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Spaghetti Sauce (Easy Italian Recipe with 6 Ingredients)

This spaghetti sauce recipe is a real Italian sauce, and once you realize how easy it is to make, I bet that you will never buy a jar of sauce again. (I also include directions on how to cook and serve spaghetti the RIGHT way!)

overhead spaghetti with meat sauce

I want to change your life for the better. Honestly, I do!

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NOTE: I know this is a lengthy post, but think of it as a 10 minute crash course in “What Italians Know That You Don’t Know.” Want to cook like an Italian? Don’t just skip to the recipe; trust me, all the info is valuable.

When I see “Italian” recipes that are simply NOT Italian recipes, it kills me because many of you probably don’t know the difference between an authentic Italian dish, and one that is actually American or British. So chances are, you’re actually using these recipes. You may also think they’re good; but that’s because you haven’t tried the alternative.

spaghetti sauce on pasta with cheese

Hear me out before you call me a food snob. There’s no reason to do more work, or use 9 unnecessary ingredients to end up with something that’s just not even close to being as good, right? Don’t you want an easier recipe?

spaghetti twirled to serve

Why is this the easiest spaghetti sauce with meat? It’s because there are only 6 ingredients, not counting salt and pepper, and it’s ready in an hour! No cooking “all day long”, that’s just not a thing in Italy.

If you want a super quick sauce, use my recipe for a meatless
authentic Italian tomato sauce (ready in under 15 minutes).

tomato sauce on a wooden spoon

What is the Secret to Good Spaghetti Sauce?

There is no “secret” to good spaghetti sauce, you just have to ask the Italians: if you want good flavor, you need to start with the best quality ingredients! It’s that simple. You can read about the best quality canned tomatoes in my fish in tomato sauce recipe.

italian parsley

Grating your own Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano to serve on top of your pasta is always the best plan.

grating cheese

The meat is really important, too! Try to buy grass fed, without antibiotics and growth hormones. Corn-fed beef is not a good thing, despite companies promoting it as if it was. This is an interview I listened to on the radio many years ago. Since then, I have always tried to buy better beef, for our health and the health and treatment of the cows.

grass fed ground beef package

Recently, I tried Farm Foods grass fed, non GMO ground beef to make my sauce, and I’m so pleased! The meat doesn’t end up in chewy chunks, but cooks beautifully in the sauce! The flavor is fabulous, too. You can have all types of grass feed beef, as well as lamb, pork, chicken and even seafood delivered right to your door (all products of small US farms)! Just click the banner below to go to their site.

Shop now and get free shipping on all orders of more than 10 pounds at FarmFoodsMarket.com!

What Seasoning do you put in Spaghetti Sauce?

Hardly any seasoning besides salt. When you use good quality jar/canned tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and meat, you’ll only need some Italian parsley and basil for this recipe.

That’s all, please trust me on this. Yes, you can use dried parsley and basil, but it’s just not going to be as flavorful. Please do not follow the advice that another American cooking site has shared, which is incorrect (see the screen shot below). This would be like a poison control website telling you to throw water on a grease fire! They have no authority to give you the advice, and it’s just wrong.

screen shot of bad advice

NOTE: if you don’t have fresh garlic, I would skip it rather than use dehydrated garlic, or garlic powder.

spaghetti sauce simmering

Who am I to tell you how to make a proper spaghetti sauce? Read my about page if you don’t already know about my Italian upbringing (and DNA). Also, this is not a Bolognese sauce. That is a completely different recipe.

Have fresh tomatoes that you want to turn into a fabulous sauce? Use this fresh tomato sauce recipe!

forkful of pasta with fresh tomato sauce

Do you Need Sugar in Spaghetti Sauce?

Sure, you’ll need a ton of sugar in a spaghetti sauce which uses horribly acidic, poor quality tomatoes. Will this make it taste good? Absolutely not; not to mention that we really don’t need added sugar to our savory dishes.

So save the sugar for baking a cake, and use good quality tomatoes for that sauce! I usually use Ciao tomatoes, or Mutti passata for my everyday sauce. However, the very best tomatoes are labeled Pomodoro San Marzano dell’Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP (look for these words in their entirety, don’t just buy “San Marzano” tomatoes thinking they are the same). These tomatoes are the best of the best. I even visited the Ciao tomato factory in person.

ladies working at the Ciao tomato factory
Ladies working at the Ciao tomato factory when I visited.

If you want to test your own canned tomatoes, it’s easy: just dip your finger into them when you open the can and taste. Did you pucker? Make a sour face? They’re acidic, and no good as they’re going to ruin your sauce.

No matter what dish you make, it will taste better. Try this chicken cacciatore recipe.

