Easy Meat Sauce For Pasta
“Love it. I make it often. Even my little 1 1/2-year-old granddaughter loves it.” Linda
I’ve been making this homemade meat sauce recipe for decades, and no one will let me change a thing. It’s thick, rich, and freezes beautifully, making it very handy for busy weeknights.
It’s a classic tomato-based meat sauce with a nice balance of ground meat and sauce. Unfussy comfort food at its best.
What to expect
Using tomato sauce along with tomato paste (instead of diced or crushed tomatoes) creates a full-bodied, richer sauce in less time. The result is a thick, well-rounded meat sauce with no watery texture. Nothing fancy – just easy and delicious.
This sauce works just as well over spaghetti as it does with other pasta shapes, lasagna, baked pasta dishes, or sloppy joes. It’s my go-to, make-ahead that’s been a family favorite for years and consistently gets good reviews when served to guests.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Ground beef: I usually buy lean or extra lean ground beef for this recipe, but medium works fine too (just drain off the excess fat before adding the sauce).
- Tomato sauce and tomato paste: Using both makes a rich, thick sauce is less time. I prefer to use plain basic tomato so I can control the seasonings, but use what suits you or what you have on hand. Costco’s White Linen Marinara sauce and Rao’s are both good options. Or try our homemade San Marzano Tomato Sauce.
- Seasoning and aromatics: Onions, garlic, dried oregano, bay leaves, chili powder, a pinch of sugar, salt & pepper. If your tomato sauce already includes some of these ingredients, you may need to adjust the amounts slightly.
Substitutions
- Ground beef: Replace part of the ground beef with ground turkey or Italian sausage (sweet or hot).
- Tomato sauce: Use tomato purée instead, or substitute diced tomatoes. If using diced tomatoes, omit the water or simmer the sauce an extra 30–50 minutes to thicken.
- Seasonings: An Italian seasoning blend can replace the oregano and chili powder.
Variations
- Vegetables: I keep the meat sauce easy and simple with just onions, but feel free to add chopped bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, and/or celery. Carrots and celery are typical in bolognese-style sauces and add subtle sweetness.
- Red or white wine: Add a 1/2 cup (118 ml) after sautéing the meat and onions, then let it cook down before adding the tomato sauce.
- Yellow mustard: add a teaspoon to the sauce for a subtle tang. It sounds unusual, but it works. Anyone from Montreal out there who loved Piazza Tomasso’s spaghetti as a kid will recognize the taste.
Step-by-step instructions
Tip
The easiest way to serve the meat sauce with pasta is to mix it with enough sauce to coat the pasta well. Reserve extra sauce in a separate bowl. Portion the pasta onto plates, spoon a little extra meat sauce on top, then pass the freshly grated Parmesan at the table.
Shortcuts
- If you are making a double batch, chop the onions in a food processor to save time.
- Many recipes simmer the sauce for 2-3 hours. For this one, an hour is plenty to achieve a thick, robust sauce.
- To cut the time roughly in half, make the meat sauce in an Instant Pot (instructions are in the recipe card below)
Recipe FAQs
For many people, the terms meat sauce and bolognese are interchangeable, but there are subtle differences. They are both meat-based but Bolognese typically contains less tomatoes and and often includes wine and milk in authentic versions. Bolognese is usually served on flatter wider pasta like tagliatelli or used in lasagna. Meat sauce is most often served over spaghetti.
Yes. We have a vegan bolognese recipe made with plant-based meat that delivers the same rich flavor and texture. It can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop, and most people can’t tell the difference once it’s tossed with pasta.
Yes. Meat sauce actually improves with time. You can make it up to 4-5 days ahead and store it in the refrigerator. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if needed.
Definitely. Cool the sauce completely. Place in airtight containers or freezer bags in portions and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Yes, instructions are in the recipe notes. Alternatively, serve the sauce with a batch of our Italian Meatballs, which will stretch the recipe to feed more people. Fun fact: you won’t find spaghetti with meatballs in Italy. That’s an Italian-American classic.
Beyond spaghetti, you can use the meat sauce to make lasagna, sloppy Joe’s, stuffed pasta shells, and a meat version of our stove-top tomato spinach pasta.
What to serve with meat sauce
We tend to stick with the classics. A Caesar salad (or simple green salad) and garlic bread are all you really need. Cheesy garlic bread on croissants is especially good here. And don’t forget to pass the freshly grated Parmesan at the table.
If you are looking for a lighter dessert after a filling meat sauce with spaghetti meal, try our:
Or keep the Italian theme going with a crispy biscotti (with a twist) and a cup of coffee.
More tomato-based sauces
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thank you so much!
