Few things taste as wonderful as a plate of homemade spaghetti. From tangy tomatoes to spicy garlic and oregano, it’s a full meal in itself. Here’s how you can make your own fresh homemade spaghetti sauce for dinner tonight.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Tips
Spaghetti Sauce vs. Meat Sauce Spaghetti
This recipe makes a meat sauce spaghetti, but you can leave out the meat if desired. It will still taste wonderful.
Fresh vs. Canned Tomatoes
Can you use fresh tomatoes? Yes, this is a great recipe for when the tomatoes start ripening in the summer. Use approximately 5-6 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes in place of the canned tomatoes.
Fresh vs. Dried Herbs
Can you use fresh herbs instead of dried herbs? Yes, and your spaghetti sauce will taste even better! If you are using fresh herbs, use roughly twice as much fresh herbs as dried.
For example, use ½ teaspoon fresh marjoram instead of the ¼ teaspoon dried. Depending on the pungency of the fresh herb, you may need to use a little more.
Seasoning Your Sauce
When seasoning spaghetti sauce, the secret is to add the minimum amount of herbs, then let them cook for at least 15-20 minutes. Taste and add more if needed. It takes awhile for the flavors to blend and strengthen.
In any recipe, seasonings are just a suggestion. If you like more oregano in your sauce, add more. If you want to add or leave out seasonings, feel free to experiment and make it your own.
Just remember to start with a little and let the seasonings simmer and blend before adding more.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Step By Step
(Optional – leave out the beef if you want a meat-free spaghetti sauce.) Brown the ground beef and drain off any grease.
Chop the onion, garlic and bell pepper.
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft.
Add the ground beef.
Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir well.
Add the bay leaf, marjoram, basil, oregano, and thyme. Add the salt and pepper. Stir well.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes, then taste. Adjust the seasonings if desired. Cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Serve over fresh cooked spaghetti.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef optional
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 28 ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 16 ounce package of uncooked spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and drain off any grease.
- Chop the onion, garlic and bell pepper.
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion, garlic and bell pepper until soft.
- Add the ground beef.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Stir well.
- Add the bay leaf, marjoram, basil, oregano, and thyme. Add the salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Simmer for 15-20 minutes, then taste. Adjust the seasonings if desired. Cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve over freshly cooked spaghetti.
For more made from scratch dinner ideas, check out our recipe for Spicy Spanish Rice.
