Spaghetti Sauce

Making delicious homemade spaghetti sauce from scratch is a rewarding experience, allowing you to control the flavors and ingredients to your liking.  

The Story

From Ragu Royalty to Real Deal Sauce: My Spaghetti Awakening

For years, I ruled the kitchen with a jar of Ragu in one hand and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese in the other. I’d doctor up that store-bought sauce with fresh basil, garlic, and whatever else made me feel fancy. In my mind, I was the Queen of Spaghetti Sauce—so much so that I considered adding an Italian-sounding middle name, like “Annette-a.”

Then came the moment. On a trip to Atlanta, my daughter-in-law, Courtney, made spaghetti for dinner. I took one bite and my culinary crown slipped right off. Her sauce was rich, fresh, and layered with the kind of flavor that makes you want to hug your bowl. Suddenly, my sauce tasted like—dare I say it—ketchup. It was a humbling experience. As they say, you don’t know what you don’t know.

Courtney’s sauce danced with garlic, sweet basil, and the bright tang of real tomatoes. Every ingredient worked in perfect harmony, like an Italian opera on a plate.

When I asked her how she did it, she casually replied, “Oh, it’s easy—just a few things and about 30 minutes.” Sure, Courtney. Easy for you.

Since then, I’ve been on a mission to reclaim my crown—with fresh ingredients, a little patience, and a lot of taste-testing. This recipe is the result of that delicious journey. It’s flavorful, comforting, and most importantly, mine.

I hope it brings as much joy to your table as it does to mine. Mangia!

Spaghetti Sauce

Annette Law

Easy homemade spaghetti sauce! This recipe is a family favorite.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 5 people

Calories 259 kcal

Equipment

• large pot
• skillet

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x1/2x

• ▢ 1 pound ground beef or 1/2 lb ground Italian sausage and 1/2 lb ground beef
• ▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• ▢ 1 medium onion chopped
• ▢ 15 ounce can crushed or pureed tomatoes San Marzano tomatoes
• ▢ 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh or dried parsley flakes
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves diced
• ▢ crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves optional
• ▢ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢ Spaghetti noodles for serving

Instructions

 

• Season ground beef with salt and pepper.
• In a large skillet, add the beef and chopped onion and brown. Drain excess grease.
• Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, parsley, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, Worcestershire, grated parmesan cheese, and sugar to a large pot.
• Stir well to combine and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, add chopped basil, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Notes

• To use this recipe as a marinara sauce, omit the meat.
• The sauce is perfect for lasagna, stuffed pasta shells, and other pasta dishes requiring a marinara sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 16gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 64mgSodium: 219mgPotassium: 435mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 166IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary depending on the brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and other factors.

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