Once you make this spaghetti sauce recipe with fresh tomatoes, you’ll never go store-bought again! Goes great on spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli and more!
Original recipe: October 2017 | Updated: February 2021 and November 2021
Why This Recipe Works
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 spaghetti sauce and recently asked her for her magical recipe.
It was already a fantastic little savory sauce that will help to get an easy dinner on the table, but I believe now it totally and completely lives up to the title of being the BEST spaghetti sauce your lips will ever taste.
Recipe Ingredients
Ground meat – 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!
Tomatoes – Thaw (if using frozen) and chop 20-25 ripe tomatoes for this recipe, including juices (don’t discard!). A suitable substitution is 56 oz crushed tomatoes or use a combination of fresh and crushed.
Roma tomatoes are recommended, but feel free to experiment with san marzano tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes or a different variety. Cherry tomatoes can be used, as well!
Marinara sauce – This ingredient adds a boldness that I absolutely adore. Feel free to replace it with two cans of tomato sauce, if desired.
If you’re feeling extra adventurous, throw together a batch of easy homemade marinara sauce for an even more robust flavor profile. And if you find yourself with a weak, thin batch, learn how to thicken it up!
Garlic – Add extra garlic cloves if garlic is your thing!
Seasonings – Italian seasoning, fennel seeds and bay leaves are the recommended seasonings, but feel free to wander with this. Use dried or fresh herbs of your liking, such as fresh basil, parsley or thyme.
Sugar – Cater amount of sugar used in the recipe to your liking or omit entirely for a less sweet flavor. You can also opt to replace the sugar with honey or agave nectar for a touch of natural sweetness.
How To Make This Spaghetti Sauce Recipe With Fresh Tomatoes
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 black 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.
Serve with your favorite pasta dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese!
Recipe Notes
- If you are searching for a sauce with even more flavor, try adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine!
- To achieve a spicier end result, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, hot sauce or red pepper flakes.
- For an extra smooth sauce, run the cooled mixture through a regular or immersion blender or food processor. Reheat and serve. To achieve a thicker sauce, chop the tomatoes to be 1-inch chunks and do not blend.
- Use a sharp knife to cut into your juicy reds in order to work smarter.
- This recipe is even better the next day, so store room temperature leftovers in an airtight container or glass jar in the refrigerator. Reheat as needed!
Recipes 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!
- 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 Homemade Pasta 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!
Make Pasta Sauce Using a Can of Tomato Sauce
Ready for some serious magic? If you’re limited on ingredients and/or time, make this super simple version of pasta sauce using tomato sauce and just a handful of other ingredients!
Make Pasta Sauce Using a Can of Tomato Paste
And if you have paste on hand instead of sauce, try this super easy way to turn tomato paste into spaghetti sauce!
How To Make Thick Spaghetti Sauce
If you make or purchase a batch of pasta sauce and find that is thin and lacks substance, there are ways to fix it! Read on for tips about how to thicken spaghetti sauce. Or use this guide for thickening without using paste.
Leftover Spaghetti Sauce Recipes
If you don’t want to toss your next batch of sauce, this roundup will provide you with recipes to make with leftover spaghetti sauce so nothing goes to waste.
Marinara vs Spaghetti Sauce
So close in texture, color and flavor that you could call them cousins! Let’s get to the heart of the issue and explore marinara vs spaghetti sauce. What are the differences?!
How To Prepare Tomatoes for Freezing
When you have fresh garden tomatoes on your hands, be sure to freeze extras. Prepping fresh tomatoes for freezing is super easy! Don’t waste those juicy red morsels that have spent the summer growing in your garden.
Learn the best way to freeze tomatoes so you can use them in the coming winter months for delicious meals!
FAQ About Spaghetti Sauce
Store spaghetti 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 or freezer bag. 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. Spaghetti 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.
Spaghetti sauce 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.
Most spaghetti sauce recipes are gluten-free. When looking for gluten-free store-bought varieties, check the label for ingredients that contain wheat.
Unopened spaghetti sauce will typically remain at optimal quality for approximately 1 year, but can be used past that. Opened sauce will remain fresh when stored properly in the fridge for up to 10 days. Discard if visible signs of mold are present.
Related Recipes
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Spaghetti Sauce Recipe with Fresh Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups fresh or frozen tomatoes thawed and chopped (juices included) – this equals about 20-25 Roma tomatoes; substitution: 56 oz crushed 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
- If you are searching for a sauce with even more flavor, try adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine!
- To achieve a spicier end result, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, hot sauce or red pepper flakes.
- For an extra smooth sauce, run the cooled mixture through a regular or immersion blender or food processor. Reheat and serve. To achieve a thicker sauce, chop the tomatoes to be 1-inch chunks and do not blend.
- Use a sharp knife to cut into your juicy reds in order to work smarter.
- This recipe is even better the next day, so store room temperature leftovers in an airtight container or glass jar in the refrigerator. Reheat as needed!
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!