Rich with tomatoes and herbs, this classic Italian recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce may become a family tradition in your home. A pot of spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove will have everyone coming to the kitchen to see what’s cooking.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: It’s easy to make and tastes rich and velvety.
How long it takes: 1 hour 30 minutes, but a lot is hands-off
Equipment you’ll need: large pot, spoon
Servings: 14 servings
What’s more delicious than a big bowl of spaghetti smothered in hearty red tomato sauce? If you asked my dad, he would probably say he couldn’t think of anything he likes better. Whenever my mom asks him what sounds good for dinner, his first and immediate reply is “Spaghetti!” My grandma always made her famous spaghetti sauce (with her secret recipe) for his very best birthday dinner.
Homemade spaghetti sauce is surprisingly uncomplicated and easy to make. Lots of tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs comprise the ingredient list. You may have everything you need right in your pantry. In no time, you can be simmering this delectable and classic sauce in a pot on your stove. The only attention it requires is a stir now and then.
My only question is: What are you waiting for? Open a bottle of Pinot Noir or another medium bodied red wine and raise a toast to the cook!
About this homemade spaghetti sauce
I use four different forms of canned tomatoes to make this homemade spaghetti sauce: tomato paste, crushed tomatoes with their juice, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes with their juice.
Although homemade spaghetti sauce requires a nice long simmer on the stove, most of that time is hands-off. You could also use a slow cooker to simmer the spaghetti sauce on low for 8 hours.
Listen for the “Grazie” (thank you!) that’s sure to come your way. The correct response to that is “Prego!”(meaning: you’re welcome!).
How to make this Recipe
It’s simple! Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil, add a couple tablespoons of tomato sauce and heat it up for a minute or so, then add the tomatoes.
Add the dried spices: oregano, thyme, bay leaf, a tablespoon of sugar, and red pepper flakes.
Stir well and simmer for at least one hour, but up to three hours. Just before serving, remove the bay leaf, and stir in a little butter, and some fresh basil and parsley.
Serve over your favorite pasta with a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Buon appetito!
How to make this spaghetti sauce your own
- If you have a garden full of tomatoes, that’s wonderful! You can easily substitute peeled fresh tomatoes for the crushed and diced tomatoes. Roma tomatoes or another meaty variety work best. You’ll need about four pounds.
- Add more veggies: Chopped bell peppers or mushrooms can be added. Sauté them with the onions. Or stir in a few handfuls of baby spinach right before serving.
- I like to serve this sauce with homemade meatballs or baked turkey meatballs. Frozen meatballs are so handy. Just add them to the sauce about halfway through the simmering time so they get heated through.
- If you would like to make a spaghetti sauce with meat, sauté ground beef or turkey, or Italian sausage with the onions, and then continue the recipe as directed.
- If you happen to have a rind of Parmesan cheese, put that in the sauce as it simmers to enhance the flavor.
- Make this sauce vegan or Whole30 simply by omitting the butter and sugar.
- Don’t have any fresh herbs? Simply add a tablespoon of dried basil and parsley instead.
- If you prefer a sauce made without tomatoes, maybe this isn’t the recipe for you. Try this creamy chicken spaghetti or chicken Marsala pasta.
There seems to be some debate about the difference between spaghetti sauce and marinara. Generally, marinara is a thinner sauce, made with tomatoes and seasoning, which isn’t simmered as long as spaghetti sauce, giving marinara a fresher flavor. Spaghetti sauce is similar, but usually includes additional ingredients such as onions, peppers, mushrooms, or meat, and has a longer cooking time and a heartier flavor.
Ultimately, I guess you could say that spaghetti sauce is any sauce that you put on spaghetti, right? The word sauce comes from the Italian word salsa, which means topping.
Reheating and Storage Tips
Leftover spaghetti sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store in a resealable container. Reheat gently in a saucepan on the stove when ready to serve.
Homemade spaghetti sauce is a meal preppers’ dream. You can make a big batch of this sauce when you have extra time and freeze it in freezer containers indefinitely. Preferably, you should allow time for it to thaw overnight in the fridge before using.
Or, make a big batch of sauce on Saturday or Sunday, and plan meals around it for the rest of the week. It’s perfect for more than spaghetti and meatballs. Use it for this easy skillet lasagna, pizza stuffed spaghetti squash, or pizza quesadillas, or as a dipping sauce for air fryer mozzarella sticks or chicken strips.
Other pasta sauce recipes
Looking for more delicious ways to top your favorite pasta?
- Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce with or without meat (stovetop directions, too!)
- Turkey Bolognese — with ground turkey and turkey Italian sausage
- Fresh tomato cream sauce with angel hair pasta
- Baked Feta Pasta Recipe (with vegan option)
- Instant Pot Bolognese
- Instant Pot spaghetti and meat sauce
- Skinny Alfredo sauce made with cauliflower
- Vegan Bolognese — it has a meaty texture with quinoa and lentils
- Carrot pesto
- Lemon cream sauce with spinach
Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (1 medium onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 tablespoon minced garlic, more if desired)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if desired)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried basil)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large deep pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup finely diced yellow onion, 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until it coats the onions and garlic, and darkens slightly, about 1 minute.2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sugar, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes, 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce, 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained, 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar, 1 tablespoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 bay leaf
- Bring to a simmer, then lower heat and simmer, partially covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 3 hours. Stir occasionally to make sure the sauce isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan. Adjust heat if necessary.
