This easy spaghetti recipe with meat sauce takes just a few minutes of prep and then a low simmer on the stove for a deep, meaty-flavored, homemade spaghetti for the best family favorite dinner.
This post is brought to you by Kroger
Before I even started writing this post, I was wrestling with the title.
My Sister’s Favorite Spaghetti Dinner. Because as a kid it was #1 on her request list. And to do this day, all these years later and after eating meals from all over the world, it still is.
My Mom’s Best Spaghetti Recipe Ever! Because it is. And, who doesn’t trust mom to make the best?
The Best Spaghetti and Meat Sauce You’ll Ever Make But Never Guess the Secret Ingredient. Intrigued????
The Dinner to Make When You Want to Perfume Your House With All the Glorious Smells and Then Feed an Army. Perhaps a little lengthy for a title, but still totally appropriate.
Spaghetti and Meat Sauce So Good You’ll Eat the Cold Leftovers Still in the Container Straight from the Fridge. Uh-oh, did I just give myself away????? Busted!
I asked my sister to text me a picture of her copy of my mom’s spaghetti recipe, as seen below. The splatters and drips are proof that my sister is this recipe’s number one fan—and it looks like she’s also quite the stellar recipe tester!
When I finished college and moved into my first apartment, I wrote down my mom’s recipe for our favorite family dinner and plopped it into my tattered recipe binder. Eventually I’d made it so many times I committed it to memory. But as time passed, it didn’t taste quite as good as my mom’s, a fact I didn’t actually realize until she made us all her original version when my sister was visiting. (Naturally my sister got to choose her favorite dish for dinner, because hello, she’s still the favorite :) ).
That dinner is when I realized I was missing one very crucial ingredient that makes this spaghetti better than the rest, and isn’t often found in spaghetti sauce. Have you spied it yet? I’ll reveal in a minute, but first, let’s talk basics…
Homemade Spaghetti Ingredients
This it the type of recipe you can easily have at the ready thanks to a simply stocked pantry and a few foundation refrigerator ingredients I can always find at my local Smith’s Marketplace / Kroger store.
Since working with Kroger for the past few years and because it is my main grocery store for shopping (I spend way too much time wandering the garden section!) I’ve become more and more impressed with the quality of their private label store brands like Simple Truth, HemisFares and Private Selection. And the design geek in me is happy to see the evolution of package design for their staple Kroger brand so that the label matches the goodness within. What can I say? Labels matter.
This spaghetti recipe is both Italian in its inspiration and American in its popularity and is way better than what you’ll find at restaurants like The Spaghetti Factory.
My mom’s spaghetti and meat sauce doesn’t call for anything extraordinary. In fact, it’s totally basic, and that’s what makes it all the better.
- Ground Beef. I use 85% lean ground angus beef for my sauce so it still has flavor but not a lot of fat. My sister has taken to using ground turkey, also a great option.
- Tomato sauce. Plain is best to create a tomato bath for the other ingredients to infuse.
- Diced tomatoes. You could use canned whole tomatoes and then crush with your hands and fingers. But mom’s recipe says diced so that’s what I do.
- Tomato paste. This gives the sauce it’s body, and also a little sweetness.
- Beef broth. Another layer of meatiness. My sister amended her recipe to use condensed, but I used regular here.
- Canned mushrooms. Typically I will always use fresh mushrooms in recipes, but this is one time I never, ever, ever do. There’s just something about the canned version that becomes my favorite part of the sauce, and the reason I typically double the amount the recipe calls for.
- A splash of wine. Mom says to use the empty mushroom can as your measurement guide.
- Onion, celery and fresh garlic. They’re always lollying around the refrigerator crisper waiting to be used.
- Dried herbs, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sugar for sweetness. Don’t skip out on the bay leaves, they make a huge difference.
- Dried whole cloves! My mom learned this trick from her friend Virginia, and adding a few whole cloves was the secret ingredient I’d been missing lo these many years. My mom uses 5-6 cloves but my husband prefers four. The cloves give it an earthy, spiced flavor that’s not often easy to place. It’s a total surprise when I tell people they’re in there, or if they discover one on their own hidden in their spaghetti-sauced bite if I forget or can’t find them to fish them out before serving.
How to Make Spaghetti Sauce
Truly fantastic homemade spaghetti sauce is easier to make than you’d think, but it does take time. To make the best spaghetti sauce, you simply need to brown the ground beef and drain off any excess fat. Then, throw in the chopped celery, onion, and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften. So far, so good?
