Spaghetti Sauce
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Homemade Spaghetti Sauce is a household staple. Better than what you can find at the local supermarket, this recipe uses green bell pepper, ground beef, ground pork, savory seasonings, sweet tomatoes, and a little red wine to create the perfect sauce. Serve it over simple spaghetti for an unforgettable meal every time!
We like to complete our spaghetti dinners with an appetizer of bruschetta, a side caesar salad and a piece of naan bread to soak up the leftover sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, large in size, chopped
- 5 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 84 ounces whole San Marzano tomatoes, 3 (28 ounce) cans
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 3 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt, or adjust to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 ½ cups beef broth
- ½ cup dry red wine
Instructions
- In a large pan or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef, ground pork, olive oil, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables have softened. Drain any excess grease, and return to the pan.1 pound ground beef1 pound ground pork¼ cup olive oil1 yellow onion1 green bell pepper5 to 6 cloves garlic
- Place the tomatoes in a food processor, and pulse 3 to 4 times until they are broken down into chunks but not pureed.84 ounces whole San Marzano tomatoes
- Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and bay leaf to the pan. Stir to combine.6 ounces tomato paste3 teaspoons dried oregano1 teaspoon dried basil1 teaspoon dried thyme1 bay leaf1 teaspoon salt
- Pour in the beef broth and red wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Continue simmering, uncovered, for 2 hours or until the sauce has thickened to the desired consistency.2 ½ cups beef broth½ cup dry red wine
- Taste, add additional salt, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Discard the bay leaf, and serve over your favorite pasta.
Notes
*The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of ½ cup of spaghetti sauce. Actual calories will vary.
*Kim’s Tips:
- Instead of using ground beef and pork, you can opt for meatballs or go meatless with the sauce.
- Feel free to swap out Italian sausage for the ground pork in this recipe if you’d like.
- To exclude red wine from the recipe, substitute with additional beef broth.
- To avoid leaving the sauce simmering on the stove, transfer it to your crockpot and let it simmer there until it thickens.
- Opt for sweeter tomatoes when selecting ones to include in the sauce.
- If you’re concerned about the sauce splattering while it cooks, cover it partially with a lid.
*Storage:
Storage: Store leftover spaghetti sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Freezing: You can also freeze the sauce after it has cooled down entirely. Keep it in a freezer-safe container (or lay it flat in a ziplock bag to save freezer space) for up to 2 months. Reheating: Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. If frozen, allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 10gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 213mgSugar: 1g