Meat Sauce Recipe for Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped (4 teaspoons)
- 1 28-ounce can (835 ml) or jar of plain tomato sauce (regular or thick)
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste (12 tbsp or 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- Garnish: Fresh grated Parmesan cheese optional
seasonings
- 1 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano (or 1/2 tbsp ground oregano)
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (or more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon each, salt and black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
Instructions
- SAUTÉ GROUND BEEF AND ONIONS: Heat oil to medium-high heat in a medium-large pot and sauté onions for 3 minutes until translucent. Add ground beef and separate with a wooden spoon. Sauté meat for 3-4 minutes until all pink is gone. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
- SIMMER MEAT SAUCE: Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, mustard (if using) and all seasonings. Add 1 1/2 cups/355ml water. Stir to combine. Simmer over medium-low heat (about 3 out of 10) for 1 hour, partially covered, with the lid slightly ajar. As sauce cooks, stir half way through to make sure sauce is not burning on bottom of the pot. Taste and adjust seasonings. If sauce is too thick, add a splash of water.
- TO SERVE WITH SPAGHETTI: Cook spaghetti to al dente (or softer if preferred) in salted water according to package directions. A typical box of 375 g (10-12 oz) will serve 4-6 people. Drain. Place portions of spaghetti on plates or bowls and generously ladle on the sauce. Or toss spaghetti with meat sauce and serve in a large family-sized bowl. Pass freshly grated Parmesan cheese as a topping.
Recipe Notes
- Substitutes and variations:
- Ground beef: You can use part ground beef and part ground turkey or Italian sausage.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add a chopped bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots and/or celery – and sauté with the onions.
- Seasoning: Vary the amount of seasonings to your taste. Substitute with an Italian seasoning blend if you like. You can also add a 1/2 cup/118ml red or white wine after sautéing the meat and onions, letting it cook down before adding the sauce.
- Tomato sauce: I tend to use a plain tomato sauce to control the seasonings, but use what suits you or what you have on hand. Rao’s, Hunts, or White Linen Marinara sauce from Costco are good options. Or, use our homemade San Marzano Tomato Sauce.
- Substitutes: tomato purée or diced tomatoes. If using diced tomatoes, omit the water or cook the sauce for an extra 30-50 minutes.
- To add meatballs when making the sauce: Buy an extra half pound of ground beef and mix it with 1/2 an egg, 1/4 cup/27 grams bread crumbs, salt, pepper and a bit of onion powder. Form the mixture into little 1 1/2 inch meatballs and drop them into the simmering sauce. Then gently stir and let them cook along with the sauce.
- Instant pot method: Sauté beef in oil until browned, then add chopped onion and sauté until translucent (another 3 minutes). Turn off. Add the rest of the ingredients. Set Pressure to 15 minutes on High. When finished, do a quick release. If not thick enough, turn on sauté and cook it uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
- To Make Ahead or Freeze:
- This sauce will keep in the fridge for 5-6 days.
- Freeze it in a gallon freezer bag or any airtight container in portions for up to 4 months.
- Reheat the thawed sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave. Thin it with a splash of water if needed.
- The sauce can also be frozen, mixed with cooked spaghetti.
I made this recipe and I thought the amount of oregano was a lot I cut it back to less than 1 tbps and I think next time I would only use 1/2 of tbsp. I added a small amount of honey and lemon juice to help cut back on the strong oregano , otherwise it was very good.
Hi Linda. I see why you might have thought there was too much oregano in the recipe. I should have specified dried oregano (the dried crush leaves) which is the kind I typically use. If using ground oregano, you would only use about 1/3 the amount. I clarified that in the ingredient list. Sorry about the confusion and thanks for the catch!
when do you remove the bay leaves or can they be left out altogether?
Hi Colleen. You remove the bay leaves after cooking the spaghetti meat sauce. Or just leave them out if you prefer.
Thank you. I never buy bay leaves, so I just may use a substitute or leave it out all together.
Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe
Blessings
This is a delicious sauce! I added a little splash of red wine (needed to finish off the bottle). I made 3x the amount and everyone loved it. Thank you!!
So happy to hear that Kathryn! I hope you have leftovers for a quick weeknight meal 🙂
Iam making this for the first time for supper tonight .
Hope you love it! Let us know 🙂
Love it. I make it often. Even my little 1 1/2-year-old granddaughter loves it.
Glad to hear that! Thanks Linda 🙂
By far my favorite meat sauce.
Glad to hear Brandyn! Mine too 🙂
Which brand plain tomato sauce do you recommend please?
I use Hunts plains tomato sauce or White Linen Marinara sauce from Costco. Many others would work as well.
Piazza Tomasso’s sauce? OMG. I’ve looked for years for years for a copycat recipe with no success. I knew I was missing a secret ingrident but could never nail it. Tried cloves,allspice,cinammon but never thought about mustard. That just might be it. Tks for sharing gals.
You are right Carl! A few drops of prepared mustard is the Piazza Tomasso secret ingredient. Well, I don’t actually know for sure, but that’s exactly what I remember it tasting like.(For anyone else reading this, Piazza Tomasso is a Montreal restaurant very popular back in the day – way back). Glad you finally found the missing ingredient 🙂
Simply the best sauce. My kids and I love it.
So glad you and the kids like it. Thanks for leaving a comment.