Ciao Italian tomatoes in a can

Try it with the tomatoes I’ve recommended and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. You can eat them raw without making a sour face! These are needed in order to make good pizza sauce, too. (For those of you interested, here’s the Parmigiano cheese container.)

spaghetti on a fork

How do you add Flavor to Pasta Sauce?

My answer to this question is contrary to what you’ll find on Google (as usual). Even though this recipe will give you a spaghetti sauce with fabulous flavor, you can add more flavor if you like, but don’t reach for the spices! Instead, you can add any of the following:

A famous celebrity cook has written a post on several ways to “Elevate Canned Spaghetti Sauce”, but I can save from you reading all her useless tips. There’s just one way to deal with jars of Prego, Ragu, and Classico: don’t buy them in the first place! They are simply pulling your leg with those Italian names because there’s nothing Italian about them. 

Want to learn more about authentic Italian cuisine? You need this short book by my Italian-born friend, Alessandra Gambini, called No Ketchup on Spaghetti, How to Shop, Eat and Cook like an Italian.

San Marzano tomatoes in a bowl

How do you Make Spaghetti Sauce from Scratch?

It’s so easy, you’ll never look back. Follow the step by step directions below and you’ll be a pro in no time. After a couple of times, you won’t even need to refer to my recipe, it’s that easy! Do you need to simmer it all day? NO! This is another myth that needs to be dispelled. If you simmer sauce all day, you’ll end up with tomato paste.

serving spaghetti with a twirl

How to Properly Serve Spaghetti Sauce on Spaghetti

You know the pasta emoji? It’s all wrong. NEVER, serve spaghetti or any pasta like this 🍝  If you want your pasta to taste the best, then follow my directions below. Don’t be tempted to use a colander (without reserving pasta water), or dish the spaghetti onto the plate and then add the sauce. It tastes entirely different this way, and it’s not better, I can assure you. If you don’t believe me, try it both ways. You may also be interested in this post about what to serve with pasta.

spaghetti on a plate

Can I Freeze Spaghetti Sauce with Meat?

Absolutely, spaghetti sauce with, or without meat, freezes beautifully. In fact, I recommend that you make extra sauce specifically to freeze some as it’s such an easy meal when the sauce is already made.

spaghetti in bowls

Italian Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

recipe by Christina Conte (family recipe)             makes enough for more than 1 lb of pasta

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

  • extra virgin olive oil
  • garlic
  • ground beef
  • Italian parsley
  • tomatoes/tomato purèe
  • salt
  • sweet basil
  • black pepper

Directions

Make the Spaghetti Sauce

Crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife.

crushed garlic

Bring the extra virgin olive oil (and lard, if using) to medium high heat, then add the garlic and chopped parsley.

garlic and parsley in a pot

After a minute, add the ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Add some salt, and cook until it begins to dry up, then add the tomato passata/purèe/chopped tomatoes of your choice.

adding puree to ground beef

If using Mutti, they tend to be thick, so add about ¾  cup of water or until the bottom line of the jar (shake to rinse) then add to the pot. If you’re using another brand, rinse the can/jar with a little less water, unless it’s very thick.

water in a Mutti jar

Put the burner on high to bring the sauce to a simmer, and add more salt. Don’t be afraid to add Kosher/sea salt as I can guarantee you will have much less sodium in this sauce than a jar of store-bought. This may look like a lot of salt, but it’s only one teaspoonful. (Note: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is my choice of salt for everyday dishes: it is much less salty than table salt. You should be able to find it for a few dollars a box.)

adding salt to the tomato sauce

Lower the heat so that the sauce simmers gently for about an hour, stirring occassionally (so that the sauce won’t stick). Taste for seasoning after about 30 minutes, and add salt if needed.

stirring sauce

When the sauce is ready, check once again for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as desired, and a generous amount of fresh basil, torn into pieces. That’s it. I told you it was easy!

adding basil to sauce

Cook the Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, with plenty of salt (the water should taste like sea water). Add the spaghetti when the water is at a rolling boil, immediately stir to make sure the pasta is covered with water and doesn’t stick (do not add oil to the water).

adding pasta to water

Cook as directed until al dente (a tiny bit hard in the center of the spaghetti).

Serve the Sauce on the Spaghetti (Properly)

spaghetti on a pasta fork

If you want to use a colander, reserve some pasta water. Otherwise, use a pasta fork to take the pasta directly from the pot and place into the sauce (either remove some of the sauce from the pot, or use another pot to mix the pasta and sauce together). Just remember, the spaghetti goes into the sauce, not the other way around. You can have it over very low heat to keep the pasta super hot (how I like it).

adding spaghetti to the sauce

Mix well. If the pasta soaks up the sauce and seems too dry, add a little pasta water.

mixing spaghetti and sauce

Add sauce until the pasta is completely coated.

spaghetti and meat sauce

There are two ways to serve spaghetti: twirled (more of a restaurant style), or simply placed as is, into a bowl (family-style).

