This homemade pasta sauce recipe is a fast and easy recipe, that will leave everyone wanting more! It is a family dinner staple, but most importantly, you probably already have all the ingredients!
Homemade Pasta Sauce
I remember growing up my mom making spaghetti with her delicious pasta sauce. It was always so delicious, and was a staple recipe within our home.
I have through the years created my own take on what make the perfect pasta sauce. I love the adaptability of pasta sauce, and how creative you can get with it.
I like to change up my recipe by adding new elements to it, but I always start with my basic recipe, and can add to it.
Creativity is encourage with this recipe. Make it your own, or make it just as instructed. Either way it’ll make the perfect recipe leaving the whole family wanting more.
This homemade pasta recipe is perfect for busy weekdays, and is great all throughout the year.
What Ingredient Makes Homemade Pasta Sauce Better?
You might find this hard to believe, but it’s sugar! You can use granulated sugar or brown sugar, but it’s an absolute must. Tomato sauce is quite tart due to it being very acidic. The sugar is used to balance the flavors.
A blend of Italian seasonings is really important too. Or you can add each herb on it’s own being cilantro, basil, oregano, and rosemary.
What Makes Homemade Pasta Sauce Taste Better?
The herbs that you use are very important. They can be either fresh, which give a deeper flavor, or dried herbs and spices.
Either way, the herbs give spaghetti sauce the flavors it needs to bring the recipe together, and simply just make it work!
What Is Traditional Pasta Sauce Made of?
It is made from a combination of tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, salt, onion, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, spices, and olive oil.
Tips For Making The Best Homemade Pasta Sauce
- Simmering your pasta sauce really elevates the flavor, along with making the meat so tender.
- Don’t cook the pasta until sauce is already made.
- Don’t allow the pasta to cook too long, as it’ll continue to cook once added to the sauce.
- Save some of the pasta water to add to the sauce.
- Adding a form of cream really elevates the flavor of your sauce. Cream cheese makes an excellent option or heavy cream.
- If adding cheese add it last on top of dish.
Can You Prepare Homemade Pasta Sauce Ahead
Yes! After you make the sauce, put it in a container that has a lid. Allow it to fully cool with the lid open.
Once sauce has fully cooled, put it in the fridge to set over night or even 2-3 days ahead.
As the sauce sets in the fridge, it becomes more flavorful!
What You’ll Need to Make This Recipe
Ingredients for preparing the meat:
- 2lbs of hamburger meat
- 1/2 medium to large yellow onion
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp salt
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 1tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Ingredients for Sauce:
- 4oz cream cheese
- 2- 15oz cans of tomato sauce
- 1- 6oz can of tomato paste
- 2tsp salt
- 1tbs sugar
- 1tsp Italian seasonings
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 1tsp onion powder
Tools:
- Deep Skillet with lid
- Pot for cooking pasta
- cutting board and knife for chopping
- Mixing spoon
How To Make Homemade Pasta Sauce Step-By-Step Instructions
Heat your skillet on medium with 1 to 2 tsps of avocado oil or olive oil.
While your deep skillet is heating up chop up onion and mince garlic.
Add your onion to skillet once it’s hot. You can test to see if skillet is ready by adding one piece of onion. If it sizzles it’s ready.
Sauté onions by mixing them around every so often for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add in garlic to sauté for 30 seconds before adding the meat.
Add in hamburger meat. You want the hamburger meat to be room temperature if possible.
Add in your salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin (optional), and Italian seasonings.
While your meat is browning chop your meat finely. If you want it to be more finely chopped, add it to a food processor once it is fully browned.
Drain extra fat from meat. Depending on the meat you buy, will depend on how much extra fat there is. Drain most, but not all.
Add in cream cheese or 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Stir until combined.
Add in 2 cans of tomato sauce, water, and tomato paste, and stir till well combined.
Add in salt, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings.
Or if you choose to use fresh herbs then add those in now.