Dump the rest of the homemade pasta sauce ingredients into the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the spaghetti sauce is boiling, reduce the heat and let it simmer on the stove for another 3 hours. I know 3 hours sounds like forever, but that’s how long it takes to make a rich, flavorful meat sauce.
Once the homemade spaghetti sauce has had time to simmer, all that’s left to do is boiling the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions and dish it up!
How to Reheat Spaghetti
If you wind up with leftovers from this homemade spaghetti recipe, you can easily reheat them the next day. I recommend reheating leftover spaghetti in a covered saucepan over medium-low heat. You may need to add a splash of beef broth to loosen up the pasta.
Can You Freeze Spaghetti?
The best way to freeze leftover spaghetti is to freeze the homemade spaghetti sauce separately and then make fresh spaghetti noodles when you’re about to eat it. Defrost the sauce in the refrigerator for 1 day, or, add to a large pot, cover, and heat on medium to medium-low until thawed.
To make for meal prep, freeze the sauce in gallon freezer bags. Lay them down flat so you can stack them flat or upright side by side in the freezer.
What Type of Red Wine Should I Buy?
The key to cooking with wine is to purchase one that is of the same quality you’d be willing to drink. I’d say look for a bottle that costs around $10 or so (I tend to use a blended red or Pinot noir in this spaghetti recipe).
Can I Omit the Wine?
Technically, yes, but I highly recommend adding it to the homemade spaghetti sauce since it adds so much flavor. Remember: the alcohol cooks out of the sauce and is only a flavoring.
However, if you’re out of wine or are opposed to using it, you can add 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar instead to add a little acid and umami.
Tips for Making Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
While the easy homemade spaghetti sauce cooks low and slow for 3 hours, make sure to stir it occasionally. You don’t want anything sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning, as that would add a bitter flavor to the meat sauce.
We always serve this meat sauce with regular spaghetti noodles, but I imagine it would be just as good with any other twirly pasta, or over tortellini or ravioli or even as a filler for lasagna.
This homemade spaghetti recipe makes a lot so it’s great for serving to a crowd or a big family. If you’re making for two or a few, it makes excellent leftovers for lunch all week long or divide the sauce into gallon freezer and save for later.
What to Serve with Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
We always serve this with a super crunchy iceberg salad tossed with sliced cucumbers and tomatoes and dressed in my favorite red wine vinaigrette and a few slices of buttery garlic bread. If you’re looking for a little bit more, here are a few recipe ideas to make your meal.
- Caesar Salad With Garlic Croutons
- Killer Garlic Rolls
- Easy 5-Minute Parmesan Zucchini
- Arugula Salad With Shaved Parmesan Three Ways
- The Best Caprese Salad (Plus A DIY Caprese Salad Bar)
- How To Make Classic Tiramisu
- Wine. Plenty of wine.
If you try this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
My Mom's Homemade Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 stalks celery chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced or pressed
- 1 29- ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 29- ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 6- ounce can tomato paste
- 2 7- ounce cans sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 15- ounce can beef broth
- 5-6 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 4 teaspoons dried
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound dried spaghetti noodles
- grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
In a large heavy bottomed stock pot over medium high heat, cook the ground beef until browned, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the rendered fat and add the meat back to the pot.
Add the chopped onion, celery and garlic and cook until the vegetables soften, about 5-7 more minutes.
Add the rest of the ingredients (except the spaghtti noodles and Parmesan), stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer, stir and cover with a lid, and cook for at least three hours on medium low heat, stirring occasionally.
Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions in generously salted water. Drain and mix into the spaghetti sauce.
Serve with grated or ground Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes
The meat sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or saved in a gallon ziplock bag and frozen for up to 3 months.
More Italian Recipe Ideas
- Pasta Pomodoro Sauce — the authentic sauce I learned how to make in Italy!
- Linguine Con Vongole (Linguine With Clam Sauce)
- Easy Homemade Pesto Pasta Recipe
- Gnocchi With Pomodoro Sauce — a total time saver made with jarred sauce
- Crab Spaghetti With Lemon Gremolata
- How To Make Homemade Chicken Parmesan
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Nicole - Cooking for Keeps says
Aren’t Mom’s recipes the best? I did the same thing you did, I made my mom’s spaghetti and meatballs over and over and eventually it just didn’t taste the same anymore. A couple years ago I made her write it all down for me and now it’s perfect every time! This looks so good, we’re definitely going to try it! I bet the cloves give the whole sauce such a nice warmth.
heidi says
Hahaha! I’m glad I’m not the only one Nicole. I swear, I thought I had it down since I’d made it so many dang times!!! XO
The fart who knocks for you says
I’m making a 3lb beef version of this right now. I don’t F around. What has me was the cloves. My mom used to make it that way until my dad bit into a whole clove and it wrecked him. He was having dental issues and apparently it was very unpleasant. He banned cloves from the house. He still brings this up decades later.