- Carefully remove the bay leaf and stir in butter, basil, and parsley until butter is melted.¼ cup chopped fresh basil, ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon butter
- Taste the sauce, and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. If you like a sweeter sauce, add a little more sugar.
Notes
- Add meat: For a sauce with meat, add 1 pound ground beef, turkey, or Italian sausage. Brown in pan with onions before adding the garlic. If you like meatballs, try homemade meatballs or baked turkey meatballs, adding them to the sauce about halfway through the simmering time. You don’t have to thaw the meatballs first.
- Variations: Adjust the seasoning to your preference; add more sugar if you like a sweeter sauce, more red pepper flakes for a spicier sauce. Additional vegetables can be added; try chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, or finely diced or shredded carrots (they’ll make the sauce less acidic, too!). Fold in chopped baby spinach right before serving if you like.
- Less sodium: Many commercial spaghetti sauces are high in sodium. To reduce sodium in this recipe, use no-salt-added canned tomato products.
- Slow cooker spaghetti sauce:Once you’ve prepped the sauce, it can be transferred to your crockpot to cook on low for up to 8 hours. (Try my crockpot spaghetti sauce.)
- Storage & reheating: Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium low heat until sauce is hot and steaming.
- To freeze: Homemade spaghetti sauce is very freezer-friendly. Consider making a double batch so you’ll have extra to freeze (this recipe makes 7 cups). Allow the sauce to cool, then transfer to freezer containers or sturdy ziplock freezer bags, leaving head room for expansion. It will keep for at least six months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Absolutely amazing sauce!!!! I made it today for my family and they raved about it too! (My preteen even wandered into the kitchen to ask what smelled so great!) I added vegan Italian sausage and used vegan butter as a substitute. I simmered the sauce about 3 hours. I plan to use this recipe again!
That’s so impressive, and I’m glad to hear it worked with the vegan substitutions! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Was so easy and much enjoyed sauce by my whole family. Put recipe on my desktop so I have it ready to go. Thank you
I’m so glad to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Hello! First time using an online recipe- I wanted to make homemade spaghetti for my wife and oh man was it unbelievable. Just wanted to comment and say thank you. It will be THE spaghetti from now on. I added about 1/3 lb of ground turkey and mushrooms. I wonder if I should have chopped the basil and parsley up finer? Is it to be cut small? Sorry I’m learning! Cheers
Wow, I’m so glad to hear it was such a hit! How small you chop up your basil and parsley is totally up to you. I like it pretty small but bigger is fine too. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, it means a lot to me!
Ive been using this recipe for over a year now, and i’m getting pretty dangerous at it. hehe. Everyone wants to come eat whenever i’m making spaghetti . Thanks again!
That makes me so happy! Thank you!
First time I’ve made spaghetti sauce and my husband didn’t have to rescue it haha . This was very delicious.
I love it!! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
I used fresh garden tomatoes (my first real attempt at a garden.) They we’re so delicious and the recipe was absolutely wonderful. I was looking for a way to use my bountiful harvest and this recipe allowed me to do so in a very flavorful way. Thank you.
Oh I’m so glad! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Can I omit the butter?
For sure. It adds a richness and makes the texture really velvety, but it will be great without it too!
First time I made this I didn’t put in the butter because I was out, and it was amazing!
I can’t wait to make it with butter, but to anyone lurking the comments wondering, it doesn’t need it!
I agree, it’s definitely not necessary for tasty sauce, it just gives it that extra something something. :)
out of crushed tomatoes , what do I use Instead ?
You can used diced or peeled whole tomatoes, just pop them in the blender for a minute, or cook a little longer, crushing them against the sides of your pan.
This spaghetti sauce is SO delicious! We used spicy Italian sausage which gave it a tiny bit of a kick. This is the perfect meat sauce and was so easy to make. I’m glad it made so much so I can have leftovers all week long!!!
I’m so happy to hear you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. We like it with Italian sausage too!
How would you adjust this to cook in the Instant Pot? Thanks.
I haven’t made this in the instant pot, since so much flavor develops with the slower cooking on the stove. I’d cook for 8-10 minutes under high pressure after you saute things and add the tomato paste. Again, I haven’t tested it, so that’s only an educated guess. I’m sure it will work, but it might not have the same thick texture you get on the stove. Let me know if you try it!
Thinking about making this but need to get some ingredients. i was wondering, why only 2 tbs tomato paste? Do you think I can use the whole can and water down with wine or water?
I find that more than that makes the sauce too intense. I freeze leftover tomato paste in 2T portions since it’s such a common amount in recipes.