Sauce is now technically ready, but if you have the time, don’t stop here!
Cover your sauce and bring to a light simmer for one hour.
Occasionally stir your homemade spaghetti sauce, and add water if needed.
While the sauce is simmering, the delicious flavors are coming together perfectly, as the meat is becoming oh so tenderly soft!
Once the homemade pasta sauce is made, now it’s time to make the pasta.
Keep sauce covered.
In a pot add water and a couple pinches of salt.
Bring to a boil. Once water is boiling add in your pasta and cook as directed.
Do not overcook pasta, make until el dente, as they will continue to cook with the hot pasta sauce.
When your drain cooked pasta, save some of the pasta water to add to the homemade pasta sauce.
If you’re not going to serve right away, add a drizzle of olive oil to noodle and stir, this helps them not to stick together.
Serve your bed of noodles and add the delicious homemade spaghetti sauce you made!
You can make a side salad, some garlic bread, or have it with a few crackers. Or just have the spaghetti by itself, it’s such a delicious recipe that it doesn’t require a side dish!
Some Of My Other Popular From Scratch Recipes:
- The Best Homemade Butter You’ll Ever Try!
- Step-by-Step Guide How to Make Albondigas Soup from Scratch
- How to make the Best Homemade Jam: Mixed Berry Jam Recipe
- The Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
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Yield: 10 to 12 servings
Mama's Homemade Pasta Sauce
This homemade pasta sauce is delicious, fast, and easy to make. It's perfect for busy weeknights all throughout the year!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
- Ingredients for preparing the meat:
- 2lbs of hamburger meat
- 1/2 medium to large yellow onion
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp salt
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 1tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasonings
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Ingredients for Sauce:
- 4oz cream cheese
- 2- 15oz cans of tomato sauce
- 1- 6oz can of tomato paste
- 2tsp salt
- 1tbs sugar
- 1tsp Italian seasonings
- 1tsp garlic powder
- 1tsp onion powder
- 15oz water
- Tools:
- Deep Skillet with lid
- Pot for cooking pasta
- cutting board and knife for chopping
- Mixing spoon
Instructions
- Heat your skillet on medium with 1 to 2 tsps of avocado oil or olive oil.
- While your deep skillet is heating up chop up onion and mince garlic.
- Add your onion to skillet once it's hot. You can test to see if skillet is ready by adding one piece of onion. If it sizzles it's ready.
- Sauté onions by mixing them around every so often for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add in garlic to sauté for 30 seconds before adding the meat.
- Add in hamburger meat. You want the hamburger meat to be room temperature if possible.
- Add in your salt, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin (optional), and Italian seasonings.
- While your meat is browning chop your meat finely. If you want it to be more finely chopped, add it to a food processor once it is fully browned.
- Drain extra fat from meat. Depending on the meat you buy, will depend on how much extra fat there is. Drain most, but not all.
- Add in cream cheese or 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Stir until combined.
- Add in 2 cans of tomato sauce, water, and tomato paste, and stir till well combined.
- Add in salt, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings. Or if you choose to use fresh herbs then add those in now.
- Sauce is now technically ready, but if you have the time, don't stop here!
- Cover your sauce and bring to a light simmer for one hour.
- Occasionally stir your homemade spaghetti sauce, and add water if needed.
- While the sauce is simmering, the delicious flavors are coming together perfectly, as the meat is becoming oh so tenderly soft!
- Once the homemade pasta sauce is made, now it's time to make the pasta.
- In a pot add water and a couple pinches of salt.
- Bring to a boil. Once water is boiling add in your pasta and cook as directed.
- Do not overcook pasta, make until el dente, as they will continue to cook with the hot pasta sauce.
- When your drain cooked pasta, save some of the pasta water to add to the homemade pasta sauce.
- If you're not going to serve right away, add a drizzle of olive oil to noodle and stir, this helps them not to stick together.
- Serve your bed of noodles and add the delicious homemade spaghetti sauce you made & Enjoy!!!
