauce
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-3 tbsp granulated sugar cater this amount to your liking
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large heavy-duty saucepan/skillet, cook the beef and sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the grease and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until veggies are soft and fragrant.
- Add the crushed tomatoes (or thawed tomatoes, if using frozen), marinara, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, fennel seeds, Bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well and increase to medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer uncovered for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to avoid scorching on the bottom of the pan.
- Remove Bay leaves and allow sauce to cool before pouring into quart-size mason jars. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If freezing, store in airtight containers or sealable bags for up to 6 months.
Notes
- I love the combination of Italian sausage and ground beef in this sauce, but feel free to use one of the two instead. Or swap out both for ground chicken or turkey!
- The marinara sauce in the recipe adds a boldness that I absolutely adore. Feel free to replace it with two cans of tomato sauce, if desired.
- If you are searching for a sauce with even more flavor, try adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine!
- In place of the crushed tomatoes, you can use 6-8 cups fresh tomatoes or frozen tomatoes, thawed and chopped (juices included) – this equals about 30-40 Roma tomatoes.
What kind of marinara sauce do you use? Just a store bought kind? Thank you
Great question! I used to buy store bought but since a family member was having issues with stomach issues and sauces was something it happened with, I learned to make a great marinara and now we love having that more. It freezes well too!
https://pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/homemade-marinara-sauce/
can you hot water bath this and can it?
Yes! That would be easy to do if you already are set up for canning. There are different methods to canning depending on whether you cook the air out of your tomatoes or if you prepare the sauce straight up. But it would be perfect for the shelves so you could just open it up later!