• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Chef Billy Parisi logo

  • Recipes
    • Courses
      • Beverages
      • Appetizers
      • Breakfast
      • Salads
        • Salad Dressings
      • Soups
      • Main Dish
      • Pasta
      • Sauces
      • Side Dishes
      • Bread Recipes
      • Dessert
    • Ingredient
      • Beef
      • Lamb
      • Chicken & Poultry
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
    • Occasion
      • Grilling and BBQ
      • Holiday
      • Entertaining
  • Video
  • Cooking Tips
  • About
  • The Studio
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

Recipes » Sauces » Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Posted on January 10, 2020 By Chef Billy Parisi

  • Share
  • Tweet
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Get in on my famous Italian family’s recipe for homemade spaghetti meat sauce that is hands down the best ragu around!

bowl of spaghetti noodles with a homemade sauce

Spaghetti sauce is one of those staple Italian family recipes that gets passed down from generation to generation.  There really is no need to ever buy this pre-made because it’s incredibly easy to make and far better than anything from the store.  Homemade food from scratch just tastes so much better.

What’s the Difference Between This and Marinara

The biggest difference between this and a marinara sauce is that marinara is vegetarian and has fewer ingredients.  While a spaghetti sauce can also be meatless it tends to have a few more items such as:

  • Parsley
  • Cheese
  • Basil
  • Balsamic Vinegar (optional)

How Long Does It Take to Make

Just like with soup, this sauce will get better with time.  It can simply be ready to eat in under 70 minutes but if you let it simmer for several hours over low heat the ingredients will have more time to infuse making the overall flavor for more intense and delicious.  t will be far better the next day if you can wait that long.

How Do You Make It

Follow these very easy steps below:

  1. Caramelize the medium diced onions in olive oil over low heat for 30-35 minutes or until very browned.
  2. Add in minced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until you smell it.

pot of caramelized onions and garlic

  1. Deglaze with red wine and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by ½.
  2. Add in the Italian sausage and ground sirloin and turn the heat to medium and cook until no pink is in it. Stir often to break up any large chunks.

adding red wine to a large pot with ground beef and italian sausage

  1. Add in plum tomatoes, dry basil, and dry oregano and stew over low heat for as little as 10 minutes and as much as 8 hours.
  2. Finish by adding in grated cheeses, chopped parsley, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. You also may need to thicken with tomato paste to get it to your desired thickness.

tomato sauce in a big pot with grated cheese

  1. Toss with cooked spaghetti noodles and serve.

I cannot stress enough that the longer it cooks the better it will taste.  Also, note that the thickness of it the sauce is completely up to you.

Spaghetti Sauce Made With No Meat

To make a sauce with no meat, simply skip over the procedure of adding meat and go right into adding tomatoes.  Simply work the rest of the way through the recipe procedures.

In addition, if you’re looking for a very basic tomato sauce then please check out my Pomodoro sauce recipe.

Recipe Chef Notes + Tips

How to Reheat: Add your desired amount to a medium-size pot and cook over low heat until hot. You can also reheat in a microwave-safe bowl until hot.

How to Store: To store the spaghetti sauce cool it in an ice bath in your sink or transfer to a refrigerator and cool it uncovered until it is cold about 3-4 hours. Cover it and keep it in there for up to 5 days.

How to Freeze: This will also freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before reheating.

Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 2 days ahead of serving it. Keep it in the refrigerator until 1 hour before serving it and reheat it until hot in a pot.

This recipe makes a lot so please hover your mouse over the servings amount and scale up or down to fit your desired amount needs.

a bowl of fresh spaghetti and sauce with cheese and parsley

More Amazing Italian Recipes

  • Lobster Tortellini with Brown Butter
  • Braised Pork and Fontina Stuffed Ravioli
  • Vegetable Pappardelle Pasta
  • Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich
  • Pork Saltimbocca Recipe

Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Pinterest and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!

