5.0 from 12 votes
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
A hearty spaghetti sauce made with Italian sausage, ground beef, red wine, tomatoes, and herbs!
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 16 cups
Calories: 113 kcal
Course:
Dinner
Cuisine:
Italian , American
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 2 small onions, diced (about 2 cups total)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced (about 5 teaspoons total)
- 2 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup dry red wine (such as such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot)
- ¼ cup sugar (or reduce to 2 tablespoons for a less-sweet sauce)
- 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- For serving: cooked spaghetti, Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley or basil
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, cook the sausage and ground beef over medium heat for 6 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break apart the meat. Add the onion and garlic; cook and stir until the meat is no longer pink, about 4 more minutes. Drain off the fat.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, red wine, sugar, salt, Italian seasoning, and cayenne pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 2 ½ - 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper, or sugar, if necessary.
- Serve over cooked spaghetti; garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- If you would rather not use wine in this recipe, you can substitute with an extra cup of water.
- The right amount of sugar perfectly balances the acidity of the tomatoes, giving the sauce a richer tomato flavor. I generally prefer ¼ cup of sugar in this recipe; however, if you're working with particularly sweet tomatoes, or if you like a less-sweet sauce, you can start with 1-2 tablespoons of sugar. Give the sauce a taste and add more, if necessary. Similarly, if you like a sweeter sauce, you may want to use up to ½ cup of sugar.
Nutrition Information
Serving
0.5cup
Calories
113kcal
(6%)
Carbohydrates
8g
(3%)
Protein
6g
(12%)
Fat
6g
(9%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
3g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
20mg
(7%)
Sodium
651mg
(27%)
Potassium
397mg
(11%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
6g
(12%)
Vitamin A
425IU
(9%)
Vitamin C
7mg
(8%)
Calcium
22mg
(2%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 16cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 113
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 0.5cup | |
| Calories | 113kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 8g | 3% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 20mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 651mg | 27% |
| Potassium | 397mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 425IU | 9% |
| Vitamin C | 7mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 22mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.