Meat Sauce Recipe

A good homemade Meat Sauce recipe is something every home cook should have in their back pocket. It is a delicious, hearty, classic recipe that is an easy homemade comfort food win no matter what time of the year it is. Easy enough to make on a weekday, but you can dress it up enough for Sunday dinner too.

Homemade Meat Sauce Recipe

Like many people, spaghetti was my favorite meal when I was growing up. Back then, I preferred the stuff from the jar. You know the kind. It has no chunks of anything in it. The stuff that maybe got dusted by some onion powder, but no actual fresh onions ever got near it.

Not anymore!

This is a chunky sauce with plenty of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, onions, garlic, and fresh herbs. The meat is a combination of lean ground beef and ground pork. Want to get crazy? Dice up red bell pepper and toss it into the mix. Stir in a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes for a little kick. Simmer with the rind of a chunk of Parmesano Reggiano.

More Pasta Sauce Recipes!

Spaghetti and Meat Sauce Shopping List

Need to hit the store? Find out below! This is a run-down of what ingredients you’ll need. For the specific amounts, please make sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Ground Beef
• Ground Pork
• Onion
• Garlic
• Red Bell Pepper (optional)
• Italian Seasoning Blend
• Canned San Marzano Whole Tomatoes
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Basil
• Oregano
• Salt & Pepper
• Sugar (optional)

Tip! – Different brands of canned tomatoes have wildly different levels of sodium and added salt. Always make sure to taste-test your sauce before salting it, and use the recipe as a general guide in that department! We welcome substitutions and altering things according to your tastes or what you have on hand.

How to Make Meat Sauce

This is an overview for you to scan so you can gauge whether or not you might want to give this recipe a try. When you’re cooking, make sure you use the recipe card at the bottom. It includes the full instructions with all the details.

1. Brown meat and vegetables
   Place a few tablespoons of the olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven on a medium-high heat. Put in the meat and vegetables and brown them, stirring frequently. Season with the Italian Seasoning Blend.
2. Make sauce
   Add the rest of the ingredients, besides the salt, and let simmer for about an hour. Taste the sauce and salt to taste.
3. Boil pasta
   In a large pot of well-salted water, boil your pasta until it is cookd al dente (meaning, it still has som bite left).
4. Sauce and eat
   We like to serve with garlic bread and a fresh Caesar salad – when we have company. On a random Tuesday it is usually just spaghetti and MAYBE some garlic toast if I’m feeling motivated!

Try our Mushroom Meat Sauce recipe!

What kind of tomatoes are best for homemade sauce?

You might think that the most typical type of tomato for a classic American red sauce would be a Roma tomato. They are readily available during the summer months all across the country.

You’d be wrong.

The most common kind of tomato you’ll find used for red sauce is actually the Plum tomato. This is also the type that is typically inside the various canned tomato brands that are available in most grocery stores.

Plum tomatoes have thicker flesh, have fewer seeds, and are less acidic than their Roma-cousins.

The most famous (and arguably, the best) kind of Plum tomatoes are San Marzano tomatoes.

What are San Marzano tomatoes?

San Marzano tomatoes are a specific type of tomato grown in a very specific region of Italy. They are similar, in this way, to Champagne. It is hard to find authentic San Marzano tomatoes in the US sometimes. At one time, more than 95% of the tomatoes being sold as San Marzanos here were not legit.

Full disclosure, you’re probably going to love them whether they are authentic San Marzanos or not, but if that kind of thing matters to you make sure to do your research.

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