Deb says
I’m pretty sure the cloves mean cloves of garlic! LOL
Stefanie says
no it is cloves and it is delicious in meat sauce and put on roasts ( beef and pork) just very little 1- 4 at the most. I can’t even think of gulash without cloves. I got that from my mother 50 years ago and she got it from hers !
Marci says
I’m making. It now smells yummy
The fart who knocks for you says
I’m making a 3lb beef version of this right now. I don’t F around. What has me was the cloves. My mom used to make it that way until my dad bit into a whole clove and it wrecked him. He was having dental issues and apparently it was very unpleasant. He banned cloves from the house. He still brings this up decades later.
Heidi says
Ha, your poor dad. My husband gets on me too if there are a few too many cloves slipped into the sauce. But they do make this sauce extra special.
Sarah E Barnes says
I tried your recipe and found it to be very good. I had to leave certain items out because my husband doesn’t eat mushrooms. I also used Italian seasoning which had your same ingredients except for the bay leaves. Instead of two tlbs of sugar I used 4. I didn’t do the 3 hours, but zi did let it simmer for 1 hour. Anyway, it was very delicious. I am printing this out and put it in my file. Had rolls and a salad with it
Dave says
Your mom’s sauce is ALMOST identical to mine but I did pick up some ideas from yours – chopped celery and cloves. And, yes, it goes well on any pasta and super in lasagna. I would just omit the celery or chop it much finer or use ground seed – sparingly. Oh, lasagna – do not skimp on the cheese in the layers. Yum!! :-)
heidi says
Dave! Isn’t it a great, solid recipe?!! You gotta try it with the cloves, and let me know what you think! Super good idea to chop the celery finer for lasagna, and yes, CHEESE! Always cheese! Thanks for the comment!
Kari says
We must be long-lost relatives, other than my mom’s spaghetti recipe, I’ve never seen anyone else use dried cloves! And of course canned mushrooms.
heidi says
That is awesome to know there are “others” of us out there Kari! Where did you grow up? Maybe its a regional thing?
Holly says
Still one of my all time favorites!! And yes- the cloves are definitely the stand out ingredient! I love it over zucchini noodles (zoodles) also.
Patti langrock says
So hungry for some of that yummy sauce. Thanks for the feature. It’s so easy to forget a prime ingredient when you make something so many times. It just shows it’s a favorite.
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corian price says
I like spaghetti
کورین says
such a great site
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
This seriously looks like the best spaghetti recipe ever! Love the cloves – such a brilliant idea that I’m sure adds major flavor. Can’t wait to try this!
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Jillian says
We don’t care for mushrooms in my house. Anyone tried it without? I’m always on the hunt for a good sauce and have never found one that’s just right. I love making a bunch and freezing it. Makes crazy weeknights easier.
heidi says
If you aren’t a fan of mushrooms, you can certainly leave them out :)
Becky says
Looks so g ood, I I will try it soon. Love reading all your Mother’s ideas
! Thanks so much.
Zila says
I do not drink wine so i have no idea how to pick a good one. What wine do you use, like exactly ?
heidi says
Hi Zila! The key to cooking with wine is to purchase one that is of the same quality you’d be willing to drink, but since you don’t drink that might be hard to tell. I’d say look for a bottle around $10 or so. I tend to use chardonnay or sauvignon blanc for the white wines because they’re what I like to drink, or a blended red or Pinot noir for red wine. You could also check to see if your store offers splits of wine so it doesn’t all go to waste.
Hannah L. says
This looks so INVITING and DELICIOUS!! I am starving now! And the pictures are beautiful! Everything coated nicely, and the noodles so happy and twirly!
Joan McCallum says
so many canned products. apart from tubed tomato paste and canned tomatoes as it is often hard to buy tomatoes ripe enough to cook on the day I use fresh ingredients..home made stock, tomato sauce, fresh mushrooms and fresh spaghetti…just lie mother used to make. Do approve of yous sisters use of stevia instead of cane sugar. s
Maria says
Is it possible for me to freeze the rest of the sauce?
heidi says
HI Maria, absolutely! We do just that quite often!!
Blaire says
I love that your mom measures the wine in the mushroom can… my mom does the same thing!!
heidi says
Isn’t that funny! Glad to hear she has a sister-in-measuring-arms. :)
Fransje says
Can I put this in the slow cooker after I do the meat on the stove first?
heidi says
I haven’t made it in the slow cooker before Fransje, but I’m pretty sure you could. Let me know how it turns out if you do.
