Mom's Classic Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Mom's Homemade Spaghetti Sauce is the best! Made with sausage, ground beef, onions, and tomatoes, then perfectly seasoned and simmered, this classic Italian-American meat sauce is a hearty, full-flavored family favorite.

Jump to:

• What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
• What Goes into this Classic Spaghetti Recipe
• How to Make American Spaghetti Sauce with Meat
• Storage
• Top Tip
• FAQ
• More Italian-inspired Recipes
• What to Serve with Classic Spaghetti
• Classic Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
• Food Safety

What's the Story Behind this Recipe?

My childhood food memories are filled with meals like tuna casserole studded with green-gray peas, and creamed chipped beef over white rice. Mom was from the Midwest, where "they didn't have fancy foods like pizza or hummus," as she liked to tell me.

However, despite her aversion to cooking or eating anything not common among Depression-era Missourians, Mom did make some wonderful dishes, and the best of best was her rich, meaty homemade spaghetti sauce.

When it came to making spaghetti sauce, Mom was meticulous in her onion chopping. Each batch of sauce required four large onions, thus requiring a lot of time and tears; so spaghetti at our house was reserved for special occasions.

Oh, but when she made that amazing sauce! Thick, rick, deep scents would fill our house to the eaves, enticing me to the kitchen, where I would wait until Mom wasn't looking to sneak spoonfuls of hot, bubbly spaghetti sauce onto Saltine crackers, nearly always burning my tongue in my hurry. 

It was always worth it.

What Goes into this Classic Spaghetti Recipe

This classic American spaghetti sauce recipe is based on Mom's original recipe, with just a few small adjustments. It retains all of the richness and depth that I remember.

• Ground beef & Italian sausage: I use a combination of 1:1:1 of low-fat ground beef, sweet Italian sausage, and mild Italian sausage. However any combination will work. (If you prefer a spicier spaghetti sauce, try using spicy Italian sausage!)
  • We've also made this sauce with ground turkey and ground chicken Italian sausage with great results. 
• Canned tomatoes:I recommend using petite-cut canned tomatoes with garlic and basil if you can find them. 
• Tomato sauce: If I can find it, use a tomato sauce infused with garlic and onion. Regular tomato sauce will work fine, too.
• Tomato paste: Same as the tomato sauce. 
• Onions: Mom used plain old yellow onions. Yellow onions have more natural sugars in them than sweet onions do, and thus impart a sweeter undertone to the sauce.
• Garlic: The recipe calls for four cloves. Don't go crazy. 
• Salted butter: You can use unsalted butter. If you do so, add an extra ½ teaspoon of kosher salt to the sauce before simmering.
• Olive oil: We use EVOO.
• Brown Sugar: This is a spaghetti sauce secret ingredient!
• Worcestershire sauce
• Dried basil
• Dried oregano
• Fennel seeds
• Nutmeg

How to Make American Spaghetti Sauce with Meat

My best advice: if you have the time, make this sauce a day ahead (and be sure to have some Saltines on hand for tasting).

In a large, heavy Dutch oven or stock pot, brown sausage and ground beef together over medium.

Remove browned meat from heat, and drain in colander. (Do not rinse the browned meat, please. Just let it drain.)

In same large, heavy pot, melt the butter and olive oil together over medium heat.

Add chopped onions to butter and olive oil, reduce the heat. to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

You aren't trying to caramelize the onions (which is an hour-long process). You want to fry them until they are just beginning to turn light, golden brown. 

Add minced garlic and continue to cook until onions are very soft and begin to take on a very light caramel color. (The onions in the image below are about halfway done.)

Reduce heat to low and add the drained, browned meat, tomato sauce, tomato paste, herbs, spices, and brown sugar to the onions in the pan. Stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. 

Once everything is stirred together well, bring the sauce to a low, slow simmer.

Cover and simmer for an hour, stirring frequently.

Turn the heat off and allow to steep with the cover on for another hour before serving. 

I don't usually simmer it any longer than an hour, because the meat can take on a tough, spongy texture if it is overcooked. Allowing the sauce to steep in the pot off the heat alleviates this issue. (You also don't have to babysit it as much.)

Spaghetti sauce can be served immediately; however, it will be so much better when you reheat it the next day! Salt and pepper to taste. 

Storage

Homemade pasta sauce will keep in the refrigerator for three to four days. Allow sauce to cool completely before refrigerating or freezing. 

You can freeze this pasta sauce in freezer bags, quart jars, or freezer containers. It will maintain its flavor for up to six months. When you want to use it, defrost in the fridge or on the counter before heating. 

Top Tip

How to Cook Pasta Ahead of Time

To make the pasta ahead of time, cook it until it is tender, and then drain it to stop the cooking process. Toss the spaghetti noodles with a little olive oil, and then put it in a container or resealable bag. Refrigerate until needed (up to two days).

To reheat, start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place the refrigerated noodles in a pasta insert or colander and plunge the cold spaghetti into the boiling water for 30 seconds to one minute to reheat it. 

When you are ready, toss the hot pasta with warm sauce and serve. Serve with a fresh, green salad and warm garlic bread!

FAQ

More Italian-inspired Recipes

What to Serve with Classic Spaghetti

Classic American spaghetti pairs well with so many dishes, including garlic bread, panzanella salad, Caprese salad, Caesar salad, roasted vegetables, tomato & eggplant stacks, and of course, Italian meatballs.

Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat.
• Always wash hands after touching raw meat.
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
• Never leave cooking food unattended.
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
• Store food in suitable, covered containers.
• To refrigerate, cool to 70°F within two hours, and then down to 41°F (fridge temp) or below within the next four hours.

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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