Video

bowl of spaghetti noodles with a homemade sauce
Print Recipe
5 from 11 votes

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Get in on my famous Italian family’s recipe for homemade spaghetti meat sauce that is hands down the best ragu around!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time1 hr 10 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 40
Calories: 240kcal
Author: Chef Billy Parisi

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 peeled and medium diced white onions
  • 10 cloves of finely minced garlic
  • 1 cup cabernet sauvignon
  • 2 pounds loose mild Italian sausage
  • 2 pounds ground sirloin
  • 109 ounces san Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
  • 3 tablespoons dry oregano
  • ¼ cup dry basil
  • 1 ½ cups each grated pecorino Romano and parmigiana Reggiano cheese
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
  • sugar to taste
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • optional ½ cup tomato paste

Instructions

  • Add some olive oil to a very large pot over low heat and cook the onions until they are deep brown and caramelized, about 30 minutes.
  • Add in the garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes.
  • Deglaze with red wine and cook until the amount of liquid is reduced by one half, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Place in the sausage and ground sirloin and cook over medium heat until it is cooked throughout, there should be no pink, while stirring often to break up any large chunks.
  • While the meat is cooking crush the whole peeled tomatoes with your hands to bite size pieces.
  • Put in the tomatoes, oregano, and basil and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
  • Finish by stirring in the cheeses, parsley, balsamic vinegar and adjusting the seasonings with salt and pepper as well as sugar, if it needs it.
  • Lastly, thicken it by stirring in tomato paste until it is to your desired thickness. This is optional.
  • Toss with cooked spaghetti and serve.

Notes

Chef Notes:
  • How to Reheat: Add your desired amount to a medium-size pot and cook over low heat until hot. You can also reheat in a microwave-safe bowl until hot.
 
  • How to Store: To store the spaghetti sauce cool it in an ice bath in your sink or transfer to a refrigerator and cool it uncovered until it is cold about 3-4 hours. Cover it and keep it in there for up to 5 days.
 
  • How to Freeze: This will also freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before reheating.
 
  • Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 2 days ahead of serving it. Keep it in the refrigerator until 1 hour before serving it and reheat it until hot in a pot.
 
  • This recipe makes a lot so please hover your mouse over the servings amount and scale up or down to fit your desired amount needs.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 428mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 226IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 135mg | Iron: 2mg
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe was last modified: March 16th, 2020 by Chef Billy Parisi

FREE EMAIL SERIES

5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Better

Chef Billy's go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant”!

Previous Post: « Homemade Sloppy Joe Recipe
Next Post: Puttanesca Sauce Recipe with Pappardelle Pasta »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mia says

    November 10, 2020 at 9:53 pm

    Can I use ground beef instead of ground sirloin

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      November 11, 2020 at 6:08 am

      Yes, ground beef is usually chuck or sirloin

      Reply
  2. Ryan A says

    August 23, 2020 at 10:39 am

    5 stars
    Making another batch today, seriously the best sauce ever, using part of it tonight for lasagna!

    Reply
  3. Stacy Wilson says

    August 02, 2020 at 3:16 pm

    5 stars
    I made this today and it is amazing! Perfect for my big family.

    Reply
  4. yvette c conklin says

    July 08, 2020 at 11:48 pm

    5 stars
    MAde the sauce and it is great! I added fresh aregano to it – lovely sauce Chef Billy Parisi and my guests also enjoyed your blueberry crostata- now on eof my favorite desserts!!!

    Reply
  5. yvette c conklin says

    July 04, 2020 at 3:44 pm

    5 stars
    I am having guests next week and wanted to make my own family sauce BUT after seeing this, I will definitely try it out as I love experimenting with different recipes. thank you once again for all your easy to follow recipes!!!

    Reply
  6. Ryan says

    March 15, 2020 at 9:42 am

    5 stars
    Making this AGAIN as I type, this recipe is perfect, even my 14 year old who doesn’t like spaghetti sauce likes it!

