My homemade tomato pasta sauce is so delicious and easy to make, you’ll never buy pre-made store brands again! It’s a savory and hearty meat sauce made with ground beef, tomato sauce, plenty of vegetables, herbs and spices. This recipe has become a favorite in our house, and it’s perfect for serving for a large family or packing for a potluck!
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Why this recipe works
- Ground beef is always available in your local grocery store (and you probably have some in your freezer right now!), and much less expensive than other cuts of beef.
- Adding additional vegetables and mushrooms to the sauce brings a depth of flavor, and if you’ve got kids – more veggies to their diet!
- This recipe can be made ahead of time for meal prepping or for a large gathering.
- It’s easy to make with pantry-staple ingredients.
- Easy to freeze for leftover meals!
Ingredients & Notes
Ground beef – I like to use 80/20 ground beef, this is the ratio of meat to fat. A bit more fat adds more flavor to the spaghetti sauce.
Tomatoes – Use canned tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes for ease and convenience.
Seasoning – Dry herbs have a more concentrated flavor, and is great in sauce after a long simmer.
Vegetables – Carrot, celery and mushrooms. Mushrooms add a bit of umami flavor to the sauce, so definitely include them!
Parmesan cheese – Pasta is never complete without the cheese! But the cheese is actually my secret ingredient, and takes the sauce to the next level with a boost of salt and umami flavor!
Instructions
- Saute the onions and garlic.
- Add the carrots and celery and cook until softened.
- Add the meat and brown, then add the mushrooms.
- Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, dry seasoning and cheese. Mix everything well. Simmer for 1 hour covered with a lid.
Pro Tips
- Browning the onions and meat well will develop a deeper flavor.
- Cook your pasta in salted, boiling water. To cook one pound of pasta, I recommend four quarts of boiling water, with two tablespoons of kosher salt.
- After cooking your pasta, make sure to reserve ¼ cup of pasta water. Adding some of the salty and starchy pasta water to the pasta sauce will help it thicken and stick to your spaghetti better!
- Top with fresh basil, red chili pepper flakes, additional grated parmesan cheese and a few cracks of ground pepper for the ultimate plate of pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you mix in the pasta with the sauce, add about ¼ cup of pasta water. The starch from the pasta water thickens the sauce a bit, and will help the sauce stick to the pasta.
No, leaving the extra fat will give the pasta sauce more flavor.
Covering the sauce when simmering will prevent moisture from evaporating. Simmer the sauce covered if you like the sauce on the thinner side, uncovered if you like the sauce thicker.
More weeknight recipes to try
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Ground Beef Tomato Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound ground beef preferraly 80/20
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 8 oz package bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 celery stalk, sliced
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Heat a large pot on the stove over medium high heat. Add in olive oil and saute onions for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in garlic and saute for another 30-60 seconds.
- Add the sliced carrots and celery and saute until soft, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and saute on high heat until brown, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and saute, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, basil, bay leaf, sugar and parmesan cheese. Mix well. Bring to a simmer on medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour covered with a lid.
Notes
- Serve with spaghetti pasta and top with fresh basil, red chili pepper flakes, additional grated Parmesan cheese and a few cracks of ground pepper.
- After cooking your pasta, make sure to reserve ¼ cup of pasta water. Adding some of the salty and starchy pasta water to the pasta sauce will help it thicken and stick to your spaghetti better!
- If the sauce tastes too acidic, add additional sugar to taste.