Carol says
I came here to ask that!
Jo Stevens says
Love your receipts Can you tell me a good red wine and white wine to cook with. Thank you
heidi says
Thanks Jo. Really any decent cooking wine will do. I’ll often buy a good boxed wine to store in the cupboard so I can use just a bit at a time as needed. Then you don’t have to open a whole bottle, unless you’d like to. I tend to use chardonnay or sauv blanc for the whites and a blended red or Pinot noir for the reds. I feel like a cabernet is just a bit too robust for this recipe, but if it’s all you have, I’d rec’d using 3/4 cup instead.
Kristen says
Heidi, Delicous recipe! I used 5 cloves and I think my husband agrees with yours- I’ll use 4 next time. As with many red sauces, the flavor the next day was even better! My husband said he could eat it with a spoon like a chili. Thanks as always for sharing your family best!
heidi says
I’m so glad he liked it Kristen! I’m with your husband on the eating it like chili part, it’s even great on leftover french bread like a sloppy joe!
Mike says
This was very tasty but I found it to be a bit watery. Maybe an extra can of tomato paste or less broth/wine?
Shauna Svekla says
I just made this yesterday and mine too looked really watery at first! But I cooked it for the recommended 3 hours and with the lid slightly ajar and a lot of it evaporated/soaked in, creating a thicker sauce :)
Heidi says
You’re right Shauna, it cooks down to a rich sauce over time. The hardest part is not burning the roof of your mouth with all of the taste testing samples.
DONNA GUILLEN says
I’ll never forget my Mom’s spaghetti sauce the day I got my wisdom teeth out- I couldn’t resist- everyone was coming over for a party. I had the spaghetti sauce and it was so hot I burned the stitches right out – totally worth it tho- had to go back and get stitches the next day. Your sauce is same as my moms-including canned mushrooms
Heidi says
So glad you liked it Donna, and that it brought back memories even if they weren’t the best ones :)
Jillian says
Love your site for recipes – your chicken Thai soup in the crockpot is one of our go-to recipes. Many people in our family suffer from reflux but still love to indulge in a good spaghetti sauce (like your recipe) from time to time. Unfortunately, tomato paste is a huge trigger for reflux. While I know it would give this recipe a lot of flavor, do you have any suggestions on how to tweak this recipe to avoid using tomato paste? Would love to hear your thoughts :)
Cathy Johnson says
I tried this recipe for your mom’s spaghetti sauce, and it was perfect ! I’m Italian and was taught many years ago how to make a good sauce. But over the busy years, it started not tasting so good, and it seemed okay to just buy a nice jar already prepared. But after reading your recipe which was very close to my mom’s, and being inspired to try again, now I’m hooked and loving it. Thank you for turning my “cooking” back on !!! This is a great recipe !
Morgan says
Do you chop the mushrooms before cooking? Excited to try this one!!
heidi says
Hi Morgan, no I don’t chop them, I just leave them sliced. I like the big mushroom bite.
Stacy says
Have ground cloves in pantry. Will that work?
Derek says
I was wondering the same if you should use whole or ground
Heidi says
Use whole cloves, not ground, then fish them out after.
Heidi says
No, use whole cloves instead.
Paulina says
Hi, any substitute for the wine? Would love to try this recipe but we really do not like wine and I know I will just make an epic fail choosing the right one for this recipe since I don’t drink at all.
Heidi says
Paulina, instead of wine, add 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to add a little acid and umami. But also remember, the alcohol cooks out of the sauce and is only a flavoring.
Sarah says
oh, SO good! I have never cooked with cloves before and wasn’t sure what to expect. WOW, do they add flavor! I doubled the recipe and used 1 lb ground hamburger and 1 lb ground sausage. Made for my new man friend – which his mom’s spaghetti is his favorite. Thanks for helping me into his heart :-)
jd says
If you don’t put the spaghetti in the sauce, the left over sauce makes good manwhiches!
Heidi says
For sure JD. Or you could always make spaghetti tacos :) too
Shelly says
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe! It’s the BEST sauce EVER!
Heidi says
So glad you agree Shelly!!
Marci says
I’m making. It now smells yummy
Heidi says
Nothing like a simmering sauce to make the house smell awesome.
Ed says
Wow… An excellent recipe! I did add peppers.Though I was hesitant about adding the gloves, I did. They are the magic ingredient, in my opinion. Thank you!