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      March 15, 2020 at 1:25 pm

      You are so kind, thank you and so glad you all are digging it!

      Reply
  7. Georgia Villa says

    January 27, 2020 at 11:39 am

    Making this as I write my review. Going for the low and slow. I usually do meatballs and sausage so I’m excited to try this!! I’ve never added onions to my sauce so I’m excited for that as well, I love caramelized onions. 🤞🏽

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      January 27, 2020 at 1:48 pm

      You got this!!

      Reply
      • Georgia Villa says

        January 28, 2020 at 12:48 am

        5 stars
        Thank you for the recipe!! This was absolutely delicious!! Love the balsamic vinegar touch!! Definitely going into my dinner rotation. If you ever go to Geneva, Il check out my cousins restaurant Osteria Bigolaro. It’s about a hour west of Chicago, beautiful area. Quaint, upscale town.

        Reply
        • Chef Billy Parisi says

          January 28, 2020 at 5:59 am

          awesome, thanks so much for trying it!

          Reply
  8. Patricia Ross says

    January 16, 2020 at 11:53 am

    I would love to make this recipe, but we are a family of (6). I reduced the measurements, but they look weird. Would it be possible for you to provide me the specific measurements for each ingredient for a family of (6)? It would be so helpful. Thank you in advance

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      January 16, 2020 at 3:02 pm

      The easiest thing to do when the recipe ingredients look off when scaling is simply round up and you’ll be good.

      Reply
  9. Rachael Yerkes says

    January 15, 2020 at 9:49 am

    5 stars
    love this recipe! Super yummy

    Reply
  10. Jenn says

    January 15, 2020 at 9:31 am

    5 stars
    The BEST spaghetti sauce EVER!!!

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      January 15, 2020 at 9:39 am

      Love this, thank you!

      Reply
  11. Lisalia says

    January 15, 2020 at 8:53 am

    5 stars
    Chef BP. Not only does this look amazing. It’s a hearty delicious addition to pasta. But I also just ate it off the spoon straight out of the pot. (ummm no double dipping tho) Another great one for my family meal rotation!

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      January 15, 2020 at 9:08 am

      Haha, love this and thank you so much trying it!!

      Reply
  12. Pam says

    January 14, 2020 at 1:07 pm

    5 stars
    Love your recipes….

    Reply
    • Chef Billy Parisi says

      January 14, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      Thank you so kindly, that is very sweet!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

ABOUT ME

I’m Billy Parisi and thanks for checking out my site! I’m a culinary school grad that spent 15 years in the restaurant industry as a line cook, sous chef and executive chef. Now I write recipes, take pictures of’em, shoot some video, occasionally hosting on TV, checking out the latest fashion, hangin with my wife and daughter and watching a whole bunch of college sports. Hope you enjoy my twists on classics as well as new innovations! Read More…

free email series

5 Secrets to Make Homemade Taste Better

Chef Billy's go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant”!

FEATURED IN

IT’S SOUP SEASON

bowl of beef and barley soup with herbs

Traditional Beef and Barley Soup Recipe

bowl of ham and bean soup

Amazing Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

bowl of ribollita soup with kale and carrots

Tuscan Ribollita Soup Recipe

bowl of summer corn chowder with bacon

Easy Corn Chowder Recipe

bowl of chicken noodle soup with vegetables

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

bowl of stew with vegetables

Mulligan Stew Recipe

POPULAR POSTS

  • Slow Cooked Brisket Chili Recipe
  • Smoked Pulled Pork Shoulder Recipe
  • Perfectly Cooked Boneless Chicken Breast Recipe
  • vinegar based coleslaw recipe with apple cider vinegar Vinegar Based Coleslaw Recipe
  • Beef Braciole Recipe (Involtini)
  • how to boil green beans Boiled Green Beans Recipe with Butter Glaze

Footer

As Seen On:

Copyright © 2021 Chef Billy Parisi | Privacy Policy