Spaghetti sauce is one of those classic recipes that everyone has their own little twists and turns in how they make it, but the concept is all fairly similar. And yet, it is also one of those recipes that you can quickly use in any number of ways. So, I guess what I’m saying is, everyone needs to have a good spaghetti sauce recipe in their arsenal.
And yes, before I go any farther, I know that technically, many would call this a meat sauce recipe or a meaty red sauce or something else. In my family, in the area where I was raised and am blessed to still call home, it is called spaghetti sauce. It doesn’t matter if spaghetti noodles are used in the recipe or not. It’s just how it is.
So, please just play along with what we call it for a bit realizing that I know it most likely isn’t the most proper name for it. But hey, it hasn’t let us down yet and we all know what we’re talking about when we say it. Sort of like calling our purses pocketbooks, a grocery cart a buggy, and all soft drinks Cokes. It’s our language.
And in our language this spaghetti sauce is essential.
Here’s my Spaghetti Sauce Recipe. Make it soon. Call it what you want. There’s room enough for us all to be right whatever we call it.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 pound sausage
- 1 (26 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Drizzle olive oil into heavy-bottomed, 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and oregano to saucepan with onions and cook for about 2 minutes. Add ground beef and sausage, stirring often. Cook until all meat is done. Drain meat through to remove any drippings and return meat mixture to saucepan along with crushed and diced tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste.
I served my spaghetti sauce over my zucchini pasta I shared with you earlier this week. Talk about scrumptious!
Hope you enjoy!
Robyn xo
Lou says
Robyn,
I agree with you that spaghetti sauce in my home always means meat sauce. However, I have never used sausage. What kind do you recommend? I will probably try your version this weekend.
Thanks,
Lou
Robyn says
Hi Lou,
I usually just use whatever brand and kind of sausage we would eat as a breakfast sausage. My husband isn’t a huge fan of a lot of sage in his sausage, so I tend to steer clear of those. The sausage just adds a bit of depth to the whole sauce. We love it.
Have a great weekend!
Robyn xo
Liz says
Nice recipe, Robyn. Thanks! Happy Friday and have a good weekend.
Robyn says
Thanks so much, Liz. Hope you have a great one, too!
Ann says
Robin,
I want to Thank You for all your wonderful recipes. However, when it comes to Gravy or as many Americans call it Sauce I don’t agree with you on this one. I have first hand experience growing up with a lot of Italians. Yes they all have their own spin… My favorite is when your kids won’t eat vegetables, put it in the Gravy and use my immersion blender. My best friends Grandmother told me that’s what they did in the old country. When I can’t get fresh Tomatoes I use crushed, celery, carrots, onion, lots of Garlic, Basil and a few more things. Basically it all gets cooked down then blender or immersion blender. That’s when you cook your meatballs in the sauce. Unfortunately no one cooks like this but me (just my opinion) they open a jar. I freeze the remainder and it makes for a great go to meal.
However your rendition does require cooking so thumbs up on that but try carrots they add a special sweetness especially if you roast them.
Robyn says
Hi Ann,
That sounds delicious! A friend of our family also makes her spaghetti sauce (see, I can’t help it!) as you described. It is fabulous, but so not how my family makes it. I do love that yours includes additional vegetables and, I can tell, tons of love!
Gaby says
This would make any dish delicious! Now I’m really craving spaghetti and meatballs!
Andrea says
Hello Robyn:) You are definitely my kind of girl. I still say y’all, buggy, pocketbook and classic coke is my favorite soft drink to have when I do have one. I was reared to be courteous and polite; we call it “Southern Hospitality” here in the Atlanta. I like to have coke in the bottle. Have you ever tried a coca cola in the bottle with planters peanuts dropped down in the bottom of it? When I was a little girl or back in the day, I picked this one up from my folks. Some would say what’s the point? The point is it is good. Planters peanuts are also good with fanta grape or fanta orange in the bottle. So good and refreshing when you want to break from your regular routine and need a little something different. I like this recipe for spaghetti sauce and will be trying it out because my family loves it when I cook your recipes for them. I usually use a pound of ground beef with a bag of cocktail sausages that I cut up. I bake the cocktail sausages in the oven and add them to the browned ground beef and that is pretty good. Thanks again for the recipes:)
Bonita Oakes says
This is my first time on your site I love to look at new recipes and love to try some of them and all of your looks great the main ones I like is crockpot recipes and desserts for the holidays thank you for posting on facebook have a great day 🙂
Kim Honeycutt says
Catching up on some things missed. Glad you re-posted this! Pinning it!!