To serve restaurant style, use a large fork, or tongs to twirl the pasta inside a ladle.

twirling in a ladle

Then simply place onto the bowl, or plate.

spaghetti served restaurant style

Top with a sprig of basil, and serve!

overhead spaghetti with meat sauce

Family-style or homestyle, is easier: just place the spaghetti into a plate or bowl.

serving spaghetti

You can still add that sprig of basil.

pasta served family style

However, either way, a good grating of Parmigiano Reggiano, or Pecorino Romano is an added bonus!

spaghetti with cheese

To Freeze Spaghetti Sauce

Simply place the sauce in a freezerproof container and freeze. Will keep well in the freezer for up to a month. Defrost in the fridge, then reheat in a pot, and add the pasta as directed in the recipe. And learn how Italians heat up leftover pasta, it’s never in the microwave!

I truly hope that you try this simple recipe with my suggested ingredients and that you will never buy jars of pre-made spaghetti sauce from the store in future. That’s my goal, so please let me know if you try it!

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overhead spaghetti with meat sauce

Spaghetti Sauce (Easy Italian Style with 6 Ingredients)

Servings: 5 for 1 lb of spaghetti
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Italian style spaghetti sauce with meat.
4.9 from 70 votes

Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic (fresh)
  • 1 Tbsp Italian parsley (fresh, chopped)
  • 8 oz ground beef (grass fed)
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt (or sea salt, more to taste)
  • 28 oz tomato puree (jarred, Italian)
  • 10 leaves basil (fresh, Italian)
  • tsp black pepper (optional, to taste)

Instructions

  • Crush the garlic with the flat side of a knife. 
  • Bring the extra virgin olive oil (and lard, if using) to medium high heat, then add the garlic and chopped parsley.
  • After a minute, add the ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Add some salt, and cook until it begins to dry up, then add the tomato passata/purèe/chopped tomatoes of your choice.
  • If using Mutti, they tend to be thick, so add about ¾ cup (177 ml) of water or until the bottom line of the jar (shake to rinse) then add to the pot. If you're using another brand, rinse the can/jar with a little less water, unless it's very thick.
  • Put the burner on high to bring the sauce to a simmer, and add more salt. Don't be afraid to add Kosher/sea salt as I can guarantee you will have much less sodium in this sauce than a jar of store-bought.
  • Lower the heat so that the sauce simmers gently for about an hour, stirring occassionally (so that the sauce won't stick). Taste for seasoning after about 30 minutes, and add salt if needed. 
  • When the sauce is ready, check once again for seasoning. Add salt and pepper as desired, and a generous amount of fresh basil, torn into pieces.

Notes

  • Choosing tomatoes: passata/purée or for the best quality, look for Pomodoro San Marzano Dell'Agro Sarnese-Nocerino DOP tomatoes--which are only ever whole, peeled tomatoes grown in a certain region of Italy
To serve properly (this is important for flavor) follow these directions:
  • If you want to use a colander to drain the spaghetti, reserve some pasta water. Otherwise, use a pasta fork to take the pasta directly from the pot and place into the sauce (either remove some of the sauce from the pot, or use another pot to mix the pasta and sauce together). Just remember, the spaghetti goes into the sauce, not the other way around. You can have it over very low heat to keep the pasta super hot (how I like it).
  • Mix well. If the pasta soaks up the sauce and seems too dry, add a little pasta water.
  • Add sauce until the pasta is completely coated.
  • There are two ways to serve spaghetti: twirled (more of a restaurant style), or simply placed as is, into a bowl (family-style).
  • To serve restaurant style, use a large fork, or tongs to twirl the pasta inside a ladle. Then simply place onto the bowl, or plate. Top with a sprig of basil, and serve! Otherwise, simply place in the bowl, family-style.
  • Top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 541mg | Potassium: 835mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 930IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 4mg

Christina’s Cucina is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

4.85 from 70 votes (69 ratings without comment)

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63 Comments

  1. I’m sure you know that jarred spaghetti sauce will never appear in our house, either! Aside from the fact that I can’t eat garlic, it just tastes terrible! It’s so easy to make a beautiful fresh sauce for spaghetti – with or without meat – so I cannot understand why anybody would buy sauce. Thanks for a wonderful post! (Oh, and don’t even start me on people who buy jars of pre-chopped garlic! While I know I shouldn’t have opinions on this because I can’t eat it, the smell of it is so vile…)

  2. I have this simmering on the stove right now and it smells amazing. I made a double batch because I had about a pound of ground beef thawed. I used two large cans of San Marzano tomatoes, there is no comparison between these and regular canned tomatoes, I will never use anything else. I usually crush the garlic, but this time I used your method of smashing the cloves and briefly frying them in olive oil, I found that this makes a huge difference to the flavour. I’m going to use Rigatoni instead of Spaghetti as that’s what I have on hand. I’ll finish it off with some freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil leaves. I’ll freeze the rest of the sauce for another meal, thanks for a wonderful recipe.

