Once you make this Homemade Pasta Sauce recipe at home, you’ll never go store-bought again! This was adapted from my mom’s delicious Pasta Sauce and it goes great on all kinds of pasta dishes, such as spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli and more!
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 recently asked her for the recipe. It was already a fantastic little savory sauce, but I believe now it totally and completely lives up to its title, Best EVER Homemade Pasta Sauce.
I made a batch of this Pasta Sauce 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. Uhhh, yeah, so…that…did not happen. All three jars were gone within TWO DAYS. Two jars went into a Lasagna recipe and the other was spread over various other things that were sent down my throat.
This Pasta Sauce would go great in these Spaghetti Squash Beef and Cheese Boats or this Easy Three-Cheese Manicotti or this delicious Baked Ziti. And although I do believe this recipe to be the BEST, here are a few other yummy Pasta Sauce options: Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce and Best Ever Spaghetti Sauce!
A brand new Lasagna recipe is on its way in the next few days. It turned out amazingly, but how could it not with this Pasta Sauce swimming around inside of it?! Thanks so much for reading, you guys. I’m so grateful for you!
If you love Spaghetti Sauce but also love your Instant Pot (as I do too!!) then you’ll want to hop on over to my Instant Pot Spaghetti Sauce recipe because it’s a beautiful thing having the Instant Pot do so much so quickly for you but still taste like you’ve been simmering your sauce all.day.long.
WATCH THIS QUICK VIDEO SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE INSTANT POT SPAGHETTI SAUCE AND HAVE EVERYONE EXCITED TO SIT DOWN AND EAT!
Enjoy the step-by-step video tutorial we have created for this recipe! Our goal is to make your time in the kitchen as easy as possible and to ensure that your version of this recipe is a success. See our full collection of cooking and baking videos on YouTube!
Best Ever Homemade Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. ground sausage
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 28 oz. cans crushed tomatoes (OR use 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. 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.
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!