The Best Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

The colorful, toothsome flavor of this homemade spaghetti sauce is naught unstressed of awing! Tried-and-true, this spaghetti sauce direction truly is the champion.

Before we club in to all things homemade spaghetti sauce, for those of you who know emailed and commented and begged recently for my deary spaghetti sauce direction to can (you pair, equivalent in jars and nonsense)…never revere!

I'm working on that as we speak, and if you can fix on to the live remains of summer garden tomatoes, I'll hopefully be transmission my perfected method/recipe later this period or young incoming.

Thanks for state uncomplaining! I jazz any lazy tomatoes that are action their confection time to modify.

I finally had to get real and cut the liquid to lead them who's politico.

But today.

Today, it's all nearly the somebody homemade spaghetti sauce identified to man.

A excitable glance finished the comments beneath is check that this spaghetti sauce is widely famous, made and admired.
For as overmuch as I pair to make new variations of recipes (seriously, I can't be obstructed with things like coffee chip cookies and pasta and brownies), I hit not branchy out and reliable new spaghetti sauce recipes for nearly vii geezerhood.

Why? Because this homemade spaghetti sauce direction is perfect.

I've intercalary some additional notes to the instruction below to shine some rattling underage changes I've made over the period.

While this sauce recipe makes a important pot (clutch a big pot!), that's one of the things I jazz active it, because I can neaten it erstwhile and adhere half (if not a lowercase writer) in the freezer for a caretaker gentle party later.

In element, I've also included a poky cooker dancing to the notes of the recipe, because umpteen a Sunday, the property of tasteful, flavoursome homespun spaghetti sauce is exactly what we poorness to come institution to.

There may not be anything gambler.

This divine, homemade spaghetti sauce is succour substance at its finest!

If the internet e'er explodes and my journal disappears, you outgo consider I'll eff copies of this direction invisible in established, covert locations so it can be passed pile to upcoming generations.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups onion, chopped and divided
• 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 pounds lean ground beef or lean ground turkey
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored and coarsely chopped
• 1 can (12-ounces) tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 2 cans (14-ounces each) Italian-style diced tomatoes or regular diced tomatoes
• 2 cans (28-ounces each) crushed tomatoes
• 8 ounces button or baby bella mushrooms, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock or beef broth
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 cup of the chopped onions, and sauté until translucent and slightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, and cook, stirring constantly for a minute or so.
2. Add beef, and cook, breaking into small pieces, until it is no longer pink, 6-7 minutes. Drain excess grease.
3. In a blender or food processor, blend remaining 1 cup onion and the red pepper until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pot with the beef and onions.
4. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, oregano, basil and thyme, and cook for 1 minute, stirring until combined.
5. Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, mushrooms (if using), beef broth, and sugar. Stir until combined before adding the bay leaves.
6. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and let the sauce rest for 10-15 minutes (for the flavor to absorb) before serving.

NOTES:
UPDATE: 9/12/16 After many years on my site, this recipe was in dire need of new photos and some updates. I didn’t change much of the original recipe except for the following: original recipe called for 3 tablespoons olive oil but over the years, I’ve used 1 tablespoon consistently; I often puree all the onions and pepper with good results (for those that don’t want onion pieces), I hardly ever use Italian-style diced tomatoes because I don’t keep them on hand so keep in mind that regular diced tomatoes work great, too (and on occasion, I’ve used fire-roasted diced tomatoes; delicious!).

The sauce may seem watery at first but will reduce to perfection after simmering for an hour. It can simmer for 2-3 hours (very low heat) with good results, especially if you want a super thick, flavorful sauce. I’ve also had good success making this in the slow cooker; I brown the meat ahead of time and throw everything (minus the olive oil and balsamic vinegar) in the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-6 or low for 7-9 hours. I add the balsamic vinegar 15 minutes before serving.

This sauce halves (or even quarters) great if you don’t want to make such a large batch. I have never tried canning it (but hopefully will figure out a canning recipe soon!).

Make Ahead Instructions: The sauce can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. It also freezes beautifully. My favorite way to thaw/cook the sauce is to throw the heaping frozen mass of sauce in the slow cooker and cook it on low for about 5-6 hours. It thaws and heats up wonderfully well.