  3. I love your website. It is so classy and refreshing.
    I want to try every one of your recipes as all look
    so delicious. Thank you and God Bless !

  4. I love when Italians get feisty! The tomatoes you recommend as the same as what I’ve purchased by the case from Amazon. However, believe it or not, I decided to try New Jersey tomatoes, and they are to die for!!! Jersey Fresh crushed tomatoes. No need to even de-seed them. Thanks for your point about the sugar. Plus, I have never ever used garlic or onion powder. I am 56% Italian, according to 23 and me!!!

    1. Difficult not to get feisty when amazing Italian recipes are being desecrated all over the place! It’s awful to see. That’s a good percentage, Mimi!! Woo hoo!

  5. Too many ‘don’t’ in this piece and too long preamble to get to the recipe. I live in Europe and have eaten spaghetti Bolognese in many cities in Italy….. in otherwise sugo con carne. I have eaten in EmilioRomagna which they add carrots, Rome where they don’t and Pisa where they have fab fish recipes as so near to Livorno. Your recipe looks like I had in Aosta (Piedmont …. around North Italy in the mountains).
    What I have noticed is that there is far less sauce than you have and they don’t add water to the sauce. They may add a bit of stock, but not water, as a sign of a bad sauce is when it leaves a pool of watery-tomatoey residue at the bottom of the bowl after the dish has been eaten.
    Also in terms of salt…. too much for the ratios given in your recipe and about sugar… many Nonne add a teaspoon of sugar.
    A perfect ragu for me is a sauce which clings the pasta rather than cloaks it in an over-red unguent sauce. In Bologna they tend to concentrate on the meat and stock with the tomato to give piquancy nit the main star of the dish.
    Just my experiences from eating in Italy regularly as we have a house not far from the French/Italy border so we hop over to Italy a lot. By the way… don’t expect decent Italian food in France. They have no idea and am obsessed with their own food as being ‘the best in the world’. It’s good, but it’s not the best. Give me some decent gnudi, piatina, Soave and salads for apertivi rather than their foie gras as an apèro… Italian food is so much better! I am a Brit by the way… but don’t start me on US food… it’s scary how bad it can be.

    1. As a long time follower of Christina, I have to write to you. I’m sorry lady, but I can’t understand most of your not very nice comment, but what I can make out from it, you are sooo wrong. I’m Italian born and lived in Italy, you just visited Italy, but sounds like every place you have eaten, you watched them make the dish, as you know exactly how it’s made with all the ingredients. You don’t know much if you don’t know that there’s no such thing as spaghetti bolognese. I think it’s sad that you are saying negative things about the recipe for this sauce since it’s so much better than most recipes I’ve seen. Have you made the exact recipe as listed and were disappointed? With the watery sauce in the bottom of your plate? I don’t usually write anything because I know my English isn’t great, but my first language is Italian and even I can see you need to learn to write, your spelling is pretty bad, plus all the Italian words are misspelled. When I read a recipe, I have a choice to make it if it sounds good to me or not make it, you have the same choice. I don’t think you have the right to judge some one like you just did in your comment above, especially when you are wrong about everything.

      1. Amazing to see how many rude commenters and condemners are on this post. you especially who for whatever reason seem to think you’re above all, being first and foremost.
        What a disgraceful person you are to attack another person simply because they do not make a recipe how you say it must be must be made, then continue to ridicule that person because they do not write and spell like you demand they should.
        In case you are unaware, there is more than one type of English. British English and American English, with American English considered in my part of the world, as being English slang.
        It would behoove you to climb down from your high horse and accept people from other parts of the world as being equal to you in every way save for the fact they live in a different country and might have different ways of cooking, writing, speaking and spelling than you.

        1. I’m sorry, I don’t understand why you’re attacking Anna, when Carolyn has posted a string of derogatory comments directed at me, Joycelyn. I read it and felt like I was having an essay graded in high school! I have responded to her (Carolyn) privately, as I don’t want to humiliate her in the way she has done to me because she is wrong in almost everything she’s written (yes, including her grammar and spelling, which an Italian native has picked up on). Regardless of what type of English she writes in, it is incorrect in every version. I would agree with you if she had not been rude, no one would have called her out on it, including me. However, she’s crossed the line of decency in commenting, and if anyone should get down from their high horse, it’s her.