Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

This homemade spaghetti sauce is rich and hearty, made with Italian sausage or ground beef. It's easy to make using mostly pantry ingredients. Serve it over spaghetti, penne, or your favorite pasta shape.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage (or ground beef, or 1/2 pound of each)
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 30 ounces tomato sauce
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf Italian parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (optional)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage (remove from casings) and/or ground beef and chopped onion and cook, crumbling, until browned.
2. 2Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic. Cook 30 seconds or until fragrant, being careful to not let the garlic burn.
3. 3Then add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, sugar, Italian seasoning, oregano, salt, pepper and fresh parsley. Stir.
4. 4Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Partially cover the pot, leaving just a little room for steam to escape. Cook at a low simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes. The longer you cook the sauce, the thicker and more richly flavored it will become. If it gets too thick, stir in a little more water.
5. 5Stir in the fresh basil (if using) and serve.