I love this recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce – it’s perfect for busy weeknights. I can whip up a big batch on the weekend and then have it ready to go for quick weeknight dinners.

I always make a double batch of this homemade spaghetti sauce and freeze half for later. That way, I have an easy meal ready to go whenever I need it. And trust me, there will be plenty of nights when you’ll be glad you have this sauce in your freezer!

This sauce is packed with flavor but is still nice and light. I like to use ground hamburger in mine, but you could easily swap in ground turkey if you prefer. Just be sure to brown the meat before adding it to the sauce.

As the weather gets colder and our schedules fill up, I start making more hearty meals that will last us a few days. This homemade spaghetti sauce is one of my go-to recipes because it’s so filling and flavorful. Plus, the leftovers freeze well so we can enjoy them again later!

I love to choose grass-fed beef because the flavor is fantastic and Open Nature ground beef is antibiotic and hormone-free, so I feel good using it in my recipes.

Or, for pasta night, it’s perfect in my easy spaghetti sauce. It’s a Bolognese sauce made with savory beef, tomatoes, and lots of Italian seasoning.

It’s one of my favorite make-ahead sauces because it freezes beautifully making it an excellent option for easy dinners during the week.

Easy Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef

  • Open Nature grass-fed ground beef
  • Chopped onion, carrots, and garlic
  • Olive oil
  • Canned tomato sauce and diced tomatoes
  • Italian seasoning and salt
  • Fennel, basil, and parsley
  • Sugar
  • White wine
  • Half and half
  • Grated Parmesan cheese
package of ground beef in a pot

This is an easy meat sauce you can cook in one pan on the stove. The aroma of this sauce as it cooks is intoxicating! It’s such a wonderful welcome as everyone comes home from a busy day.

All you do is brown the meat and veggies and then add the tomatoes and seasonings and let it all simmer together. At the end stir in the half and half and cheese to add richness and even more flavor.

It’s also a quick-cook sauce that only needs to simmer for about 30 minutes. No need to wait all day for it to cook, but it tastes as it did. It’s rich, savory, and so comforting.

How to make homemade spaghetti sauce:

Season the beef with salt and olive oil. Cook over medium-high heat until brown. Drain & set aside.

After heating the olive oil in a large pot, add the onion, carrots, and garlic. Cook until the onion becomes transparent then pour in the white wine. Let it cook until completely absorbed.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, fennel, basil, parsley, and sugar. Add the cooked beef to the sauce, stir well to combine then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes covered with a lid and leaving a slight crack.

Add in cheese and half and half, stir in until combined, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and cheese.

Serve with noodles of your choice, with bread, or as a pizza sauce.

steps for making the spaghetti sauce

Serve it with your favorite pasta for a hearty, delicious dinner. Or, you can freeze it in containers for up to three months. This is such an easy way to have a quick dinner on hand for those nights when there’s no time to cook.

a fork twirling pasta and sauce

There’s nothing better than getting meals on the table and snacks in your hands with as little effort as possible – I hope you’ve discovered some new ideas!

Other great weeknight meal ideas:

When life gets busy, I use it to make my slow-cooker chicken tikka masala. It’s so warm and comforting and always a family favorite.

Easy 10 minutes meal + the best flavors of your favorite fried Chinese appetizer, but lighter and quicker, all in one skillet! This “Egg Roll in a Bowl” is an easy and nutritious dinner that the whole family will love (even the picky eaters).

Try these delicious and low-maintenance chicken tacos made in your slow cooker! You’ll only need four ingredients, but they pack a flavorful punch. These are perfect for busy weeknights.

Don’t forget to pin this Homemade Spaghetti Sauce recipe to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 318 kcal
Homemade spaghetti sauce that is rich, hearty, and comforting. It takes only 30 minutes to simmer but tastes like it cooked all day.
a bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds hamburger (see note)
  • 1 large yellow onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped carrots
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 2 (28-oz) cans tomato sauce
  • 2 (14-oz) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seed
  • 1 teaspoon basil
  • 1 teaspoon parsley
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup half & half
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
 

  • Season the beef with salt and olive oil. Cook over medium-high heat until brown. Drain & set aside.
  • In a large pot, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, onion, carrots, and garlic, cook until onion is transparent, add white wine and let it cook until it is absorbed.
  • Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, fennel, basil, parsley, and sugar. Add the cooked beef to the sauce, stir well to combine then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes covered with a lid and leave a slight crack.
  • Add in cheese and half and half, stir in until combined and simmer for another 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and cheese.
  • Serve with noodles of your choice, with bread or as a pizza sauce.

Notes

Sometimes we substitute half of the ground beef for Italian sausage to change the flavor. If you opt to do this, just use one pound of each.
You can freeze this sauce for up to three months. Just be sure to store it in freezer-safe containers.
Calories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 18gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 1107mgPotassium: 870mgFiber: 4gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 2437IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 149mgIron: 4mg
a bowl of spaghetti with meat sauce
Tried this recipe?Let us know what you think!

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20 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness my son is going to love this recipe! Spaghetti is a must here at the house. My family is going to be so excited to try this!

    1. Yes, I did. But I have also varied this because it seems to depend on the flavor of the seasonings. I would start with a 1/3 of a cup and go up from there; I typically land very close to 1/2 cup. Enjoy!

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