Heidi says
Nice Ed! Peppers would be tasty!
Sara Irie says
Hello! Do you drain the canned mushrooms, or just add the mushroom juice?
Marie says
No, don’t drain the juice….just add it in with the mushrooms
Heidi says
Sara, I drain the juice but if you didn’t it wouldn’t hurt anything.
Alan Weiss says
I love mine with extra meat, so I add a pound of Jimmy Deans hot sausage, also would suggest using diced San Marzano Style Plum Tomatoes.
Marie says
I use three ground meats, veal, beef and pork. Never canned mushrooms. Fresh are much better and simple. No need for broth.
The Toscanna
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Thanks for sharing, Marie!
David says
Almost a replica of my mom’s. We add an extra onion, few pinches of sweet basil, a can (or two) of rotel spices it up real good. We use a large pot for 2 lbs of hamburger, a package of Johnsonville sweet Italian sausage, four 16 oz. cans of tomato sauce, four 8 oz cans of tomato paste and fill each of the tomato sauce cans halfway with water. We need the water because we go 5 to 6 hours. Yes, the celery is a must. So good who needs to add noodles.
Di says
I love this recipe… make as described except use fresh mushrooms not canned … have cooked 5 times now and double recipe so have plenty to freeze … really delicious thank you!!
Heidi says
So glad you like it Di, and yes, you can definitely use fresh mushrooms if you like.
Summer says
This is quite similar to my moms recipe. The difference is she uses cream of mushroom and adds table spoon of flour. She still adds the can mushrooms and juice no red wine. Delicious! Trying your moms recipe tonight!
Heidi says
Oh wow Summer. Adding cream of mushroom sounds like it would make a creamy version, maybe more like a stroganoff.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
So yummy! Thanks for giving this one a shot. How did it turn out?
Lisa says
Can I use ground cloves?
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
You bet!
Heidi says
No Lisa, stick with the whole cloves. The flavor isn’t as heavy that way, and you can fish them out at the end of cooking.
Andrea Scott says
I found this recipe last year on your web site and was so excited! Been craving my moms sauce recipe too! She made this almost exactly with a few changes: chopped garlic, chopped carrots (instead of sugar), chicken broth (but I’m trying beef next time as I’m positive it will leave a much richer flavor), lots of Italian seasoning and cooked it for a long time to make it more like a “gravy”. I always make large batches and freeze. Thanks so much for this! Yummy!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
That sounds amazing. I like the idea of freezing too. ENjoy!
Penny says
I have made this twice. The first time I forgot the salt!!!! So it wasn’t as good.
But this time I added everything except the wine and mushrooms. It was very good!!! But darn, finding those cloves at the end is HARD.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Yes it is haha! I am so glad you love this one!
Mary says
I would suggest putting the cloves in a small piece of cheesecloth tied then will be easy to find. That is what I plan on doing because the recipe sounds fantastic
Dinner at Ginny’s says
This recipe is absolutely delicious and I LOVE that it makes a ton! Was able to feed my family and send some up to my mom who broke her arm so that she can enjoy!
Heidi says
Yay! I hope it becomes a family staple in your house like it is in ours.
Jeff says
Love this recipe. I had friends for dinner tonight and everyone agreed best they had ever had. Had to use ground clove as I did not have whole on hand and turned out fantastic. Probably abou 1/2 teaspoon. Thanks so much for sharing.
Mary A says
Very similar to mine. Replacing the ground beef with a mixture of ground sweet and mild or medium Italian sausage is another version. My husband taught me this
Heidi says
Great idea Mary. Sausage adds a bit more savory to the sauce. You could also do half sausage and half ground beef.
ViviLynn Heath says
Cloves, yes! I learned many years ago that cloves enhance any beef dish. They are great in pot roasts, beef stews, stroganofs, anything beef!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
I love cloves too!
Noel Parsons says
Cloves in spaghetti sauce wasn’t really a secret in our family. My Italian g/mother taught Mama how to make spaghetti sauce from scratch and I was always the only child peeking over Mama’s shoulder when she cooked. When I invited Mama for a visit (when I was 24 yo) and had homemade spaghetti sauce, she tasted it and looked surprised. She asked me how I knew she put cloves in the sauce, so I told her. ;)
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
That is so sweet! I love food related memories like this! Thanks for sharing.
Cassondra says
OMG! Your mother’s recipe is amazing! So I’ve been cooking spaghetti and every time I cook it it turns out worse than before This recipe makes spaghetti taste like it’s supposed to! Thank you for posting!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
I am so glad you love it! Thanks Cassondra!